When do you mow your clover(month not stage)

bwese

bwese

Active Member
The reason I am asking is that I would like to leave my clover (10 acres) plot stand till middle of July for turk nesting and then mow but I still want to have viable clover for deer in the fall yet. Am I trying to have my cake and eat it to?

Thanks in advance for sharing your opinion.

BWese
 
I think that will be Ok especially if white clover. We actually cut ours 3-4x last year and the last time Sept 1st and still had a great stand in the fall. If it is VERY dry then I would wait and time a good rain within a week of the cut but I think that is a good plan for you. But..see what DBtree says as he taught me nearly everything I know about clover.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bwese</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The reason I am asking is that I would like to leave my clover (10 acres) plot stand till middle of July for turk nesting and then mow but I still want to have viable clover for deer in the fall yet. Am I trying to have my cake and eat it to?

Thanks in advance for sharing your opinion.

BWese </div></div>

It would be extremely rare for turkeys to nest in clover! They need overhead cover and clover is way to short!

Clover is ideal feeding areas for broods as insects are drawn to the blooms at just the right height for young poults.

Hens need to be able to see above the cover to watch for predators so again clover is ideal....but not for nesting!

I mow when clover is in full bloom regardless of the month up until the first of September. Clover stops fixing nitrogen when ti stops blooming, so clipping the tops off (I never "mow") will keep it tender, blooming, fixing N and keep broadleaf weeds at bay!
 
Thanks for the responses, a NE game biologist recommended I not cut it till after July 15 so protect nesting fowl. I'm not sure how tall the clovers will get as I am only planting it this spring and the varieties range from 6" to 36" tall based on Welter's descriptions of them. I know that turks will nest in alfalfa and the height of the clover is similar to alfalfa so that made me think they would nest in the clover mix.

I have a whole year to figure out for sure what I will be doing for this year will be mowing for weed control but next I may put it off till middle of July, sort of a experiement. I do have 50 to 60 yard strips of switch grass on either side of the clover plot so perhaps that will be just what the doc ordered.

Again thanks

BWese
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> a NE game biologist recommended I not cut it till after July 15 so protect nesting fowl </div></div>

That is true and as you say it depends on the type of clover. White clover doesn't get very tall but red clover could possibly entice pheasants to nest in it as would alfalfa.

Generally turkeys like some type of overhead cover which would not make clovers very attractive.

Good luck with your planting and be sure to come back and let us know how it works out. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
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