Throw and mow Chicory?

[Charlieyca]

I have 2 clover plots that have a dry side and a side that stays wetter. I wanted to overseed or mow down the rye nurse crop over the top of some chicory seed on the dry side of these small plots. Has anyone had experience using chicory frost seeding, broadcasting, or throw and mow over it? pH and soil are good, just stays drier

 

[Mennoniteman]

I have broadcast chicory in late march/early april after frost was over and had a very nice stand. However, I did this on bare dirt/ tilled soil since it was after frost in our area. Don't know how overseeding into existing clover will do if your frost is over? Might depend on how thick your clover is? chicory does excellent in dry conditions, I'm thinking of using more of it on some shale soil plots we have that are always dry in summer.

 

[Charlieyca]

Clover is smaller here, but has pretty good coverage of the area. I believe it is due to the dry conditions on this micro ridge through the plot. Soil is a little thinner here so it does not hold the moisture as well. One side of this plot the spring planted clover caught up to the year before as I extended the plot. The Dry side grew fairly well, but didnt achieve the canopy or height like the other side.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I have some of those ridges with thin topsoil that get dry in the summer. One thing that helps big time is going no-till, the residue preserves moisture, if you want to lay out the money for a no-till drill. No-till drilling seed gets better germination rates than broadcasting and it preserves fertilizer loss, lime loss, and soil loss due to runoff from tillage. Also, oats is like a magic crop for deer on thinner more acidic soil. Deer aren't as fond of rye as oats, although rye has an edge for late winter green growth and if you're to far north oats might not survive the winter, however in the past I've been guilty of undervaluing oats as a deer attractant. If there's no big ag fields like beans in the neighborhood deer will eat oats down to the roots in the fall. Expect dry conditions? Oats + chicory is the answer. Seed spring oats at 40 lb acre if nurse crop, let the heads go to seed for deer and turkey food or mow to release the clover/chicory.

 

[Charlieyca]

A nurse crop of oats was to be my plan, but i was just unsure of germination on the chicory since i wont be able to drag or cultipack. How do yall think running a cultipacker (homemade from 12 in black corrugated drain pipe filled with quikrete) would hurt the clover? I would feel better about germination if i could drag, cultipack or get some thatch over top.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Do you have a disc? run it through the clover set pretty light, just to turn up a little dirt, not enough to really damage the clover and then seed. I don't think packing is going to benefit you much, cultipacking is to compact loose freshly tilled dirt to make better seed to soil contact, the cultipack won't do much in existing plantings. I'd get that seeded sooner rather than later this spring, as soon as you can get in without leaving muddy tracks. Usually fields that are dry in summer have the benfit of being able to get in earlier in spring. Unlike corn and beans these type of crops you can't seed to early if it's fit to get in the field.

 

[Charlieyca]

I have a small disc but rarely use it. The clover in this section is very short and small, not well established. This soil is fertile loamy, just normally drier than others. Its only 1/4 plot so dragging the disc out there just isnt feasible. I may just seed heavy before a rain and hope it fills before summer drought.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Sure, what do you have to lose! I bought 5 lbs. Chicory today for $6.75 a lb at the local feed mill. You could sow it pretty heavy. Let us know how it works.

 

[Charlieyca]

I am going to try chicory on one dry plot and alfalfa on the other dry plot. I have 5lbs of each to seed an area 1/4 acre and already has some spring 16 planted white clover coming in. Both of these plots are on the higher elevation side(2ft maybe) on my flat land and I believe thats why the clover is smaller and thinner. I am interested to see how they both do broadcast and will report back after germination.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Have you tried alfalfa before? Alfalfa can be difficult to start, needs correct ph, prone to pests like spit bugs and leaf hoppers and if it does well you should mow it or it'll go into long unpalatable stems, however if you mow it you should remove the cuttings so they don't stunt future growth. People say deer really good for it, let us know how it does for you.

 

[Charlieyca]

Never tried it before. Its only a 1/4 acre and its part of a mix, so im just hoping to add some diversity and safeguard against drought and having a fallow field. I have heard its very fickle and can be difficult, but I'm hoping my deer keep it mowed and clipped for me. Its a stretch for me because there are miles of beans and corn around, but very little forbs. I hope to eventually have 3 perennial plots, all with clover as the base. One with a mix of 4 different whites, one with clover and chicory, and one with alfalafa.

 

[Elkaddict]

I've had mixed luck thrown mow with chicory. Seemed to do a whole lot better frost seeded or mixed in with clover. Felt the throw and mow was a waste of time and money. Just my 0.02.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Never tried it before. Its only a 1/4 acre and its part of a mix, so im just hoping to add some diversity and safeguard against drought and having a fallow field. I have heard its very fickle and can be difficult, but I'm hoping my deer keep it mowed and clipped for me. Its a stretch for me because there are miles of beans and corn around, but very little forbs. I hope to eventually have 3 perennial plots, all with clover as the base. One with a mix of 4 different whites, one with clover and chicory, and one with alfalafa.

(you should somehow turn up a little dirt for the throw&grow chicory)
Considering you have larger bean and corn fields around your smaller plot area should be a great shooting plot, a place where deer will come out for a nibble an hour before dark before they head to the bigger fields. Do you have good thick cover around the perimeter? Can't wait to see what you learn with the alfalfa, alfalfa is the one ag crop that I never tried, because my farmer friends tell me it's more suited to continuous babysitting rather than throw & go.

 

[Charlieyca]

Extremely thick cover surrounding all plots. It is so thick i have driven tractor through (no bush hog just pushing over briars and small pines) so they have a preferred path through walk through. I have a drag that I use behind atv and with all this rain coming I hope to a combination of wet soil and then rain to boot helps get good soil contact. The plots did get good use last year, but there was never a pattern to it. (lots of midday action). My expectations are fairly low, but i figured the cost/reward ratio could be great on a small plot that has good soil. If it fails, there is still fall planted white clover, just a little thin.

 

[Charlieyca]

Depending on the rainfall, I will run the drag over it upside down (less teeth) to loosen soil and. Again If not too wet, I plan to use homemade cultipacker over the seed and leftover clover.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I like the thick cover around the perimeter of your field. Midday field action tends to often follow a rain shower. Today I was at the annual all day hand's on seminar in New Holland, PA by Jim Ward from Whitetail Academy, and he was showing us a myriad of great stuff with hinge cutting, trail seeding, invasive species identification and management and deer bed location strategy, I was very impressed with Jim Ward and what you can do with small properties to help hold your deer.

 

[Charlieyca]

No alfalfa seed to be found, so i ordered some online. If we dont have rain forecast soon after arrival, I will wait til a fall planting. Chicory went in the ground after a good rain to soften soil and then dragged lightly and cultipacked. Will see how it goes...

 

[blumsden]

Been awhile since i've used chicory, so i remember what size the seed is, but i think its small like clover. If so it should work fine with adequate moisture.

 

[Charlieyca]

Its a small but elongated seed, like smaller oats. It looked to broadcast fairly well for me. Tomorrow is 2 weeks from broadcast and no rain. Calling for rain this weekend so hopefully will get to check it out and see how it did.

 

[dogghr]

I didn't read all the thread, but I for sure have over seeded chicory into clover and alfalfa and even sprayed fescue from early March to June. Has always worked great but I do try to do before rains. Hope yours does good, bet it will.