Life cycle of a clover plot (Updated...July 13)

[Triple C]

You do good work, Triple C!

Thx Canuck!

 

[Triple C]

You gotta love cooler weather and rain! 5 weeks after planting I could not be more pleased with the progress of this 1/3 acre clover plot. Rye grain is getting hammered and the durana clover is really starting to grow. Planted Oct 12. Following pics taken Nov 17.

 

[davidhelmly]

That looks fantastic, you are feeding lots of deer there!!

 

[Triple C]

That looks fantastic, you are feeding lots of deer there!!

Thx David. This little plot is in a great area, sitting on a knoll with bottomland hardwoods behind it and hardwood draws on either side. I let it get away from me this past summer with the drought and heat. Grass overtook it so decided to start over again this fall. I'm determined to stay ahead of the grass this coming summer and hopefully maintain this as a pure clover stand for a few years. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of these micro plots except this one is just in a great area and always has deer in and around it.

Here's a pic of our largest plot that has clover around the perimeter that you can see on the left side of the pic. 6 acres and attracts a lot of deer. Had 20 deer in it last week one afternoon. Multiple doe groups come in and as you can imagine this time of year, bucks follow.

 

[across the river]

Why is it grass will grow everywhere you don't want it to but it won't grow where you do want it too? What's up with that?

I have no idea, but I have the same issue with my hair.

 

[Triple C]

2020-01-18 Update
Last update was 2019-11-20. Took these pics yesterday. Abruzzi rye is about lip high with deer in it daily. Just below the rye is durana clover thats putting down roots and ready to take off.

 

[Gut_Pile]

Looks great

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Looks really nice! My clover started out MUCH slower than I was hoping. But its really starting to take off.

 

[1gr8bldr]

The best clover plots are of a size that can almost handle the browsing utilized. What I mean... is that a small plot stays eaten down, exposing the dirt to the sun which in turn, dries the soil, exponentially cutting the potential of the plot. Clover has the potential to hold it's own moisture. What I generally see, in plots, pics of plots, etc, is a plot nowhere close to potential. But, mostly due to it's size.... and the nature of a food plot restricts it's size. But in saying this, pointing out exponential digress of a plot, I realize the exponential growth might be manipulated if something can be introduced to create shade. The word shade is not the best way to convey the idea. The ground needs protection from the sun, however, I would say that the thickness of the clover growth does much to "hold" moisture beneath the canopy. I no longer have the food plot hobby, therefore I have become lazy and just plant BFO's. However, Nothing compares to a year around clover plot that is near potential.

 

[Triple C]

The best clover plots are of a size that can almost handle the browsing utilized. What I mean... is that a small plot stays eaten down, exposing the dirt to the sun which in turn, dries the soil, exponentially cutting the potential of the plot. Clover has the potential to hold it's own moisture. What I generally see, in plots, pics of plots, etc, is a plot nowhere close to potential. But, mostly due to it's size.... and the nature of a food plot restricts it's size. But in saying this, pointing out exponential digress of a plot, I realize the exponential growth might be manipulated if something can be introduced to create shade. The word shade is not the best way to convey the idea. The ground needs protection from the sun, however, I would say that the thickness of the clover growth does much to "hold" moisture beneath the canopy. I no longer have the food plot hobby, therefore I have become lazy and just plant BFO's. However, Nothing compares to a year around clover plot that is near potential.

1gr8bldr...You said a mouth full there. This is my 2nd attempt at maintaining perennial clover in this plot. I completely started over last fall due to grass infestation and drought conditions from mid August thru the 2nd week of October.

To your point, the clover that I maintain in our largest plots, where I plant the perimeter of the plot in durana/ladino clover is still going strong after 4 years. Where it does best, is the entire length of the largest plots closest to the planted pines that border these plots. Due to the orientation of the plots, the best clover stands are on the north side of the planted pines which keeps them shaded for much of the day. On the other side, where the clover is in the sun for most all of the day, it lags behind the other side in terms of thickness and growth, but it still produces and is producing new growth right now.

As for small plots of say 1/3 acre or less, I simply can't think of anything that will out perform clover with minimum maintenance (grass and weed control). This plot I reference in this thread is about 1/3 acre. For this to flourish thru next summer, I will need to remove 3 large water oaks that encroach the edge of this plot and suck up all the moisture out to the crown of the trees. I'll post pics in the coming couple of weeks when I take those trees down. I'm confident I will be successful with this clover plot, in spite of the browse that occurs. These small plots don't attract the numbers of deer as the large plots. Large, 3+ acre plots will have up to 4 doe groups in them at the same time. Small micro plots, usually only one doe group at a time comes in. If another does, the dominant doe will run them off.

 

[Triple C]

Well, here we are at the beginning of June and thought it time to update the progress of this new clover plot planted in October of last year. To recap, I sprayed in September, prepped ground in October and planted Abruzzi rye and Durana clover in mid October. Haven’t touched it since. No mowing, spraying, fertilizer...just let it do it’s thing.

Abruzzi rye did it’s thing...provided a great food source in the fall and winter and acted as a nurse crop for the clover. Also has done it’s job in keeping grasses and weeds at bay. Today, the rye has matured and been trampled down.



Underneath all that rye is a very nice plot of Durana that will feed deer pretty much all year long.


Gonna let this just do it’s thing and keep and eye on any grasses or weeds that pop up. Truly one of the easiest and best year round food plots you can plant.

 

[Canuck5]

It's about time, Triple C!!!

Nice job!!!!

 

[Kdog]

Looks good!

 

[DSGB]

Looking good! I've been on the fence about what to plant along with Durana in my small plot, but I think you've convinced me to go with Abruzzi rye. Hopefully mine turns out as nice as yours.

 

[Triple C]

Looking good! I've been on the fence about what to plant along with Durana in my small plot, but I think you've convinced me to go with Abruzzi rye. Hopefully mine turns out as nice as yours.

DSGB...Any cereal grain will work just as well. I tend to mix up my grains just to keep from planting the same grain year after year. You won't go wrong with Abruzzi rye though. Great nurse crop for clover and from what I have read and experienced, has allelopathic properties that help to prevent weeds from growing. Plus, once it matures and dies out, makes a nice ground cover / weed barrier to retain moisture and help to prevent weeds from growing.

 

[davidhelmly]

Looking great Triple C!!

 

[SRShunter]

Go ahead big son, looks dang good!

 

[Triple C]

UPDATED JULY 13...

Well...here we are in the middle of summer and this clover plot is just doing it’s thing. As a recap, I planted this small 1/3 acre plot in Durana clover last October and used abruzzi rye as a nurse crop. I fed deer all winter long with the rye. Once spring came and went, the rye died out and the clover exploded. I haven’t touched this plot since planting. You can see some of the dead rye stalks still standing. It has some grass and a few broadleaf weeds in it but nothing worrisome.

As long as we continue to get decent rain, the clover will continue to keep putting on new growth. Should we go into drought conditions it will go dormant but come fall, when rains return, it will bounce right back.

Deer love this stuff. And so do I. It is almost the perfect year round food source with very little effort other than adding lime to the soil every couple of years. I‘ll let this go until late September / early October and then give it a good dose of 0-20-20 and then overseed with a grain again to continue the process.

 

[Triple C]

In addition to this little plot, I have clover in all of my plots. Our largest plot of 6 acres has the entire perimeter planted in clover. Here’s a few pics from the south end of the plot which is full of clover.

 

[Canuck5]

That is some great clover, Triple C!