Adding white clover to old MRC plot

[Drycreek]

Gents, on our lease we have a narrow pipeline that I planted to MRC last fall. Lime was added at planting since it was a new plot, and as clover will do, it didn’t amount to much until spring of this year. The deer kept it chopped pretty low so it was never mowed except when I mowed the whole lease about three weeks ago. There are a few weeds, a little grass, but the clover, although not thick, is doing pretty well, especially after the rains we’ve had in the last couple weeks.

I intended to plant WI clover in it this fall, but I really don’t want to ruin what clover is there. I know from the past that the hogs can’t pick clover seed up, so I’m wondering about just broadcasting the WI clover on top, fertilizing the same way and nothing else. I might spray for grasses, as the weeds won’t give any trouble now. I also thought about running a disc through there with the gangs straight, just to scratch the surface a little. This ground is fairly firm and straight discing wouldn’t kill the clover I don’t think. What opinions would y’all offer ?

 

[Smallplot]

When you look at the ground from above, do you see dirt or dead stuff on top of the ground?


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[Triple C]

I’m a fan of white clover. I’ve always prepared a clean, firm seedbed prior to planting. Cultipak after broadcasting seed with a hand seeder.

 

[Drycreek]

When you look at the ground from above, do you see dirt or dead stuff on top of the ground?


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Not many leaves or much debris on the ground. Quite a bit of dirt, that’s why I thought it might work, especially if I ran a straight disc in there a couple rounds.

 

[Drycreek]

I’m a fan of white clover. I’ve always prepared a clean, firm seedbed prior to planting. Cultipak after broadcasting seed with a hand seeder.

That’s mostly the way I’ve done it too, but I’m wondering what everyone else thinks. I planted some very good clover plots before I had a cultipacker by dragging a tire drag over a freshly disced plot, planting the clover and spreading fertilizer, then dragging it again. If your plot is firm enough, the drag won’t bury the clover.

 

[Smallplot]

I would think it should work. As long as the seeds can make that seed to soil contact. Maybe time it so it is finished just ahead of a rain event.


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[Elkaddict]

I’d absolutely throw some seed down, particularly in front of a good rain. I’ve relied on both cultipacking it and a good rain and have not seen a marked difference. I tend to up to to broadcast pretty heavy counting on the small seeds to find a little soil. I’m a big fan of mixing clovers, both before and after planting. I’ve watched deer dig in the snow for a few bites of buried white clover when corn, grains, brassicas and much thicker red clover was more readily available. I believe it’s a nutrition thing....

I like to mix clovers in fall plantings because the red takes of faster but I always overseed with more white early in the spring. My only exception to mixing is if I know I’m going to rotate to brassicas the following summer, then I just go with red.

 

[dogghr]

Yes I’ve done as you said and it works great. I also add a grain but not sure of your southern location for that.
Now... I like WI clover but it has several seeded in that mix that doesn’t do well w broadcasting such as its Bersein clover. I would buy the ladino from coop and more bang for your money. And there might be some better clovers to plant for your area but for me reds and whites are king. Good luck.


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[Drycreek]

Well, for better or worse, today I straight disced that little MRC plot and seeded it in WINA clover with my Solo. Moisture was great so I disced with little pressure so it wouldn’t cut too deeply. I just turned up a little dirt and made som shallow grooves. A little rain would level it out well I’m thinking. A couple weeks from now I should know if that was a good, or bad, idea.

 

[THE LLC]

Just over seeding with white clover into the existing plot and letting nature do the rest will work just fine. Some of my best Durana is in my camp yard where I spilled it filling spreaders in the past. All of my plots were planted that way this year to avoid moisture loss.

 

[THE LLC]

Well, for better or worse, today I straight disced that little MRC plot and seeded it in WINA clover with my Solo. Moisture was great so I disced with little pressure so it wouldn’t cut too deeply. I just turned up a little dirt and made som shallow grooves. A little rain would level it out well I’m thinking. A couple weeks from now I should know if that was a good, or bad, idea.

That will work just fine, too.

 

[Drycreek]

That will work just fine, too.

The lying weatherman said we were to get some rain Sunday but as we all know, they lie ! The latest and greatest now says Wednesday or Thursday, depending on which one you want to believe.....

 

[THE LLC]

With white clover it won't matter. It won't do anything much until the spring and the seed will wait for the rain. In the meantime you have the MRC.

 

[Drycreek]

Well, a little update on this plot. I had to go over today to retrieve my tractor and set a stand and I had to pass by the end of this plot. I didn’t walk through it, didn’t have the time, but I definitely have new growth on the end that I passed. I’ll probably be over there next week and I’ll snag some pics.

 

[MarkDarvin]

Clover is a fascinating plant. I put a cabin on bare land. I was scraping bottom on everything to get this camp up and running. That meant the yard was gonna be whatever was there before, just push mower height. I traded a pile of oak logs to my neighbor for him to come over and brush hog out my yard and surrounding areas for the first time. I took over with the push mower after that.

I never spilled a single clover seed, lime, or nothin. I have a great unintended clover plot around my building, and regularly get word from neighbors that I've got deer feeding right by the fire pit or well house.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Well, a little update on this plot. I had to go over today to retrieve my tractor and set a stand and I had to pass by the end of this plot. I didn’t walk through it, didn’t have the time, but I definitely have new growth on the end that I passed. I’ll probably be over there next week and I’ll snag some pics.

I love a happy ending. I thought the straight disking sounds like a good plan.

 

[Drycreek]

Evidently, it worked !

 

[Elkaddict]

I regular overseed white clover into existing plots. I tried to do it begore a good rain and rely on the rain to created soil contact (my cultipacker beats up standing clover). Clover is cheap insurance for a thick stand.