Spring/summer cover crop

GAbuckhunter88

Senior Member
Working on increasing size and quality of my plots at the farm. Soil test are in and the lime will be applied end of this month. Rather than leaving them bare ground until the fall is there something I can plant that will be beneficial to the wildlife during spring and summer that will tolerate the less than perfect soil Conditions as the lime takes action.
 

Canuck5

Food Plot advisor extraordinaire !
You can try alyce clover. It will grow well in poor soil. It has 20%+ crude protein, so if your deer take to it, it's healthy for the does and fawns .... and bucks.

It has a pretty good root system which will help break up the hard pan, a little. Alyce clover will die out at first frost, so you'll be good for a fall planting.

Forest Grump suggested a mix of iron & clay cowpeas and sunn hemp, as an option, both of which will grow in poor soil. My suggestion was buckwheat and cowpeas, since the buckwheat will cover the ground quickly and maybe help keep the deer off the cowpeas, till they mature a little more. The buckwheat will be eaten a little, then die off but the cowpeas will be devoured, once they get the taste for them. Cowpeas are another nutritious plant for deer, at the right time of year.
 

GAbuckhunter88

Senior Member
Thanks Canuck. I may try and plant some Alyce Clover after I get the lime applied next week. Just wanting something to prevent the plots from being bare dirt.
 

Canuck5

Food Plot advisor extraordinaire !
I planted Alyce Clover on a couple of plots that were freshly limed for the first time and was pleased with the growth!
 

BCPbuckhunter

Senior Member
I planted a lot of alyce clover last year on new ground that had not been limed at all and it grew great. It will tolerate a low ph was the reason I used it and the deer hammered it. I am working on getting these new areas limed for future perennial clover plots but the alyce will work great for the time being. Several of the new areas were just firebreaks that had been cut around a clear cut to burn it. I also planted a bunch out it the bare clear cut that came up good considering it was never limed or fertilized. I am also using it around some of my perineal plots along the edges.
 

Crakajak

Daily Driveler News Team
Most clovers will germinate on a low ph. However it will not be as nutritious as if properly limed and fertilized.
 

Crakajak

Daily Driveler News Team
A little info for anyone interested in Alyce clover.
Clover Seed - Alyce Clover is a annual summer sweet clover most commonly used for wildlife food plots, cattle forage and hay production. Alyce clover is great for deer and quail! Planted along fence lines, fire breaks Alyce clover will provide cover as well as seed throughout the fall and early winter. Alyce Clover is a high protein legume that provides essential nutrients for antler growth during the summer months. Alyce clover can be planted as early as the last chance of frost in the spring. It will grow throughout the summer and fall. Alyce clover will reseed if the seed pods reach maturity before the first frost.

Planting Rate: 10-15 lbs. per acre
Planting Depth: 1/4 inch
Planting Time: Spring, Summer
Type: Perennial
Application: Wildlife Food Plots, Cattle Forage, Decorative ground cover
pH: 5.5-6.5
Soil: Medium to well drained
Inoculant Required: EL Type/Garden Combo

Alyceclover, Alysicarpus vaginalis (L.) DC., is an annual, warm-season legume. It grows erect with spreading branches and may reach a height of 60" if not harvested. Although an annual, it can reestablish each year by natural reseeding if the crop is allowed to make seed in the fall. This may be difficult to accomplish since the crop is usually cut for hay or grazed closely, which eliminates seed production. Only seed of common alyceclover are available for planting. Common alyceclover is not a new crop, but has been grown in Florida for many years for either pasture or hay.

SITE SELECTION
Alyceclover is adapted to well-drained soils with good fertility. These can be either upland sands or flatwoods with good drainage. Alyceclover does not perform well on soils that flood.

Avoid sites with high levels of rootknot nematodes. These pests will attack common alyceclover and may severely damage the crop. Sites where alyceclover or other crops susceptible to rootknot nematodes have been grown in the previous season may have high levels of nematodes.

SEEDBED PREPARATION
Alyceclover may be overseeded into a grass sod. The sod should be grazed or mowed closely to remove excess forage and cut with a medium-to-lightweight disk or chopper before seeding. The purpose of this cultivation is not to destroy the sod but to expose some soil so that seed can come in direct contact with it when planted. If a pasture drill is used, disking may be eliminated, but the sod must be closely grazed before planting.

Alyceclover is often planted following a spring vegetable or watermelon crop. In such a case, it is important to prepare a firm, moist, weed-free seedbed before planting.

PLANTING
Alyce clover should be planted between April 15 and June 30. If winter rains have been below normal and soil moisture is low in April and May, then overseeding of a grass sod should be delayed until the summer rains begin in June. Use 15 to 20 lb/A of seed. Use the high rate when the seedbed and soil condition are less favorable. The seed may be inoculated just prior to planting with N-fixing bacteria. Use the cowpea-type inoculant.

When planting into a grass sod that has been disked or chopped, the seed can be broadcast, followed by a harrow or drag of some type that will mix the seed with the soil, and then a cultipacker or roller may be useful to firm the soil. A good rain after broadcasting the seed will move the seed down and firm the soil, thus eliminating the need for harrowing and packing, but rainfall is unpredictable. When using a pasture drill, make sure the grass is cut or grazed short. When planting on a prepared seedbed, the seed are usually broadcast and covered with a cultipacker or planted with a grain drill. With either method, seed should be covered to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2". A well-prepared, level seedbed allows for planting at the right depth.

LIMING AND FERTILIZATION

Alyceclover will not produce satisfactory growth on the very acid soils of low fertility. This crop requires a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.0. A soil test can be used to determine the need for lime, phosphorous, and potassium. If alyceclover is planted immediately following a highly fertilized crop, such as watermelons, it may not be necessary to add additional lime or fertilizer.

MANAGEMENT AND UTILIZATION
Alyceclover makes good quality hay if the crop is harvested before it is overly mature and if it is dried and baled without significant leaf loss. Hay should be cut when plants are 18 to 24" tall. A second cutting of hay is possible under favorable growing conditions. In many cases, alyceclover is planted late and only one hay cutting is made. This harvest should be made when the crop begins to flower. The crop may vary in height from 10" to 3 ft.

Alyceclover planted early (April or May) will be tall enough for hay in mid to late August, but frequent rainfall may prevent harvesting at this time. Harvest can be delayed from 4 to 6 weeks without a severe loss in feeding value.

Alyceclover can be grazed after the plants are about 12" tall. The animals should be removed after the plants are grazed down in order to permit regrowth. Overgrazing could allow weeds to invade the stand. The first growth may be grazed down and animals removed and regrowth used for hay or seed production. Alyceclover can be used in a creep graze system for calves. Four-month-old calves have gained an additional 0.3 to 0.5 lb/day until they were weaned when alyceclover was available in a creep pasture.

Seed yields of up to 600 lb/A may be obtained. Seed may be combined directly or the plants may be mowed, cured in the swath, and then threshed with a combine with a pick-up attachment. The latter method will usually result in a larger amount of seed being saved. Harvest of seed should begin when about 1/2 of the seed pods are brown. This will usually occur about mid-October.

Coutsey of http://www.ufl.edu
 

Longhorn 16

Senior Member
I planted corn for the purpose of shading my plot in an open clear cut. My soil was in much better condition that fall and I had lots of organic material to turn under. Overall I was very happy with the results.

The raccoons put on some lbs. and never let the ears get big enough to benefit other wildlife.
 

Big7

The Oracle
Rye grass will grow in a damp truck bed.
Easiest and fastest thing I know of.

Not a whole lot of nutrish tho'.

Good cover crop. Holds water, and they love to munch on it.
 
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