Jump to content
IGNORED

This is what happens when you mow clover


Recommended Posts

My clover plots produce the most pics out of any other plots.The bottom plot has been severely stressed by drought but they are still coming. It should bounce back this month with the good dumping it got, cooler temps and morning dews20171006_055721.jpg

MJOCd0stAIsXm88g52rAGIlFoXRiaUvTVWIemm9MI8cH7vbG001_1507211828506.jpg

Edited by tcook8296

www.liftxrentals.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jay, if you're not getting much clover, you might want to start anew in the spring(if the wifey lets you lol). This time, go through a seed company like welter seed in Iowa to get your seed. We have not been disappointed in anything we have gotten from them. The mix that has worked well for us is a mix of three white clovers...Alice, kopu II, and jumbo landino. We have done very little or nothing in the way of soil amendments where we have planted and the clover has done well everywhere( we just unfortunately let the grasses get out of control in our main plot this year because we couldn't get a chance to mow late spring early summer).

Apply clover at around 6# or so per acre... but clover is less susceptible to issues of overseeing than other plants so if you put down too much it's less of an issue. We just order 2-3# each variety. You'll also want to add a nurse crop that helps with grass/weed suppression until the clover can fight for itself. Oats will be your nurse crop in the spring and rye or a mix of rye and oats if you plant in the fall. I think it's something like 80-100# per acre of oats. You'll end up clipping the oats at height of clover in the summer after a spring planting...and clipping the rye/oats the following spring if a fall planting. The clover should be able to hold its own by that time.

The plot in my picture is deep in the woods. It doesn't get a lot of sun but gets enough. We frostseeded this to clover in late march of this year. We were basically frostseeding onto fairly bare ground but it had quite a bit of leaf litter which we tried to kick out of the plot to get more seed/soil contact. Lol no lime...no fertilizer, no mowing...We did nothing else to this plot the entire year...we didn't even plant a nurse crop...and it looks pretty darn good for absolutely no maintenance. Deer are in it very good and there is a giant scrape at one end. We will frost seed again next year to thicken plot. Probably give it a shot of low nitrogen fertilizer because of the poor soil...and possibly use grass specific herbicide called clethodim if grasses become an issue. We can't get a mover back here...but could probably get the desired effect with a weed whacker.

Basically all I'm saying is it doesn't take much to grow and maintain clover. Don't need a ton of fertilizer or lime but it does help with establishment and longevity if you want to devote the time and money. Maintenance is as simple as mowing and overseeding. But you definitely have to at least mow lo

lattachicon.gifIMG_4152.JPG

X2 on Welter seed. Been buying from them last 4 years and everythingbof theirs grows. Just make sure you do a soil test and follow the recommendations. And you have to cut clover 4 times throughout the season. Mine down in Maryland is still about 15” high and I’ll hit it with Urea Saturday afternoon. Due to get rain Sunday-Monday so that’ll sweeten it up for late October.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My clover looks amazing when I don't mow it.

Then mowing it beats it up and it looks like crap for awhile, but there's plenty of clover there.. the deer just don't use it until 3am. No daylight sighting.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Mow the clover as high as possible. If you are cutting it low you are stressing it. It bounces back like you said. Its tough to kill.

As far as usage, deer need to feel safe to use it during the day. My best clover plots are hidden in the woods where they cant be seen.

www.liftxrentals.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mow the clover as high as possible. If you are cutting it low you are stressing it. It bounces back like you said. Its tough to kill.

As far as usage, deer need to feel safe to use it during the day. My best clover plots are hidden in the woods where they cant be seen.

My mower only goes 5" high..

They say 6-8 is reccomended..

It bounces back.

 

Deer should feel safe.. I don't bother them.

I see them on lawns a few doors down. I'm surrounded by houses.. why not eat at my house?

They used it in July... then went nocturnal like last year.

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

X2 on Welter seed. Been buying from them last 4 years and everythingbof theirs grows. Just make sure you do a soil test and follow the recommendations. And you have to cut clover 4 times throughout the season. Mine down in Maryland is still about 15” high and I’ll hit it with Urea Saturday afternoon. Due to get rain Sunday-Monday so that’ll sweeten it up for late October.

The clovers we planted don't grow that fast. Our soils might not be as fertile, and we have a shorter growing season....or we may be growing different clovers. I know red clovers get quite high and are generally mowed more often...but our white varieties don't get that big. Ours really only need to be mowed twice where we're at...and that is generally just to clip grasses and tippy top of clover off so grass doesn't get a foot hold.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...