Clover ok or should I use blend ?

[Kwood]

i posted on qdma before my exit. I figured I'd ask here again. I have two plots on hill tops (well drained, but still very high quality soil) Cumulative about an acre or a touch more. 1/2-3/4 in one plot and about 1/3.

I'm a novice and not sure if clover would work or not. Was thinking I'd try WI in one and Alfa Rack in the other. I know that there are lower cost options but for one acre I'm not too worried about it. These I believe are both designed to be perennials.

Can someone share some knowledge of these type of plots and how they would fair in well drained but quality soil. I think ph was a hair low but not terrible at 6.4.

 

[dogdoc]

You can grow just about anything with that pH. Alfalfa is a much more pickier than clover but you should be fine with both. You will be paying a little more for the name brand but nothing wrong with WI. I have planted it before with good success however I did mix some plain ladino with it. I would strongly recommend planting very late summer/early fall and give it a nurse crop such as rye grain and add a little chicory with it also.

good luck
todd

 

[JDunham]

As Todd said you should be fine and I would also recommend the late summer planting with a grain cover crop. I personally would stick with the clover as it is as a great plot to cut your teeth on. I like the WI and have had great success with it. I also mix a bit of red clover with mine.

 

[Kwood]

Thanks guys. Sounds like that's what I'm going to do. WI, potentially some medium red or some leftover clover I had from last year and use rye as a cover. Appreciate it !

 

[Alpha Doe]

Remember, winter rye planted in the fall will come back the following spring and grow to about 5-6 feet tall. At that point you can mow, spray with grass herbicide or just leave it die out in June/ July. The does love to hide their fawns in the tall rye.

If you use herbicides for broadleaf weed control, you may want to leave the chicory out of the mix, if mowing is your choice for weed management you would be fine with mixing.

 

[Ozarks-Bowhunter]

I have planted Alfa-Rack a few times and it seems to do pretty good but was mostly clover. If I plant any WI products again it will just be their clover.

 

[dogghr]

If you can, for alfalfa, tryto get that ph closer to 7. Really helps and ck close your soil sample. If you can do your alfalfa mix from local coop. Nothing wrong with that seed from WI but it is mostly clover and that will take over pretty quick. Nice thing about alfalfa, it will perform good on that ridgetop you are planting on. Also ck your Boron. Addition of even small amounts of that if needed can really help alfalfa. Look at Smallplots thread on alfalfa. He has some excellent info. Good luck.