Apache Arrowleaf Clove

[garseer]

Interested in knowing if anyone around East Texas has planted this clover before and if so how did it do. I just planted a couple acres and was wondering what to expect come spring.

Thanks

[novatech]

I'm a ways off from you and our weather conditions differ quite a bit. If no one responds near you then call the local county agent.

[garseer]

I am out of town at the time, but if noone replies back in a few days I will be back home.

Thanks

[halfbean]

We are near Palestine and haven't had much luck with Arrowleaf the past couple of years. It came up very spotty in the sandy hayfields. I tried to drill it and broadcast. It may have been the dry winters but we have a lot better luck with Crimson and it is cheaper. The Arrowleaf that did come up was late and into June before heading out so I waited to bale my hay to see if it would reseed and it didn't do much.

[Douglas]

I planted it here in North Carolina and was not happy. It matures very late and crimson produces more earlier when i need it the most in feb and march. Since you are much warmer it would probably produce earlier and fit a spring calving shcedule better. It is very upright growing and grows tall and makes good hay, but that is not what i needed it for. And because i was rotating my land into a summer annual i didn't have time to wait on reseeding. It's advantage is low bloat worries.

[Baydog]

I'm just a little north of you in Wood Co. I've had Arrowleaf before and it did well in my river bottom land. It's great for pasture grazing and adding nitrogen to the soil. It does require a higher PH and better fertilization to substain. Mine's all gone now but it was great for grazing. The cows loved it and it helped the bahia grass all summer. Lime and fertilizer cost just make it cost prohibitive now. Crimson is easier to maintain, but dosen't last near as long as Arrowleaf.

[garseer]

Thanks for the feedback on the clover. Time will tell this spring. Hope it is good.

[novatech]

Lime and fertilizer cost just make it cost prohibitive now.

Once you get the ph right do you have to continue with lime the following years? Clover does not need N so you are left with adding P and K. Unless you are making hay it seems as though that you do not have to add this every year for pasture, based on the assumption that 80% of the nutrients go back into the soil when grazing.

[Baydog]

My place is right in the river bottoms with very sandy soils and frequent flooding. It dosen't hold PH or nutrients very long in the areas I had arrowleaf.

[novatech]

My place is right in the river bottoms with very sandy soils and frequent flooding. It dosen't hold PH or nutrients very long in the areas I had arrowleaf.

That makes sents. I guess that is bad and good. The floods also bring in nutrients. Have you ever tried disking it in or are you just top coating?
I have a bottom where the ph is right on the money but is low in phosphorus. It also floods if we get 3" or more rain at a time.

[Baydog]

Not an area that I would want to disc. When the river floods, it can be 3' or 4' deep with a strong current in that area. I have high ground also, but the local cost for lime and fertilizer just isn't justified with what cattle are bringing. I don't have access to any nearby chicken litter or other byproducts so it's either buy fert and lime spread or do without. Local cattle prices won't pay for either in the pastures. I just reduce the stocking rate and make do with what I have.