Where did my Clover go.

[wsucoug]

I planted Red Clover, Alice White Clover, Oats, and Chicory around May 10th of 2018. I Also added some triple 16 to get things going. Conventional tillage. Planting rates where heavy at:

Approx: 55 Lbs of oats
Approx: 4 pounds of chicory
Approx. 3 pounds of white clover
Approx 10 pounds of Red clover
This is what it looked like one month after planting:





This is what things looked like on July 15th:




On Aug 12th. I also over seeded 25 lbs of WR on this day and rolled the oat stocks. There is pretty much no rain in my area from June 20th to the end of Sept.


This is about oct 20th after a little bit of moisture, no clover sprouting



November 11th,



May 5th of this year:



And this is the past weekend, June 2nd 2019. It's pretty much chicory and the WR that i over seeded. There is a few clover plants here and there, but i would consider them gone.

 

[wsucoug]

So, does anyone have a few theories about where the red clover and white clover went? I have a few theories but I would like to see if anything is that obvious.

 

[cutman]

I’d say that if the drought didn’t kill it, the cold winter finished it off.

 

[DIY]

Good looking chicory. I'd maybe overseed that plot mid-summer with Frosty Berseem and Blackhawk Arrowleaf and hunt it this fall.

 

[Elkaddict]

Way to much chicory for one thing. I have severe winters and good white clover stands always survive. I have a hunch that too much clover seed can equal crowding/studded root development. That could explain some loss. Just a guess. How big was your plot?

 

[wsucoug]

Way to much chicory for one thing. I have severe winters and good white clover stands always survive. I have a hunch that too much clover seed can equal crowding/studded root development. That could explain some loss. Just a guess. How big was your plot?

Plot was just under an acre

 

[dogghr]

This fall overseed with RC and WC and rye again. Should bounce back after the drought did it in. Clovers have shallow root structure early on whereas chicory is a taproot making them more drought resistant. Heck of a chicory plot I'll say. Good luck.

 

[Elkaddict]

In my experience, 11/2lb per acre of a chicory is the limit for a good chicory/clover mix. Similarly, too much clover seed IMO. For my white clover/chicory combos, I think 4lbs is about right. I was slow learning that too much seed is not better. Just my 0.02.

 

[Chainsaw]

Chicory does well in the driest of conditions as Dogghr stated whereas clover does not. Also we have had the same experience as Elk with chicory,a pound plus is plenty.

 

[sagittarius]

On Aug 12th. I also over seeded 25 lbs of WR on this day and rolled the oat stocks. There is pretty much no rain in my area from June 20th to the end of Sept.

You kinda answered your own question.

 

[wsucoug]

You kinda answered your own question.

This is why I posted. Out west it is always dry and hot during those months, that's why we are always on fire. I didn't think those months where that much different than our typical summers, but i guess it could have been.

I am thinking maybe this time around that with the heavy seeding rates, the clovers just didn't get a chance to establish enough energy in the root systems to get through the summer. Maybe if it was an established root system it wouldn't have been an issue, but I am thinking i just gave them too much competition on this planting.

 

[shawn cox]

I am thinking when you over seeded the 25 lbs of WR and then rolled it you probably crimped the white clover and killed it during that hot dry time.

 

[THE LLC]

Tell you the truth, looking at what you got, I wouldn't worry about a thing---except maybe how to duplicate that chicory plot. Screw clover when you got chicory like that.

 

[wsucoug]

I am thinking when you over seeded the 25 lbs of WR and then rolled it you probably crimped the white clover and killed it during that hot dry time.

I am pretty sure this isn't the case. Clover was full dormant at this point and I couldn't see any green vegetation. In fact I was debating spraying gly at this point to kill some tough weeds that were poping up.

 

[wsucoug]

Tell you the truth, looking at what you got, I wouldn't worry about a thing---except maybe how to duplicate that chicory plot. Screw clover when you got chicory like that.

Ain't gonna lie....it looks good. I was heavy when I planted them because I was hoping they would pull through our tough conditions. Some weeds are creeping in on the bear spots. Gonna leave it till early July when half will be converted LC brassicas.....or I may just leave it. Who knows.

 

[shawn cox]

I am pretty sure this isn't the case. Clover was full dormant at this point and I couldn't see any green vegetation. In fact I was debating spraying gly at this point to kill some tough weeds that were poping up.

What was the soil ph in this plot?


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[wsucoug]

What was the soil ph in this plot?


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[shawn cox]

Well that shouldn’t have been an issue. That is crazy you lost the clover like that unless the chicory just our competed it since it was a little on the thick side. I usually only add maybe a pound of chicory


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