Broadcast Medium Red Clover

Help Support CattleToday:

All depends on who's ox is getting gored.

I know what works in fescue country because I live here. I don't know what works in Texas.
 
BFE said:
All depends on who's ox is getting gored.

I know what works in fescue country because I live here. I don't know what works in Texas.
Click to expand...
Sure that's a reasonable statement.
So your saying a drill doesn't work in "fescue country" idk .
Broadcast works ok here as long as sufficient rainfall is present. Drilling places the seed in place at a preset depth. This gives better soil to seed contact, insurance against the surface drying out. These things increase germination and seedling survival. Drilling also places the seed more uniform than slinging it out with a atv.
These things combined allow for a much lower seeding rate of expensive seed.
I'm all about expediance. But easy is not always best. Sometimes it is say 40.00 ryegrass but the op is talking 200.00 clover. That's a difference to be considered. It does seem high for clover seed. Idk
 
From my understanding, clover seed (maybe not ALL clover seed) can remain dormant in the soil until things are right for it to germinate.
We have crazy land here. You can take a field that had a crop. Let anything that wants to come up grow. Mow weeds. Pretty soon you have lots of native grasses and clovers. We sure couldn't do that in Kansas.
 
A drill doesn't work enough better on established grass than broadcast to justify using it. Frost seed and the clover comes on as soon as it warms up. Most the time by the time you can get the drill across the ground the grass already has too much of a head start.

Starting from scratch I would drill. Already established spread.
 
BFE said:
A drill doesn't work enough better on established grass than broadcast to justify using it. Frost seed and the clover comes on as soon as it warms up. Most the time by the time you can get the drill across the ground the grass already has too much of a head start.

Starting from scratch I would drill. Already established spread.
Click to expand...
A no till drill works pretty good on established sod. I will try to find pictures of clover drilled into my coastal. I drill clover in the fall. Not in the spring.
What kind of spreader are you using on your 4 wheeler. Herd??
 
Yes, a no till drill can work good on established sod as far as putting the seed in contact with dirt. We use those in these parts too. Most wheat is planted here with a no till drill direct seeded into soybean stubble or after a pass with a vertical tillage harrow. Bermuda sod drilled in the fall is going dormant. Probably dormant later and greens up earlier in Texas than NC though. Fescue is a cool season grass. Bermuda is warm season. Bermuda spreads from the rhizomes when it resumes growth in the spring. Almost impossible to do any damage to bermuda with a no till drill disk in the fall. Fescue does not spread by rhizomes. Might be some risk to a fescue stand running a no till drill through it. Pasture here is sometimes a little rough, irregular shaped, maybe steep slope and may not be easy to drag a no till drill over. We do tend to have some mud through the winter. Us small timers here may not have easy access to a no till drill. Broadcasting clover seed will give a pretty consistent but not ideal seed depth. No till drill on rough ground will have some seed too deep and some not covered and some just right.

Wish I had clover, but don't know how to maintain clover and still use broadleaf herbicides on my weeds. Do you clover guys not have weeds?
 
I only spot spray thistle & burdock. We generally graze 2x around, then mow weeds.
Clover is pretty hardy. You will "kill" it off with 2-4D, but it seems to come back. Must not get to the root system?? But, like I said, clover is almost like a weed here, the way it pops up. Sure not a bad thing!!
 
simme said:
Yes, a no till drill can work good on established sod as far as putting the seed in contact with dirt. We use those in these parts too. Most wheat is planted here with a no till drill direct seeded into soybean stubble or after a pass with a vertical tillage harrow. Bermuda sod drilled in the fall is going dormant. Probably dormant later and greens up earlier in Texas than NC though. Fescue is a cool season grass. Bermuda is warm season. Bermuda spreads from the rhizomes when it resumes growth in the spring. Almost impossible to do any damage to bermuda with a no till drill disk in the fall. Fescue does not spread by rhizomes. Might be some risk to a fescue stand running a no till drill through it. Pasture here is sometimes a little rough, irregular shaped, maybe steep slope and may not be easy to drag a no till drill over. We do tend to have some mud through the winter. Us small timers here may not have easy access to a no till drill. Broadcasting clover seed will give a pretty consistent but not ideal seed depth. No till drill on rough ground will have some seed too deep and some not covered and some just right.

Wish I had clover, but don't know how to maintain clover and still use broadleaf herbicides on my weeds. Do you clover guys not have weeds?
Click to expand...

Of course there's weeds. We spray them in the spring and kill the clover to. That's one of the advantages of clover in Bermuda vs ryegrass in Bermuda. It's easier to get rid when you want to.
 
Jeanne - Simme Valley said:
Why would you want to get rid of clover? Guess i don't understand Bermuda grass. Can't they "live" together?
Click to expand...
Bermuda in my case is strictly for a hay crop. It brings 3x the money as other hay . it's not a deserved premium it's kinda like black cattle. We do graze the hayfields in the winter and the clover adds quality plus nitrogen. In the early spring no competition is desirable for the money crop to be all it can be.
 
Understand the need to have a one and done on the clover in bermuda hay ground. I think the OP was looking for a persistent longer term stand of clover in fescue pasture. Clover in fescue will dilute the effects of the endophyte as well as provide nitrogen and make a better overall forage. The dilemma is how to control the broadleaf weeds we have in fescue country if you have clover. Corteva has been promising for a few years a broadleaf herbicide that will not kill white clover. It was going to be called Pro-clova or something like that. But it keeps being delayed.

Just checked and it looks like it is pending approvals and may be available sometime in 2023. If I remember correctly, approval is state by state. So, probably not in time to use next spring. Will be something to watch for if it allows clover and good weed control. We use chicken litter in these parts. Chicken feed ingredients come from far away and contain many types of weed seed. A little more challenge for herbicides if you use litter. Not much clover here.
 
simme said:
Understand the need to have a one and done on the clover in bermuda hay ground. I think the OP was looking for a persistent longer term stand of clover in fescue pasture. Clover in fescue will dilute the effects of the endophyte as well as provide nitrogen and make a better overall forage. The dilemma is how to control the broadleaf weeds we have in fescue country if you have clover. Corteva has been promising for a few years a broadleaf herbicide that will not kill white clover. It was going to be called Pro-clova or something like that. But it keeps being delayed.

Just checked and it looks like it is pending approvals and may be available sometime in 2023. If I remember correctly, approval is state by state. So, probably not in time to use next spring. Will be something to watch for if it allows clover and good weed control. We use chicken litter in these parts. Chicken feed ingredients come from far away and contain many types of weed seed. A little more challenge for herbicides if you use litter. Not much clover here.
Click to expand...
I agree although that has little to do with planting methods. Also if your drill gives a less consistent planting depth than broadcast and letting cows walk on it you might need to service it.lol
 
callmefence said:
I agree although that has little to do with planting methods. Also if your drill gives a less consistent planting depth than broadcast you might need to service it.lol
Click to expand...
Broadcast planting depth is 0.0" How could you get any more consistent than that?
See, me and you share a common fault - wanting to argue and be right all the time. I am aware of my fault. :)
 
simme said:
Broadcast planting depth is 0.0" How could you get any more consistent than that?
See, me and you share a common fault - wanting to argue and be right all the time. I am aware of my fault. :)
Click to expand...
Let me make you aware of another of your faults. Either you purposely leave things out or you didn't read through.
" Broadcast and let the cows walk on it"
 
simme said:
Thank you
Click to expand...
You let me know if you need anything else.
For the record if the ground is crusted or cracked seed that falls into the cracks will be deeper than 0.00 if sod exists some seeds will be suspended in sod and not reach 0.00. if you don't understand this I suggest you walk outside and throw some seeds around then get down on your hands and knees and inspect.
 

Similar threads

ClinchValley86
Clover Galore
Replies
19
Views
738
A.J.
A
G
ladino clover.
Replies
9
Views
645
Ebenezer
E
Hoover
Thin red clover stand
Replies
10
Views
738
Hoover
Hoover
Chapin81
Clover in the tropics.
Replies
9
Views
805
wbvs58
wbvs58
Chapin81
Questions about clover
2 3
Replies
44
Views
2K
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Jeanne - Simme Valley

Latest posts

Top