Perennial other than clover?

[Kwood]

My property is in west central Illinois where creek bottom timber meets hardwood, pasture ground, and is surrounded by Ag fields.

We have 3 acres of beans and 3 acres of corn that will be standing year round. We also have one full acre of clover in a deep woods plot.

I have a 1/2 acre plot ready to plant and was going to put in more clover. Is there another perennial that would do good? It's hilltop ground in timber that gets decent sun. PH 6.4.

Annual is too hard to keep up with up there in woods.

Thanks.


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[Buckeye]

Alfalfa

 

[sagittarius]

chickory, birdsfoot trefoil, low maintenance, drought tolerant once established.

 

[Doe Shooter]

IMO ,there is no such thing as a low maintenance perennial. You have to spray, fertilize, mow, or nature reclaims what is hers quickly.IMO annuals are much less trouble.

 

[j-bird]

To keep any plot productive it takes some work thru the growing season. Only plant and walk away planting is mast trees and they still require some work early on. Any "plot" requires some sort of weed control.

 

[catscratch]

I LIKE to tinker with plots so upkeep isn't a problem but, sometimes I make perennial plots that I only intend to last a couple of yrs. They are always a mix of stuff like millet, clovers, vetch, chicory, wheat, and other stuff like that. I don't care if some native weeds get into them and eventually take over as deer and quail like that stuff too. The mix is self sustaining for a few yrs and then it's time to do it again. Easier than planting every spring and fall, but not a true perennial plot either...

 

[Doe Shooter]

I LIKE to tinker with plots so upkeep isn't a problem but, sometimes I make perennial plots that I only intend to last a couple of yrs. They are always a mix of stuff like millet, clovers, vetch, chicory, wheat, and other stuff like that. I don't care if some native weeds get into them and eventually take over as deer and quail like that stuff too. The mix is self sustaining for a few yrs and then it's time to do it again. Easier than planting every spring and fall, but not a true perennial plot either...

You have it right. I broadcast some red and crimson clover in Feb. And I'm done till mid June. There are many ways to do this. I get better tonnage feed with annuals. I need to maximize my output due to the relatively small plots. With a small hidden plots , I'd go for the ice cream plantings.

 

[JFH]

Alfalfa

Sounds perfect for alfalfa. Just need a bit more lime.

Look for a strong winter tolerance and late fall dormancy for your region.

See my other posts for links to great resources on the subject.


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[Mennoniteman]

Pear trees are a good low maintenance perennial that offer an attractant during hunting season. And run clover under the trees.

 

[Tap]

Just thinking outside of the box here.
How is your bedding and cover on your place? Maybe something like switchgrass would fill a void.
It still needs some maintenance but not as much as a food plot.

 

[sagittarius]

Low maintenance does not mean No maintenance. A mowing is just a single pass. Avoiding tillage is the soil and time saver. Spray, till, plant, cultipack, spray .... once or even twice per year with annuals? I enjoy most field work, but having 50% of my plots in perennial white clover is a time and money saver in the long run. Then there is the timing. What is the soil moisture, can I till this weekend, if I plant is there enough rain in the forcast, is the boss gonna want me to work overtime this weekend? Much easier and flexible to get a mowing in on my schedule.

 

[Kwood]

Low maintenance more in the sense of it's hard to get equipment back there. We have a couple other plots established in clover. Lots of ag around too. I like catscratch idea even if it's just a couple years worth.


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[Doe Shooter]

Low maintenance does not mean No maintenance. A mowing is just a single pass. Avoiding tillage is the soil and time saver. Spray, till, plant, cultipack, spray .... once or even twice per year with annuals? I enjoy most field work, but having 50% of my plots in perennial white clover is a time and money saver in the long run. Then there is the timing. What is the soil moisture, can I till this weekend, if I plant is there enough rain in the forcast, is the boss gonna want me to work overtime this weekend? Much easier and flexible to get a mowing in on my schedule.

Yes you are right. But there is a point where if the plots are are small ,which I believe this one is, and a guy can get in and out in 4 hours ,I believe time and effort are less of an investment. 10 acres no. Half acre hidey hole Go for the ice cream.

 

[split toe]

I am researching adding chicory with clover

 

[catscratch]

I am researching adding chicory with clover

Here's a pic (that I took today) of my chicory/clover/awnless wheat plot that I put in last fall. The wheat self terminated this summer and just left the other two. I've mowed it once since putting it in. No chemicals... It has deer in it all the time.

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[Native Hunter]

I really like red clover with chicory too. This was planted a year ago and has only been mowed once since planting - that was about 2 weeks ago. We've had good rain since I mowed and it has rebounded quickly.

 

[Lewi B]

Could you give more info on the red clover please.
Last fall I came across some from a farmer in Kansas
and planted as part of a mix. Have been watching it but
don't know much about it.
Thanks for the help.

 

[Native Hunter]

Could you give more info on the red clover please.
Last fall I came across some from a farmer in Kansas
and planted as part of a mix. Have been watching it but
don't know much about it.
Thanks for the help.

There are two types of red clover - mammoth and medium. Most food plotters use medium red clover (MRC)..

Common MRC (not a named cultivar) will generally last 2 years, but it can keep coming back some from seed. Some of the named varieties will go 4 years of possibly more after the initial planting if managed well. Check with your local soil conservation service to find out what cultivars do well in your general area.

It gets taller than most white clovers and competes well with short weeds that typically plague a white clover plot.

On my place the deer like it better than white clover, but some others on this forum don't see that. I like to mix it with white clover. In the fall it will go dormant a little earlier than ladino but generally stays green through our November gun season. It outperforms any white clover I've tried during the summer months.

Good luck

 

[Lewi B]

Thanks for the info. Had planted medium red clover last fall
With a bushel of each, rye and oats. The grains were left to mature completely. I drilled a legume mix (peas soybeans sun hemp) into the brown grain. The thatch was real heavy. Four to six inches packed down heavy. Surprisingly the conventional drill placed the seed in the ground very well. Planted June 23 rd. Upon germination, the stand looked amazing. I was grinning from ear to ear for weeks. Finally after all the years of trying I had a decent food plot.
As time passed I began to notice the MRC was taking over in some spots. When I was drilling had noticed the clover in spots was ten inches or higher and the drill was knocking it down. That clover rebounded but the other legumes fought back. The deer.......were in paradise. My neighbor plants 23 acres of soybeans just for deer directly across the paved road from the plots. Very few deer crossed the road to eat his beans.
The red clover now two months later has taken over half of the plots. I had planned to have standing beans for the winter but with the red clover at three feet tall in the fields, bean production will be limited or none.
Sorry for the long winded post but do have a question. Is there a way or chemical to supress the red clover for a while so the mix can come up and thrive. The deer have just hammered the clover day and night but I am trying for standing beans.
Also will the MRC stay green and feed the deer this winter or will I need to reseed with a grain to feed the deer thru the winter (and hold them on my side of the road).
Thanks again for any information.
Never knew this plotting was so much FUN!

 

[Mennoniteman]

Thanks for the info. Had planted medium red clover last fall
With a bushel of each, rye and oats. The grains were left to mature completely. I drilled a legume mix (peas soybeans sun hemp) into the brown grain. The thatch was real heavy. Four to six inches packed down heavy. Surprisingly the conventional drill placed the seed in the ground very well. Planted June 23 rd. Upon germination, the stand looked amazing. I was grinning from ear to ear for weeks. Finally after all the years of trying I had a decent food plot.
As time passed I began to notice the MRC was taking over in some spots. When I was drilling had noticed the clover in spots was ten inches or higher and the drill was knocking it down. That clover rebounded but the other legumes fought back. The deer.......were in paradise. My neighbor plants 23 acres of soybeans just for deer directly across the paved road from the plots. Very few deer crossed the road to eat his beans.
The red clover now two months later has taken over half of the plots. I had planned to have standing beans for the winter but with the red clover at three feet tall in the fields, bean production will be limited or none.
Sorry for the long winded post but do have a question. Is there a way or chemical to supress the red clover for a while so the mix can come up and thrive. The deer have just hammered the clover day and night but I am trying for standing beans.
Also will the MRC stay green and feed the deer this winter or will I need to reseed with a grain to feed the deer thru the winter (and hold them on my side of the road).
Thanks again for any information.
Never knew this plotting was so much FUN!

Plotting is fun! You're very limited on herbicides that would kill clover but not peas and beans, I don't know of any. I'd spin or drill oats and rye into that clover patch in two stages to create a layered plot that lasts all winter.