Just an idea.
- Thread starter Drewboy
- Start date
Elkaddict
Well-Known Member
Our home plot is a nearly 3 acre plot of clover/chicory. Other than when snows are too deep, I’ve got deer and turkeys in it daily. Front porch is a nice place to start or end a day when deer are doing their thing (it’s more of a mid morning bugging spot for the turkeys). Deer always get a pass here, wife views them as pets.... She doesn’t appreciate they rotate through multiple plots everyday doing the buffet thing
Elkaddict
Well-Known Member
Really, I use whatever I have (usually a mix of red and white) for overseeding. I started with a mixture of ladino, dura II and alsike plus 20% chicory all mixed together. There are times when deer seem to prefer white over red and vice versa. Chicory gets hammered especially hard in August/September.
Buckly
Well-Known Member
My 3 acres of lawn is mostly Dutch white clover. You couldn’t kill it if you wanted too. There is some grass mixed in. Lol. The deer eat on it every night and will dig through deep snow to get to it. I will note they abandon my clover food plots in the winter but they use the lawn all winter for the most part. You can mow it as low as you normally mow a lawn with no I’ll effects. I never planted or seeded it in it just occurs naturally but you can buy it and it’s cheap. If you rough up the ground a little and toss it out before a rain you will have a perennial clover lawn the rest of your days.
Gator
Well-Known Member
I added ladino to my lawn. It didn't do great because I kept it cut often but nonetheless it was there, the deer ate it and it did provide some nitrogen back to the grass. Win win in my book. I will add that it made it harder to keep other weeds in check as I couldn't just spray the whole yard but had to selectively spray individual weeds (couldn't kill my clover).
Tap
Well-Known Member
Ive been doing pretty much the same thing as Elkaddict for quite a few years now, except my "yard plot" is only about a half acre (due to shade, or it would be larger). I grow mostly clover in mine and occasionally toss in a little chicory, rye, or brassica.How did you start off with it? I am ready to have a yard at my house there's some patchy grass now and I'd like to start it this year. Glad to know I'm not the only one who has thought of this.
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But my yard plot morphs into my destination plots that are roughly 4 more acres.
I do plan to expand the yard plot slightly this year. I'm just going to do throw and mow to expand it.
I really like having a yard plot.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
Take buckly's advice and plant "white dutch clover" if you want to have a lawn that grows well without doing anything special, is good for pollinators, has deer forage, and that you can mow to 4". White dutch clover is the only planting that meets all of these criteria.
Buckly
Well-Known Member
I mow my lawn once a week. That is one benefit I see with the Dutch white. You can mow low and often as you like. I keep my lawn at 2 - 3 inches. It will seed out at very low heights. I’m not saying this is the only option but it’s really a clover plot that is very attractive and looks like a lawn in all respects. It has always amazed me the deer will completely ignore my clover food plots once the snow gets deep but will dig the lawn up all winter.
Drewboy
New Member
If I pant Dutch white this time of year will it germinate? I was thinking of waiting till frost is out of the ground and spraying and broadcasting. I was gonna let it grow for a month or two before I mowed it the first time. If there is a better way to start I'm all ears.
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catscratch
Well-Known Member
I almost did my yard in clover, but ended up with fescue near the house and clover/plots around the far edges. I like to see deer but I don't particularly want them right next to the house. I love taking pics of the deer from the house. Having plots nearby is awesome!
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
I just overseeded some of my lawn grass at my cabin with a spinnerseeder and it came up really nice, then later I sprayed the grass dead with clethodim. A few frosts won't hurt the seeding at all and is actully good, but try to avoid seeding too early, which would be a very hard freeze right after it's germinated. The idea of frost seeding is so that the clover gets good soil contact, and an early jump start to get rooted before it gets hot and dry. If you pull a tooth drag through the yard before or after seeding it will boost your germination % because the seed gets through the thatch better. A heavy thatch from old grass clippings in your yard will make starting the white dutch clover more difficult.
Buckly
Well-Known Member
What is your usual start time for mowing? I can usually start mowing the first or second week of May and never plant anything until the end of May. My only caution if you throw the seed out early is that birds will eat more than you can imagine. I’d wait a bit
