Durana Clover

Hunterrs

GONetwork Member
Who has planted this clover? I read an article in GON about this stuff and the reviews were great. Do you have to drill it or can you broadcast it? GON said that it was impossible to find because all the cattle farmers are buying it for cattle. How expensive is it and how much of an area does a bag cover? If I can find some I will plant it next year. Thanks

Robert
 

SWAMPFOX

Senior Member
I think it is a cross between white dutch and one of the ladinos. It is supposed to combine the drought resistance and durability of white dutch with the palatabilty of the ladinos or maybe vice versa. I can't remember. It is expensive, about $4-$5 lb. so figure a 50 lb bag is $200 to $250. When you can find it, you can probably buy in smaller quantities. It is also a perrineal that is supposed to last several years.

As best I can recall, I have heard of using only 5 lbs. of Durana per acre in a mix that includes Osceola ladino, Yuchi arrowleaf and crimson. I beleive it comes pre-innoculated.

I have considered it but I can't stand the price. Osceola ladino at $3-3.50 lb. is about as expensive as I can go. That's what I like about Yuchi and crimson. Even though they are annuals, I find them better suited to my system than trying to baby the more expensive perrineal clovers.

Also most folks that plant clover for deer aren't doing it for the benefit of hunting over it during the season. It is done for the betterment of the herd. Deer tend to go after the protein provided by clover during the mid-summer heat and drought after all the spring vegetation has dried up and become less palatable. At least, that's how it is at my place.
 

Hunterrs

GONetwork Member
I am looking to better my deer herd, BUT I do like to hunt food plots too. Perhaps some type of mix? The way GON talks it will shade everything else out.
 

WildHair

Member
I just put out one plot full of Durana. The recommended rate is 5lbs. per acre. I put out about 3 times that. I tend to side with ER and want to make sure I get a good stand right off the bat. From what I'm told, Durana should last somewhere between 5 and 8 years and it spreads like Kudsu.

Yeah it's expensive, but if it comes anywhere near it's hype, it will be worth it.

Time will tell.......
 

denny

Senior Member
We just planted an acre of it. It costs us over $5.00 per #, it is pre inoculated. I was told to plant 10#s per acre. Thought that was kinda too much, so threw in a small amount of cereal grains, some soy beans, and planted 5#s. Did this for a test, if it does what they say it will we will jump all over this stuff next year big time.
 

dixie

Senior Member
One other

thing about duranna, it grows SLOW, we mixed some other clovers in with it. I had planted a "test" field with and at first didn't think it had made, but, it came on up in the spring. don't expect it to pop up any where near as quick as the other clovers do.
 

jman

Member
Planted 3 acres about 3 weeks ago. I took a chance and only planted 5-6# per acre. Went back last week and I have clover sprouting everywhere. I was hesitant about the pounds per acre, but it looks as though I have pretty good coverage.
 

coon dawg

GONetwork Member
we put in around 20 acres

on Saturday......planted 5 pounds per acre, because with it we put in some cereal grains and Winter peas............cost, if you can find it, is between 5 and 6 bucks per pound..........................I put some in at the worst possible time, to see how it would do, on my own farm (May)......hung in there through the summer, and is now growin' well!! :)
 

milliam

Member
We bought some early to try out. We plan on mixing it in with some arrowleaf and some regal ladino. We'll add some oats if it will ever dry out enough to plow...if not, I guess we'll just top seed the clovers and see what happens.

I planted some test plots in my office here. I've got a tupperware container with each of the clovers. This was done so that we can tell what each type looks like. The Durana and Ladino clovers shot up real quick, but the arrowleaf hasn't really made an appearance. I'm a bit worried about it!

As far as finding some...while at Wally World the other day, I stopped to read some seed labels in the Hunting department. They are carrying a Pennington Clover mix that had Durana in it (or was it Patriot...the other Durana). Anyway, that's something you might want to look into.

Tommy
 
Top