establishing a clover pkot, need advice

gregj · Oct 28, 2015

I would like to establish a perennial Clover plot for next year on an existing food plot. Should i wait until spring
or start it now? Would i need to kill off the existing plants
or just till up the ground and spread the seeds? The plot had been planted the last 2 years with radishes and rape
plus a little clover mixed in but i was thinking of making
it all clover, probably a Whitetail Institute mix of something. Any opinions or advice appreciated.
thanks....

Forest Grump · Oct 28, 2015

First, be sure you have done a soil test & amended your soil to a pH > 6.5 (7 is perfect). IWT clover will not thrive in acid soil.

The first year (Fall) you plant a perennial clover, it will be TINY. You need a nurse crop of cereals to start it off, & a balanced fertilizer to supply fertility until that clover has an established root structure. Can you still seed it into your plot, if your soil is balanced, yes. I (& IWT) do not recommend planting it in spring in the South, because it will not have the roots to survive summer, & it is poorly competitive with weeds. Never try to establish clover in spring if you are S of KY.

In terms of weed control, you need very good weed control before you try to establish perennial clover. Perennial clover will not outcompete any warm season weeds. Until then use annuals; red clover is an excellent alternative, that deer prefer over most others.

When you try to establish a perennial clover, plant it with a (light seeding of) cereal grains (oats, wheat, rye) as a nurse crop. Avoid the brassicas that year.

You have missed your ideal window for planting clover; I'd wait until next year. Sept/Oct is the best time, Nov is pushing it. If you already bought seed, spread them & see what happens.

Perennial clover seed is very expensive & poorly competitive, so it will pay you to get your site ideal before you try to grow it. Otherwise you will struggle to get a decent stand. It's hard enough to deal with the competition after you get it going.

rustybucket · Oct 28, 2015

Not bashing Imperial, but you might want to look into Durana, I feel like it's better suited to our climate.

Canuck5 · Oct 29, 2015

Forest Grump said:
First, be sure you have done a soil test & amended your soil to a pH > 6.5 (7 is perfect). IWT clover will not thrive in acid soil.

The first year (Fall) you plant a perennial clover, it will be TINY. You need a nurse crop of cereals to start it off, & a balanced fertilizer to supply fertility until that clover has an established root structure. Can you still seed it into your plot, if your soil is balanced, yes. I (& IWT) do not recommend planting it in spring in the South, because it will not have the roots to survive summer, & it is poorly competitive with weeds. Never try to establish clover in spring if you are S of KY.

In terms of weed control, you need very good weed control before you try to establish perennial clover. Perennial clover will not outcompete any warm season weeds. Until then use annuals; red clover is an excellent alternative, that deer prefer over most others.

When you try to establish a perennial clover, plant it with a (light seeding of) cereal grains (oats, wheat, rye) as a nurse crop. Avoid the brassicas that year.

You have missed your ideal window for planting clover; I'd wait until next year. Sept/Oct is the best time, Nov is pushing it. If you already bought seed, spread them & see what happens.

Perennial clover seed is very expensive & poorly competitive, so it will pay you to get your site ideal before you try to grow it. Otherwise you will struggle to get a decent stand. It's hard enough to deal with the competition after you get it going.

^^^^^^^^ Good advice! Lay your ground work now, for next fall's planting!

Canuck5 · Oct 29, 2015

Just a couple other questions. What AG equipment do you have and how big are the plots?

gregj · Oct 29, 2015

Thanks Forest, just the kind of information i was looking for. I will probably start it next fall as this year we planted it in radishes and rape with some wheat and oats. Cannuck, its an 1 acre plot and a member has a tractor with 3 point hitch and roto tiller, plus bush hog attachment.
Plot has been limed and fertilized for last 3 seasons so ground should be pretty easy to convert over to all clover.
( i hope! ) Just looking to not have to plow and re-seed every year.

Ihunt · Oct 29, 2015

WTI is a great clover if you have the proper soil. The soil should hold water and stay moist. By hold water, I am not talking about flooding but that clover thrives in a moist soil. I think deer eat it better than Duranna but it is so much pickier with moisture and ph.

Duranna is the bomb. I posted a pic in another thread of my Duranna plot. The ph in that plot is 5.4. Duranna will handle heat, drought, and nasty soil so much better than Imperial clover. And while I think deer like the WTI clover better they still eat the Duranna quiet well.

elfiii · Oct 29, 2015

gregj said:
Just looking to not have to plow and re-seed every year.

Then maintenance after establishment is key.

Maintenance =

1.Proper pH

2. Weed/grass control

3. 0-20-20 fertilizer

As Forest said clover competes very poorly with warm weather weeds and grass. Controlling them is half the battle. Good luck. A perennial clover plot well maintained is the gift that keeps on giving for years and years!

CraKaLaCKiN · Oct 30, 2015

here's a pic of my WI clover plot. I planted this Fall 2014.

gregj · Nov 1, 2015

Man that is exactly what i am hoping to establish. Will
not be that big but hopefully i will be able to get it started next fall / late summer.

167WhiteTAIL · Nov 2, 2015

1.5 yr old Durana plot, I have pics of deer hitting it all year long. My timber company came in and destroyed this one, so I had to start over again, I am 1 year into my new Durana plot, it doesn't look as good as this, but I am hoping by next spring it is close. I have clover over 80% of the field, I over seeded it in September.

establishing a clover pkot, need advice

gregj

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rustybucket

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Canuck5

Food Plot advisor extraordinaire !

Canuck5

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