Latest time to plant clover

[Mackie889]

I want to plant a few clover mix patches where the farmer (who leases the crop ground from me) currently has cotton planted. He said that he should have his crop out in a few weeks. Will it be too late to plant it (South Georgia, near Valdosta)? It would be around Halloween before I could plant it. Thanks for any replies.

 

[Milkman]

Is he going to be planting crops again come spring?

If so, clover may not be your best option. I would go with wheat or other grains

 

[Ihunt]

That far south, you should be fine but as Milkman pointed out, I would find out what the farmers plans are.

 

[Mackie889]

Is he going to be planting crops again come spring?

If so, clover may not be your best option. I would go with wheat or other grains

He will be planting in Spring, but he is getting a discount on the crop lease to plant some corn for me to leave standing, and leave an area between the corn and woods (in 3 separate fields) that I can plant whatever I like. I was thinking one section of clover mix (Durana, crimson, ladina, and arrowleaf) and a plot that would contain soybeans in the Spring and a Fall mix for Winter. The clover plot would be something I get established and maintain by mowing, fertilizing, and over-seeding each year. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Mexican Squealer]

Pull a soil sample….get your PH right and you are good to go…or pump the lime to it.. Clover that is established and Then “taken care of” is the way to go in my opinion. Great protein source, nitrogen builder and all around food source for so many things.

 

[mattb78]

Mackie you love that clover, LOL.

If you let us know how much acreage you can plant, and if you will have that acreage the entire season, or just part of the season, and what crops the farmer is rotating in the other fields, we can make a better recommendation.

You can still plant of any those clovers late.

 

[Canuck5]

You can check the minimum soil germination temperature on the right had side of the chart, then plug in the zip code where your plots are and that can be a guide. My 2" soil temperature is 70 degrees right now.

http://www.georgiaweather.net/?content=tr&variable=XS

And then you can look at these charts just for further reference, for the type of clover you are planning to plant.



Dixie, Au Robin and Au Sunrise are crimson clovers ..... Barduro is red and Fixation and Neches are white clovers

 

[Mackie889]

Mackie you love that clover, LOL

Just wanted to plant a clover only plot for deer and the turkeys (that my father-in-law loves to hunt). I was thinking Durana for the plot based on what others have said about it, but decided to go w/ a mix instead (with extra crimson clover) based on your comments in the Durana thread I posted earlier. I am also changing my cover crop ratios based on your comments, as well. Just wanted to do it right. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people that utilize this forum, so I was asking the "experts!" ?

If you let us know how much acreage you can plant, and if you will have that acreage the entire season, or just part of the season, and what crops the farmer is rotating in the other fields, we can make a better recommendation.

The farmer usually rotates w/ mostly cotton and about every 3rd year goes w/ peanuts. I have my small section (for the entire year) of 3 different fields to plant as I wish. The farmer plants me about 1/4 acre of corn to leave standing in each field, and I have about 1/2 acre left to plant in each field between the corn and woods (This set-up was a suggestion from someone on this forum last year). The deer population is low in my area, so I am doing what I can to encourage more deer to bed and feed on my property. I am also treating a vast majority of my woods to sanctuary for the deer. We won't go in and hunt those woods at all. It seems to be paying off this year with a lot more deer sign on our farm. If the population grows to where the plots are being mowed down, I can have the farmer plant more corn and increase the area in each field I can plant. The farmer is cool and works with me ... I give him a nice discount on the crop rent fees he pays me every year.

You can still plant of any those clovers late.

?

 

[Mackie889]

"Mackie you love that clover, LOL"

Just wanted to plant a clover only plot for deer and the turkeys (that my father-in-law loves to hunt). I was thinking Durana for the plot based on what others have said about it, but decided to go w/ a mix instead (with extra crimson clover) based on your comments in the Durana thread I posted earlier. I am also changing my cover crop ratios based on your comments, as well. Just wanted to do it right. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people that utilize this forum, so I was asking the "experts!" ?


"If you let us know how much acreage you can plant, and if you will have that acreage the entire season, or just part of the season, and what crops the farmer is rotating in the other fields, we can make a better recommendation."

The farmer usually rotates w/ mostly cotton and about every 3rd year goes w/ peanuts. I have my small section (for the entire year) of 3 different fields to plant as I wish. The farmer plants me about 1/4 acre of corn to leave standing in each field, and I have about 1/2 acre left to plant in each field between the corn and woods (This set-up was a suggestion from someone on this forum last year). The deer population is low in my area, so I am doing what I can to encourage more deer to bed and feed on my property. I am also treating a vast majority of my woods to sanctuary for the deer. We won't go in and hunt those woods at all. It seems to be paying off this year with a lot more deer sign on our farm. If the population grows to where the plots are being mowed down by the deer, I can have the farmer plant more corn and increase the area in each field I can plant. The farmer is cool and works with me ... I give him a nice discount on the crop rent fees he pays me every year.

 

[Mackie889]

View attachment 1182487

You can check the minimum soil germination temperature on the right had side of the chart, then plug in the zip code where your plots are and that can be a guide. My 2" soil temperature is 70 degrees right now.

http://www.georgiaweather.net/?content=tr&variable=XS

And then you can look at these charts just for further reference, for the type of clover you are planning to plant.

View attachment 1182488View attachment 1182489View attachment 1182490

Dixie, Au Robin and Au Sunrise are crimson clovers ..... Barduro is red and Fixation and Neches are white clovers

Awesome info ... thanks!

 

[madsam]

you wil be fine to plant clover .. sometimes I wait until NOv. I'm speaking of crimson.
I live in mid Ga.

 

[Mackie889]

you wil be fine to plant clover .. sometimes I wait until NOv. I'm speaking of crimson.
I live in mid Ga.

Great ... thanks for the reply!

 

[elfiii]

Keep in mind perennial clover is a year long work in progress before you get anything. Planting this Fall will give you a good stand of clover next Fall. If that timeline is too long then clover isn't a good fit for you.

 

[Mackie889]

Keep in mind perennial clover is a year long work in progress before you get anything. Planting this Fall will give you a good stand of clover next Fall. If that timeline is too long then clover isn't a good fit for you.

I'm good with the timeline. Enjoying the work in progress on the farm! Going to plant some swamp chestnut oak seedlings in January ... talk about a long timeline until acorns! ?

 

[Evergreen]

I planted durana in mid March once in south ga, didn't do much that first year but is now an 11 year old plot. It is fixing to get completely redone and the soil turned over pretty good, will be just a "winter plot" this off season before turning back into a clover/chicory plot next year with probably some volunteer radish. I'll mix in several varieties but the mainstays will be durana, bardura, a few arrowleaf varieties (names escaping me at the moment) with some oats, wheat, brassicas of various varieties.
This is a plot we did the mixed variety approach in and this was may of this year, there were shorter white varieties underneath these not visible in the pic. It lasted until we got really dry in late June/early July. It's coming back pretty well now. On a side not I am very big into liquid fertilizers and nutrients

 

[Ihunt]

Op,
You mentioned soybeans. Even though you say you have a low deer density, it’s probably a waste of time unless you have at least a couple of acres. 5 acres isn’t enough when you have a high deer density.

 

[Mackie889]

Op,
You mentioned soybeans. Even though you say you have a low deer density, it’s probably a waste of time unless you have at least a couple of acres. 5 acres isn’t enough when you have a high deer density.

The deer in the summer would also have the farm crops in the same field (usually cotton which the deer definitely eat and sometimes peanuts), and would have the clover too. In the Fall / Winter they would have the Fall mix, the clover plot which I would overseed w/ oats and cereal rye, and the corn (and plenty of acorns from oaks on the property). This year, next to the corn in all 3 areas, I planted a 5' wide strip of iron & clay peas that were about 50 yards long. In the heaviest-eaten pea strip, the deer browsed on it pretty good, but didn't decimate them. They were about 18" tall and were still producing leaves even though most were eaten. The soybean plots would be larger than these strip areas, so I think I'll be good with the area planned. If not, like I posted earlier, I can increase the area of each field I plant by taking up more of the crop field. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Evergreen]

The deer in the summer would also have the farm crops in the same field (usually cotton which the deer definitely eat and sometimes peanuts), and would have the clover too. In the Fall / Winter they would have the Fall mix, the clover plot which I would overseed w/ oats and cereal rye, and the corn (and plenty of acorns from oaks on the property). This year, next to the corn in all 3 areas, I planted a 5' wide strip of iron & clay peas that were about 50 yards long. In the heaviest-eaten pea strip, the deer browsed on it pretty good, but didn't decimate them. They were about 18" tall and were still producing leaves even though most were eaten. The soybean plots would be larger than these strip areas, so I think I'll be good with the area planned. If not, like I posted earlier, I can increase the area of each field I plant by taking up more of the crop field. Thanks for the reply!

This will be a cride representation but iron and clay peas will continue to grow after being eaten, ag or conventional beans will not continue to grow after being eaten. Forage beans will continue to grow. I'm sure some would argue this but deer simply do not prefer I & c peas over beans, granted your kinda talking the difference in say vanilla and cookies and cream ice cream. When I plant conventional beans I go 3 to 4 x the recommended rates, around 120k seed per acre and I go 360-480k per acre, I make it an odds game. That's just a lot of bites for deer to make depending on average. Personally I'm not a fan of fencing to keep deer out, im planting it for the deer I want them to eat it. I've had great success going way over recommended seeding rates as a happy median to offset what they eat. I've also replanted a small sweet spot every two weeks to keep 1 certain deer close. There's no one right way to any of this, and half the fun atleast for me is trying and testing different ways to do things. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt

 

[Mackie889]

"This will be a cride representation but iron and clay peas will continue to grow after being eaten, ag or conventional beans will not continue to grow after being eaten. Forage beans will continue to grow. I'm sure some would argue this but deer simply do not prefer I & c peas over beans, granted your kinda talking the difference in say vanilla and cookies and cream ice cream. When I plant conventional beans I go 3 to 4 x the recommended rates, around 120k seed per acre and I go 360-480k per acre, I make it an odds game. That's just a lot of bites for deer to make depending on average. Personally I'm not a fan of fencing to keep deer out, im planting it for the deer I want them to eat it. I've had great success going way over recommended seeding rates as a happy median to offset what they eat. I've also replanted a small sweet spot every two weeks to keep 1 certain deer close."

Great info ... thank you! I agree w/ the fencing comment. I want deer to eat what I plant. I'll have the farmer plant the corn a bit farther out into the fields to give me more area to plant ... I could then make the soybean plot bigger based on your info.

"half the fun atleast for me is trying and testing different ways to do things."

Totally agree! My farm is a work in progress w/ many mistakes and successes, but it seems to be improving each year and that makes it fun for me. At your preferred seeding rate, approximately how big of an area will 50# plant? Thanks for responding w/ so much info in this thread!

 

[Evergreen]

"This will be a cride representation but iron and clay peas will continue to grow after being eaten, ag or conventional beans will not continue to grow after being eaten. Forage beans will continue to grow. I'm sure some would argue this but deer simply do not prefer I & c peas over beans, granted your kinda talking the difference in say vanilla and cookies and cream ice cream. When I plant conventional beans I go 3 to 4 x the recommended rates, around 120k seed per acre and I go 360-480k per acre, I make it an odds game. That's just a lot of bites for deer to make depending on average. Personally I'm not a fan of fencing to keep deer out, im planting it for the deer I want them to eat it. I've had great success going way over recommended seeding rates as a happy median to offset what they eat. I've also replanted a small sweet spot every two weeks to keep 1 certain deer close."

Great info ... thank you! I agree w/ the fencing comment. I want deer to eat what I plant. I'll have the farmer plant the corn a bit farther out into the fields to give me more area to plant ... I could then make the soybean plot bigger based on your info.

"half the fun atleast for me is trying and testing different ways to do things."

Totally agree! My farm is a work in progress w/ many mistakes and successes, but it seems to be improving each year and that makes it fun for me. At your preferred seeding rate, approximately how big of an area will 50# plant? Thanks for responding w/ so much info in this thread!

It varies by seed variety, some seeds are smaller and weigh less, ive got 130k seed count in 37ishlb bags and 120k seed count in 45lb bags. Most of your "unbroken" bags of that weight range will be pretty close to normal per acre ranges. I'd just go heavier, say a 50lb bag 3 or 4 per acre. Most bags should have a seed count on them for beans. Or just go at say 50lbs per 1/4 to 1/3 acre. Now they will still demolish 50lbs even in a small area, my prime range for way overrates is 2 acres (doesnt have to be 2 solid acres, say 2 total planted acres in a 20 acre area). Even if you got 20-30 deer in there close to a million seed count, that's just a lot of bites for them to over come. Some, hopefully alot make it to maturity, in the event they get to thick you can always run a plow through them and make your own rows if you want standing beans through the season. I doubt you'll have to do that but say you get into it and 2 months after planting they hang up on the growth stage from being to thick I'd plow them into rows. It'll give more nutrients to make seed to the plants left standing. It doesn't always work, I put 150lbs in 1/3 acre first weekend in August and I might have about 20 soybean plants left in that spot, but there's nothing else even remotely close to compete with the beans in that spot. Sprayed pine forest and not even a muscadine vine growing withing 500 yards. Just some dog fennel. It's a work in progress