Establishing a clover plot

GAbuckhunter88 · Aug 31, 2017

I am wanting to establish a year around clover plot as one of my food plots on the farm. When is the best time to plant one? Any advice or tips for this? Im just looking to establish a few year round producing food sources.

Thanks in advance.

Canuck5 · Aug 31, 2017

Soil test done and above 6.0 ph?

Choose which (probably) white perennial clover you want to use. Durana, Patriot, Regal Graze, Imperial White tail Institute, Louisiana S-1 ..... there's probably others to consider.

Establish it this fall (late September or early October), along with a cereal grain, like wheat, oats or cereal rye, but keep the grain portion between 40 and 60 lbs/acre.

Crakajak · Aug 31, 2017

Pretty much this^^^^^^^^^^ covers it.
I will add that the more weed free you are when you start the better it will grow.
I always overseed some clover every year to keep a young supply of clover starting to grow for the next year to replace what might die from being mature plants.
Proper timing on weed control is important next spring/fall.
DO NOT LET WEEDS GO TO SEED.

Canuck5 · Aug 31, 2017

Crakajak said:
Pretty much this^^^^^^^^^^ covers it.
I will add that the more weed free you are when you start the better it will grow.
I always overseed some clover every year to keep a young supply of clover starting to grow for the next year to replace what might die from being mature plants.
Proper timing on weed control is important next spring/fall.
DO NOT LET WEEDS GO TO SEED.

(Crakajak, I apologize for not wiping my feet, when I came over the last time ... hope I didn't bring too many of my weed seeds with me)

Canuck5 · Aug 31, 2017

And I am in Marietta too, if I can help

Crakajak · Aug 31, 2017

Canuck5 said:
(Crakajak, I apologize for not wiping my feet, when I came over the last time ... hope I didn't bring too many of my weed seeds with me)

Canuck5 · Aug 31, 2017

Looks like I'll be down, for just friday night this weekend

Crakajak · Aug 31, 2017

Canuck5 said:
Looks like I'll be down, for just friday night this weekend

Stop by if you can.Just do it before you get in your weed patch. :cheers:

C.Killmaster · Aug 31, 2017

Dr. Craig Harper's year-round plot is a mix of crimson (12 lbs/ac), arrowleaf (5 lbs/ac), and berseem (4 lbs/ac) clovers mixed with awnless wheat (40 lbs/ac). Those are broadcast rates, so half them if you're drilling. Use frosty berseem in north GA. For maintenance use clethodim for grass control and 2-4-DB (Not 2,4-D!) for broadleaf weeds. Don't mow it unless the weeds get away from you and you need to knock them back to spray. The following year, very lightly disk it preceding a rain around Labor day and it will easily reseed. This mix should be green nearly the entire year.

ucfireman · Aug 31, 2017

Different thought guys. If I want to convert a pasture to Clover and Bermuda is there a spray that will kill everything else except those 2? or can I spray now to kill all but Bermuda and then plant Clover in a couple week?

C.Killmaster · Aug 31, 2017

ucfireman said:
Different thought guys. If I want to convert a pasture to Clover and Bermuda is there a spray that will kill everything else except those 2? or can I spray now to kill all but Bermuda and then plant Clover in a couple week?

You could use 2,4-DB which controls some broadleafs and doesn't hurt clover, but there are a number of herbicides you might spray on bermuda that would prevent the clover from growing. For that application Durana clover is the best suited, it was designed for that very purpose. Drill 5 lbs/ac in the fall as the bermuda starts going dormant.

1gr8bldr · Sep 1, 2017

Few things... Planted in the fall will not give you much to look at. You can usually plant something else with it that will die out later. Best clover I ever had, I planted some type of huge root growing radishs. They break up the soil. They grew tall and stunk like a skunk, but come spring, I bushogged them down to find the thickest stand of clover I have ever had. That clover plot was looking great into it's 7th year when I lost it due to letting someone borrow my weedwiper and could not get them to return it in time

1gr8bldr · Sep 1, 2017

When you plant, clods mess up a good stand. Use a pulverizer and turn them to dust to get the best stand.

1gr8bldr · Sep 1, 2017

Bermuda, you have to move to get rid of it. I expect you would be fighting a losing battle. There is a chemical. A professional ball field company that I did work for had a chemical storage building that I stored some tools in. Had to hold my breath to go in to get them, LOL. They said they had a chemical that was $2000 per ounce. I asked what it was for. They said "the only thing that will kill bermuda 100%"

Dean · Feb 4, 2019

Help/recommendations?
Soil test and applied recommended lime last Summer, as well as sprayed existing hay field to kill everything. Planted clover mix with wheat, oats and some radishes, applied fertilizer in mid Sept. Wildlife browsed heavily on the plot. I know I still need to work on my soil improvement, will be pulling new soil test in the next few weeks to verify pH. Will add more lime as required. My goal is to establish year around clover plots. Plan is to reseed with some white clovers this Fall. However, my question is what steps to take this Spring as the temps warm up and weed competition starts. Have some broadleaf weeds, wild onions or wild garlic growing already. Anticipate some Bahia grass regenerating too.
Spray clethodim and 2,4DB early Spring? Presumably those can be mixed in sprayer and applied together?
Plant a spring, summer forage (drill /no-till) over existing clover? Then terminate late summer with another application of spray mix, early Fall then reseed clover? maybe clover mix with wheat etc? trying to establish a good biomass of soil with decaying plants. Would like to avoid major soil disturbance with harrowing/disking.

Canuck5 · Feb 4, 2019

Lime can take up to 3 years to peak, so don't get too over anxious her quite yet, but getting another soil test is a good idea.

What type of clovers did you plant? What seeding rate? You may see a clover explosion here in the next 45 days, so don't do anything drastic, yet.

Take an overall picture of your plot and then take one 18" up from the ground and post it here. It will give us all a better look at what you've got .... if you want.

2,4D-B and Clethodim + crop oil will do a good job for you. I wouldn't mix them, but that's my own feeling. Wild onions will take something different, but pull them out if you can, or use a hoe.

Depending on the clovers you planted, you may not need to plant anything this summer. Be patient, Grasshopper!

Time may be on your side here.

Canuck5 · Feb 4, 2019

Spray when everything is actively growing .... another 30 - 45 days might be good.

GeorgeShu · Feb 4, 2019

What Canuck said in post 16.
If the clover mix contained annuals such as Crimson and Arrowleaf, they will take off when the weather warms. Let them develop to maturity to make seed. Let them dry down real good so the seed will drop out easily. That will most likely occur by late July. Can overseed with buckwheat, Alyce clover and/or grain sorghum to have something growing during late summer. These are short season hot weather crops 60 to 75 days and will grow at that time of the year. Overseeding can be with a no till drill or just throw and mow methods.
Very late Sept or early Oct repeat your original mix adding th clovers of your choice. Should be good to go with this type of rotation.
Control weeds as needed and do it early for best results. Remember, these are just food plots, they do not need to be completely weed free.

Dean · Feb 4, 2019

Canuck,

First soil test yielded pH of @5.6, followed the UGA extension recommendation for lime when it was applied. I am interested to see what changes occurred in past 6+months.

Actually planted crimson clover, my research seemed to indicate the crimson was more tolerable of poor soil conditions and some reseeding could be expected (this field has been actively hayed - 2/3 cuttings a year for many, many years). Figured most of the soil nutrients were carried away in the hay cuttings. My original plan was to start the soil improvement last year, and maybe have some crimson clover established, then this Fall start introducing some white clover for longer term.

Canuck5 · Feb 4, 2019

George has a good plan! Your Crimson will be dying off in early April or so. Go ahead and get your spraying done before April 15th. In the first 2 weeks of May, go ahead and broadcast Alyce Clover (not a true clover), then bush hog over top. Deer do eat Alyce Clover and has good protein.

Alyce Clover will die out at the first heavy frost, so I would go ahead and broadcast your white clover and probably wheat, October First and let it go.

Your crimson will reseed, the wheat will germinate and your white clover will start to get established.

Establishing a clover plot

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