Firebreaks out of frost seeding?

[locust]

I had native prairie put in 16 acres this June, but with the residual herbicide that was used to kill vegetation before the planting, firebreaks were not seeded by my contractor(thought it would kill the clover etc). This field is not easily accessible so I want firebreaks there for fire safety and for a wandering food plot. I have a spreader and the vegetation will be killed off, do any of you know a seed combination I could frost seed with a good amount of confidence that it will take? I have always had 50/50 success with frost seeding so I'm wondering what would work or if it is worth going that route. Or would you say find someone that could drill it in for me and just pay the price so I have good breaks/foodplots?

 

[dbltree]

If you can get a good kill on what is there, this fall you should be able to frost seed a combo of white, ladino and red clover with good results. I frost seeded on RR bean ground and it turned out fine.
Pharmer had good luck frost seeding into a stand of rye. The main thing is to make sure you will have good soil/seed contact...so that means not having a lot of trash left going into the winter.
If you want positive results that you can be sure of, work it right now and plant it in August, but for a firebreak, frost seeding should work just fine.

 

[locust]

thanks! that sounds great. Are you saying a seeding at the end of August, preferably with rain in the near future? I've only read about frost seeding in the Feb/March timeframe, so thats why I ask. If it would take this fall, that would be great. I'm a bit hesitant to seeding on bare ground this August if the residual effect of the herbicide may harm it, but I may give it a try.

 

[bjkpharmd]

When will you need to do a first burn?
You may not need to get in a big hurry so make sure you take the time to get the best stand possible, you won't regret that.

I think that I have good luck with frost seeding because I have very little trash to seed through. Normal process for me is to do beans in the spring or fallow ground throughout the summer- then seed rye in the fall. Deer eat rye down by Feb or Mar to look like a golf green so there is very little in the way of clover seed when I broadcast. Between that and the action of frost, freezing, rain, etc. I get great seed/soil contact. Rye grows faster than young clover in the spring and acts as a nurse crop til it dies off.

If frost seeding into grass, I try to mow very very short in late August and then spray in a week to kill the sod. Let that sit 5 months over the winter and most of the residue is mulched up and packed down from snow and ice.

 

[dbltree]

[ QUOTE ]
Are you saying a seeding at the end of August, preferably with rain in the near future? I've only read about frost seeding in the Feb/March timeframe, so thats why I ask. If it would take this fall, that would be great. I'm a bit hesitant to seeding on bare ground this August if the residual effect of the herbicide may harm it, but I may give it a try.

[/ QUOTE ]

residual effect I'm sorry, but some how I missed that part

I'm assuming they sprayed either Journey or Plateau which does have very strong residual effects, depending on the rate it was applied.
If I recall correctly I think alfalfa is tolerant but I'm not sure about clover.

When I said August...I was referring to working or tilling the area and then planting clover, seeding on bare ground in August with out conventional tillage isn't likely to work.

In your case I would follow pharmers advice and plan on frost seeding it this winter (Feb/Mar). You already have weed kill correct? If need be...hit it again with Roundup and plant it to rye around Labor Day. You could seed rye on bare ground if you don't have means to work the ground or the use of a no-till drill...you just need some rain.

It's pretty rare not to get white and red clover to take by frost seeding. Cattlemen do it every year in thier pastures... (if it doesn't work it was all pharmers idea!

)

 

[locust]

I've got plenty of time before a first burn. I'm looking for the firebreaks as a meandering food plot first, then safety later. The ground is farely bare right now in the breaks, but spotty weeds growing that I'll knock down the next two weeks. I have a small harrow and ATV so I'll drag that around and toss down some rye in late August and drag a bit then too, then go for the clover in Feb. Thanks for the great advice