skyleralan
PMA Member
Broadcasting my clover tonight with the hopes of rain tomorrow, got everything smoothed with the harrow. My innoculant is in the fridge, and I think I have everything ready.
Any final tips?
Any final tips?
Clover
- Thread starter dbltree
- Start date
dbltree
Super Moderator
giterdone :way:
skyleralan
PMA Member
LOL, I got it "started" the spring inside my ATV broadcaster broke, and I pretty much wasted about an acres worth of seed. Ended up having to use the hand seeder, which took a long time!
Just need to get the rain and if anything else, might have to re-seed some areas.
skyleralan
PMA Member
So it is the weeds you are having to mow now, your clover isn't that tall, correct? Good luck, this is my first year planting clover as well so we shall see. Like anything, it is a learning experience.
As far as spraying it goes, I would definitely let it mature more until spraying. The first couple pages of this thread might cover when to spray. I will most likely just clip my clover a couple times this summer and maybe spot spray any weeds that seem to be a real problem.
Daver
PMA Member
If you are keeping weeds down by mowing, you may not need to spray. But if you do spray, I too would wait another month or so until the fresh clover is more established. OR, as Skyler suggests too...just spot spray trouble spots.
dbltree
Super Moderator
May 1st, 2012
We've had several days now of steady rains, sorely needed to help restore a soil moisture deficient and give us a fighting chance when the heat of summer arrives and rain fall is scarce. Rainfall is common in spring of course and that can make planting difficult, especially for weekenders who may have precious little time to get things planted. This is one of the reasons I prefer summer and fall plantings because not only can rains make planting difficult, they also encourage a flush of weed growth that can be frustrating and challenging not to mention expensive to deal with.
Whenever possible then, I establish white and red clovers in the fall with winter rye as a cover crop that keeps deer fed while the clovers are getting started. Rain is rarely a serious impediment to planting in the fall and weeds are never a problem. That said we did have some beautiful planting weather this April and I was able to establish some white clover using oats and a mix of annual clovers as cover crops. The berseem and crimson clovers start quickly along with the oats and again, keep deer fed while the slower growing white clover becomes established. The oats an annual clovers also help hold back weeds although they may still be a problem in which case clipping the tops just above the clover will help.
A spring mix then might look something like this...
Welter Seed is a great source for all types of clover seeds, all of which they will sell by the pound so it is not necessary to purchase more then you need but always check locally to avoid shipping charges. Alice and KopuII are two of my favorites but there are many many varieties of white intermediate and ladino clovers available today.
Spring is also a time when perennial cool season grasses love to invade our clover plots....
but grasses are easy to deal with by spraying clethodim and crop oil to safely nuke the grasses without harming the clovers.
I use 8 ounces of clethodim and 1 quart of crop oil per acre which will smoke your grasses and they will vanish in roughly 2 weeks. Rural King has the best price that I am aware of, even with shipping costs I have been unable to find it for less elsewhere....
Cropsmart Clethodim
A gallon will last most people for a number of years and can be used to kill grasses in almost any broadleaf crop or trees. Crop oil is available at most ag co-op's or simply add a little dawn dish soap to the mix.
Note*** clethodim will not harm seedling clovers but remember it will kill oats if they are part of the mix.
I usually add a "smidge" of glyphosate which of course carries some degree of risk, but clovers are very gly resistant especially in the spring when they are not under stress. 8-12 ounces per acre has worked well for me to clean up other invading plants without causing severe injury or death to the clovers. Usually it takes nearly two quarts of gly per acre to kill a healthy stand of white clover so knowing that a adding a small amount is usually safe yet effective.
We've had several days now of steady rains, sorely needed to help restore a soil moisture deficient and give us a fighting chance when the heat of summer arrives and rain fall is scarce. Rainfall is common in spring of course and that can make planting difficult, especially for weekenders who may have precious little time to get things planted. This is one of the reasons I prefer summer and fall plantings because not only can rains make planting difficult, they also encourage a flush of weed growth that can be frustrating and challenging not to mention expensive to deal with.
Whenever possible then, I establish white and red clovers in the fall with winter rye as a cover crop that keeps deer fed while the clovers are getting started. Rain is rarely a serious impediment to planting in the fall and weeds are never a problem. That said we did have some beautiful planting weather this April and I was able to establish some white clover using oats and a mix of annual clovers as cover crops. The berseem and crimson clovers start quickly along with the oats and again, keep deer fed while the slower growing white clover becomes established. The oats an annual clovers also help hold back weeds although they may still be a problem in which case clipping the tops just above the clover will help.
A spring mix then might look something like this...
Welter Seed is a great source for all types of clover seeds, all of which they will sell by the pound so it is not necessary to purchase more then you need but always check locally to avoid shipping charges. Alice and KopuII are two of my favorites but there are many many varieties of white intermediate and ladino clovers available today.
Spring is also a time when perennial cool season grasses love to invade our clover plots....
but grasses are easy to deal with by spraying clethodim and crop oil to safely nuke the grasses without harming the clovers.
I use 8 ounces of clethodim and 1 quart of crop oil per acre which will smoke your grasses and they will vanish in roughly 2 weeks. Rural King has the best price that I am aware of, even with shipping costs I have been unable to find it for less elsewhere....
Cropsmart Clethodim
A gallon will last most people for a number of years and can be used to kill grasses in almost any broadleaf crop or trees. Crop oil is available at most ag co-op's or simply add a little dawn dish soap to the mix.
Note*** clethodim will not harm seedling clovers but remember it will kill oats if they are part of the mix.
I usually add a "smidge" of glyphosate which of course carries some degree of risk, but clovers are very gly resistant especially in the spring when they are not under stress. 8-12 ounces per acre has worked well for me to clean up other invading plants without causing severe injury or death to the clovers. Usually it takes nearly two quarts of gly per acre to kill a healthy stand of white clover so knowing that a adding a small amount is usually safe yet effective.
skyleralan
PMA Member
May 1st, 2012
We've had several days now of steady rains, sorely needed to help restore a soil moisture deficient and give us a fighting chance when the heat of summer arrives and rain fall is scarce. Rainfall is common in spring of course and that can make planting difficult, especially for weekenders who may have precious little time to get things planted. This is one of the reasons I prefer summer and fall plantings because not only can rains make planting difficult, they also encourage a flush of weed growth that can be frustrating and challenging not to mention expensive to deal with.
Whenever possible then, I establish white and red clovers in the fall with winter rye as a cover crop that keeps deer fed while the clovers are getting started. Rain is rarely a serious impediment to planting in the fall and weeds are never a problem. That said we did have some beautiful planting weather this April and I was able to establish some white clover using oats and a mix of annual clovers as cover crops. The berseem and crimson clovers start quickly along with the oats and again, keep deer fed while the slower growing white clover becomes established. The oats an annual clovers also help hold back weeds although they may still be a problem in which case clipping the tops just above the clover will help.
A spring mix then might look something like this...
Welter Seed is a great source for all types of clover seeds, all of which they will sell by the pound so it is not necessary to purchase more then you need but always check locally to avoid shipping charges. Alice and KopuII are two of my favorites but there are many many varieties of white intermediate and ladino clovers available today.
Spring is also a time when perennial cool season grasses love to invade our clover plots....
but grasses are easy to deal with by spraying clethodim and crop oil to safely nuke the grasses without harming the clovers.
I use 8 ounces of clethodim and 1 quart of crop oil per acre which will smoke your grasses and they will vanish in roughly 2 weeks. Rural King has the best price that I am aware of, even with shipping costs I have been unable to find it for less elsewhere....
Cropsmart Clethodim
A gallon will last most people for a number of years and can be used to kill grasses in almost any broadleaf crop or trees. Crop oil is available at most ag co-op's or simply add a little dawn dish soap to the mix.
Note*** clethodim will not harm seedling clovers but remember it will kill oats if they are part of the mix.
I usually add a "smidge" of glyphosate which of course carries some degree of risk, but clovers are very gly resistant especially in the spring when they are not under stress. 8-12 ounces per acre has worked well for me to clean up other invading plants without causing severe injury or death to the clovers. Usually it takes nearly two quarts of gly per acre to kill a healthy stand of white clover so knowing that a adding a small amount is usually safe yet effective.
That seems like a lot of seed per an acre, no?
dbltree
Super Moderator
in reference to this mix....
White clover is fairly slow to establish so even expensive mixes like Imperial Whitetail Clover use 33% berseem because it grows quickly and helps suffocate weeds and feeds deer while the white clover is growing underneath.
Certainly if one has budget concerns you can use no or less of the annual clovers (berseem and crimson) but remember they are annual clovers and will not return, leaving only the white clovers in subsequent years.
Berseem sowed alone is planted at 10-20#'s per acre, crimson sowed alone is sown at 20-30#'s per acre. So the mix above is just a "dbltree concoction" and you can mix and match as you wish
Can this be used with the clethodim instead of crop oil?
http://www.tractorsupply.com/top-surf-nonionic-80-20-surfactant-1-gal--4201886
http://www.tractorsupply.com/top-surf-nonionic-80-20-surfactant-1-gal--4201886
dbltree
Super Moderator
I don't like it as well but technically yes...
dbltree
Super Moderator
Spring...a beautiful time of re-birth as nature bursts to life but also a stressful time for those trying to get crops planted. Often we attempt to plant clover in the spring but when jet streams park themselves in the right place causing never ending spring rain fall, planting and caring for clover can be stressful as well.
It is for that reason I prefer to establish clovers in the fall with winter rye to avoid the stress of dealing with wet spring weather and the ensuing flush of weed growth that can sometimes be impossible to deal with, without tearing up fields.
My clovers have been growing since last September, tiny at best last fall but now off and running this spring safely tucked in below the rye cover...
In some cases I planted red clover with the rye but then frost seeded white clover...note the difference in the plant size
The frost seeded white clovers are coming up nicely
and soon I'll spray the rye with clethodim, but at the moment it's shading out weeds
Rye and clover go together like peanut butter and jelly! Together they provide year around food sources that help adapt deer to coming to our feeding areas all year long. Be certain to plant ALL in one field rather then rye in one and clover in another for instance
The following is an example of a combination of crops that works perfectly together, easily rotated and easy to plant regardless if you have ATV equipment or larger implements and it can be planted in anything from a garden sized plot to a 10 acre field.
It is for that reason I prefer to establish clovers in the fall with winter rye to avoid the stress of dealing with wet spring weather and the ensuing flush of weed growth that can sometimes be impossible to deal with, without tearing up fields.
My clovers have been growing since last September, tiny at best last fall but now off and running this spring safely tucked in below the rye cover...
In some cases I planted red clover with the rye but then frost seeded white clover...note the difference in the plant size
The frost seeded white clovers are coming up nicely
and soon I'll spray the rye with clethodim, but at the moment it's shading out weeds
Rye and clover go together like peanut butter and jelly! Together they provide year around food sources that help adapt deer to coming to our feeding areas all year long. Be certain to plant ALL in one field rather then rye in one and clover in another for instance
The following is an example of a combination of crops that works perfectly together, easily rotated and easy to plant regardless if you have ATV equipment or larger implements and it can be planted in anything from a garden sized plot to a 10 acre field.
skyleralan
PMA Member
Pretty typical, white clover always takes a little longer to grow. One of the main reasons why people will plant some of type of nursery crop with them like DT's Rye and Clover mixture or Oats and Clover.
You should be fine, your Berseem will definitely help it as well. You can at least see it through the soil though, correct? It takes a little longer to develop a roots system.
dbltree
Super Moderator
Tilling it under is fine Tony, bust some of what I have posted is in a perennial white clover seeding so I prefer to spray the rye to give the clover some light.
When the rye is planted solely as a cover crop you can leave it standing til you disc it under if you wish....lot's of options :way:
When the rye is planted solely as a cover crop you can leave it standing til you disc it under if you wish....lot's of options :way:
risto2351
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a good option.
I also have Alice White in there. That way maybe it won't be so bad when I cut it and till it under for the brassicas.
skyleralan
PMA Member
Checked clover yesterday, it is starting to finally pop up above the surface. You can definitely tell the areas where I spilled some extra seed, like 5 feet of solid green patches!
Wanted to ask, is it too late to still drill oats into my clover with it just starting to pop up? Would it damage the clover?
Wanted to ask, is it too late to still drill oats into my clover with it just starting to pop up? Would it damage the clover?
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medicsnoke
Member
Here is a picture of a small clover plot I frost seeded in April over a turnip and rape plot form last fall. It has came in quite well but the rape never died off due to a mild winter. What can I do to help the clover, besides expensive herbacide?
Shall i mow it off nice and short?
Shall i mow it off nice and short?