Mowing WR

[coolbrze0]

The WR (planted late last Fall/early Winter) in my clover plots is 10-14" tall now. Is now a good time to mow it down? Will the WR die off if I don't or will it keep growing?

 

[T-Max]

I would wait until it has seed heads. I have had good luck terminating WR after the seed heads develop, but well before the seed is mature.

 

[Mennoniteman]

You should let the WR terminate on it's own, it won't reseed much in a thick sand of clover, and a little reseeding is harmless in a food plot. It's not hurting the growth of the clover, but rather helping the clover by providing protection, and it doesn't use the same nutrients as clover. The dead stalks will eventually provide carbon to feed your clover, so the longer you let them grow, the more carbon you get back. If you didn't have clover a typical method would be to spray with roundup then do a throw-n-mow or a no-till planting, it's very easy stuff to kill. But mowing it now on a good clover stand may create a mat that could suffocate your clover. When farmers mow a thick stand of rye in the spring they always rake and bale it to get it off the field.

 

[KSQ2]

If you do mow it, mow it high to keep from suffocating your clover like Mennoniteman said.

 

[Jeff H]

Agree with everything said above. I would add that mowing high also leaves the rigid and almost prickly stems standing for a while. I have nothing but observance as proof but it seems to me that deer are reluctant to stick their nose down through the dead stems to eat the clover down to the ground and going into the heat of summer your clover is a little taller than what it would be without the dead WR.

 

[coolbrze0]

Copy that thanks guys will let her grow

 

[THE LLC]

If you let wheat go to seed heads, deer will wear them out. The straw will rot quick. Deer love those heads.