Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

Clover plot struggles...

deadeye

deadeye

Active Member
I have been struggling with a clover plot the last few years. My soil is silt, loam, and clay - not the greatest. In the past I have seen that pelletized lime seems to really have helped. I can't talk myself into fertilizing it at all. My plot gets partial sun and some places more sun than others. I am able to mow. I have a backpack sprayer that I have utilizing. I have been frost seeding with very disappointing results. I have a fair amount of grass in my plot. I have nut sedge grass creeping more and more in every year. The white clovers seem to exist sparsely and the red's I just can't seem to get to take off at all. It shouldn't be this hard is what it feels like... So my question is where should I spend my efforts trying to get this plot in shape for fall???
Is the grass hurting me the most? Get after it with Cleth.
Is the sedge my biggest problem? Get after it with sedge hammer.
What frequency should I aim to mow? I only have a yard mower which doesn't go as high as I would like...
Any advise on what to do here?
THX
 
You mentioned partial sun, is this a woods plot? If so I've done several of these with good success. You may want to start over

1. smoke everything with GLY
2. Buy lime (most important IMO) https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/waukesha-lime-barnlime-50-lb-bag
3. Fertilize with 6-24-24
4. Reseed with Ladino clover, do a rain dance
5. Mow once the clover heads out or when weeds get higher than clover but before they seed out. I don't mow in the heat of summer

I rip one end of the lime bag open and just fling it around, it sucks but my woods plots are only 1/4 acre. 10 bags/plot, 50lbs Fert in ATV spreader.
 
Mow.

Wait a week.

Spray:
Imox 7 oz per acre
Cleth 20 oz per acre
Crop oil
AMS- 2-3 lbs per acre

Run a soil test and add lime and P&K as necessary. Best $10 you can spend is a soil test.
 
Bingo on above!!!!
Post a pic of the spot next time you are there. Close & far for a few views to see how lays, shade, topography, etc.
 
I don't spray my clover. I mow.
Grasses do take over. The weeds can be controlled somewhat.

My findings are:, in soil that is semi shaded and tend to not get real dry, white clovers shine.
Dry and more sun, the reds.
Just checked a Ladino file (10th acre) plot I frost seeded in 2021 and it looks incredible. Have mowed it once already and will 2 more times.
Late july/early August will be the last time.

Been ding this for 20 years. Grasses do suck so I may try spraying for them sometime?
I don't mind a few broadleaf weeds.
 
I can mow easily as it is my backyard.

From house deck looking south. Pretty much a ridge top.
PXL_20220620_160818940.jpg
PXL_20220620_160847309.jpg
PXL_20220620_160902966.jpg


Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
 
I think I want to get the grass killed as it just sucks up moisture. The sedge is more concerning as it seems to be spreading and the clover can't out compete it. I have knocked some of it back with sedge killer bit think I need to hit it really hard. Thoughts?
 
For grasses, I take a 2 gallon sprayer and just shoot the clumps.
Works OK for a couple years.
As mentioned, I mow my clover and find it important to keep the blades sharp.
 
deadeye said:
I think I want to get the grass killed as it just sucks up moisture. The sedge is more concerning as it seems to be spreading and the clover can't out compete it. I have knocked some of it back with sedge killer bit think I need to hit it really hard. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Imox will take out sedge
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom