So my CIR I purchased from Osenbaugh seed just came today. When I got home the bad was sitting on my wet door step in a burlap bag. The bottom of the bag is soaked. I planned to frost seed the switch in March. My question is, with some of the seed possibly being wet. Should I frost seed it asap, or is it too early? Thanks in advance.
Not sure how much you have but I would spread it out and let it dry then rebag it. CIR needs somewhere around 60 degrees to germinate and we are not in jeopardy of that anytime soon! good luck. I'm drilling 30 acres of CIR this spring and cant wait.
HorseDoctor
PMA Member
I was just thinking about frost seeding a bunch of clover in the next week or so as long as we have no snow cover. Couldn't think of a reason not to, but good to hear from someone else. It will be good to get it done early. Thanks...
Daver
PMA Member
I have frost seeded clover several times in years past this early, and even earlier, and nearly always had good germination. The only hesitation that I would have with frost seeding clover now is a situation where you had really bare ground and we then got some heavy snow, and subsequent melt off, yet this winter.
Then I would be a little nervous about the seed "washing" a little and pooling up and then not getting an even spread. But barring a run-off issue, I also plan on spreading some clover next weekend on ground that has a closely mowed brome cover on it yet. I sprayed to kill it last fall and it is pretty dead and on a bit of a slope. So I want to get my seed in that killed grass "early" so it can work down a little to the soil.
Frost seeding switch now is great because it's such a hard seed coat to stratify (break down) which needs the thawing/freezing/thawing/freezing/thawing to break it down so it germinates this year.
Clover on the other hand does not need this and could run the risk of losing seed. You likely could do it now but not necessary for the reasons switch has to frost seed now or in the next month. Ideally, I'd do switch anytime now to 4 weeks and clover right after that, late Feb to early march.
Clover on the other hand does not need this and could run the risk of losing seed. You likely could do it now but not necessary for the reasons switch has to frost seed now or in the next month. Ideally, I'd do switch anytime now to 4 weeks and clover right after that, late Feb to early march.
JNRBRONC
Well-Known Member
Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
Could I frost seed clover into corn stubble? The corn stubble has 90% exposed soil.
I would brush mow it in June, and again in August if necessary? Think it would work? 1 acre roughly?
I would brush mow it in June, and again in August if necessary? Think it would work? 1 acre roughly?
No problem at all.
eiowaarcher
Member
Now if a guy were making a new clover plot, or expanding the existing I should say, would you be able to frost seed that and have good luck come spring or best to wait? It's overgrown weeds/grass that I sprayed this fall to kill everything, now that it's all dead do I throw seed down or mow everything real short and then throw seed down?
Is it all completely dead?
I'm on the fence with that one and be nice to see it to make the choice and you do have choices....
You could frost seed it, very heavy. I would like to know how much grass is there and residue/trash on top. If you mow it and there's a lot of trash, could be a problem for smothering new seeds. In that case, I pry wouldn't mow, I'd just frost seed heavy if you went this route. You could light it on fire if you know how to do that without having issues if there's lots of trash. So, I guess... I might try frost seeding now, fairly thick. If not too thick of junk, even mowing now the little bit that's there to get a little better starting point for seeds to grow later. Red, white & possibly some alsike and remember, stuff like crimson & berseem can't be frost seeded.
2nd choice, if you have equipment... I'd probably prefer this route but not to say the 1st wouldn't work or you could see how 1st goes before 2nd choice.... I'd disc it up earlier in the spring (clover is a cool season legume and often the 1st thing to start growing), pack it and seed very heavy with reds, whites, berseem/crimson & you could do some oats if you wanted to mix, pack again (or light harrow, etc). Again, I'd still plant very heavy because dominated over the weeds in spring plantings is more important and you can get away with this with clover, unlike N eaters like turnips, corn, etc. Just costs more $ but go heavy and it's not that bad.
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eiowaarcher
Member
If I were to frost seed, what rate would I use? I was also wondering about a little chicory in with the clover. Is this good or bad? Any thoughts? Thanks a lot!
I believe you can frost seed chicory but read up on that, I never use it. Did maybe 10 years ago and I just didn't like it as well.
If you wanted to frost seed now, one other thing too I was thinking I've done in the past when I had some dead grass there- I just took a harrow over it a few times to get things disturbed and opened up some. It did help. Just another idea or thought.
If you wanted to frost seed now, one other thing too I was thinking I've done in the past when I had some dead grass there- I just took a harrow over it a few times to get things disturbed and opened up some. It did help. Just another idea or thought.