Broadcast Medium Red Clover

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Aero

Aero

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We have no red clover and I would like to have it as a complement to our fescue. I am not planning on drilling anything and broadcast is about all I'm willing to put into it. We rotate every day or so and it will take about 60 days to get around the whole farm this winter. If I broadcast it in front of the grazing herd (~65,000lb/acre), I'm told I will get decent seed-soil contact. Is there any real down side to broadcasting a little through winter or will the seed be a total waste this early in winter?

I'm in central NC and our winters usually range from a few 20 degree days and a few 70 degree days. It usually gets very wet sometime around January-March. This is just to get some clover started and I'm looking for ultra easy and moderately effective with some persistence over the next few years in some small amount.
 
I have broad seeded clover in mid February with good results. I think the technical term is frost seeding, but as the soil freezes and thaws it allows the seed to make soil contact. It sounds like you are mob or high density grazing, in which i practice also. I wouldn't hesitate a bit to seed ahead of the cows and let the mob assure good soil contact.
 
midTN_Brangusman said:
I have broad seeded clover in mid February with good results. I think the technical term is frost seeding, but as the soil freezes and thaws it allows the seed to make soil contact. It sounds like you are mob or high density grazing, in which i practice also. I wouldn't hesitate a bit to seed ahead of the cows and let the mob assure good soil contact.
Click to expand...
That's the thought pattern. I just wonder if the long, cold, wet winter will mess anything up if I put it out now or if it will just sit there and wait until spring. $225/50lb bag makes me wonder a little. I'm only putting out 1/2-1lb/acre to start.
 
In most situation you will come out ahead by going to the "trouble" to drill.
You will achieve better germination, seedling survival, and uniform coverage than you will with broadcast. And you can achieve that with less seed. The only situation that calls for broadcast is terrain you can't run a drill across.
 
My one attempt drilling clover in at same time as a mix of fescue, orchardgrass, and timothy with the Great Plains no-till drills our NRCS rents out put the clover seed so deep that almost none came up.
After that, I've sworn by 'frost-seeding' clovers and lespedeza.
 
I find that clovers generally go alright being broadcast. Depending on the variety there is usually a lot of hard seed that will germinate over a period of time, years even. The nature of clovers most being annuals they survive by producing lots of seed that lies there until conditions suit and they germinate. They are good at finding their way through the ground cover as long as it is not too thick so grazing it down is a good strategy.
If you were to use a drill remove the tubes from the tines so the seed goes ontop of the ground after the tine passes through.

Ken
 
Aero, you have an excellent plan. Your high stock density will be a great help in getting a good stand. I think you would be better to wait until late January, February, early March to seed. You could have seeded earlier this fall, but I think you risk getting some seedlings up and then frozen out as your weather gets colder. I, too believe in using a lighter than recommended seeding rate. If the plant is adapted to your conditions, it will proliferate. However, the rate you describe is extremely low for what is recommended, if I remember correctly. Also, if you don't have a ladino white clover in your pastures, I would suggest you start with that. I recommend Regal Graze ladino, an old stand-by that has never failed me. Good luck to you.
 
Aero said:
We rotate every day or so and it will take about 60 days to get around the whole farm this winter. If I broadcast it in front of the grazing herd (~65,000lb/acre), I'm told I will get decent seed-soil contact. Is there any real down side to broadcasting a little through winter or will the seed be a total waste this early in winter?
Click to expand...
Yes. You can lose some germ the longer it lays out there. If you are really unlucky - - it will sprout during a warm spell and then die when the temp drops into the mid 20s.

Frost seeding is very easy, so it is very popular, but the results are also very variable. It is usually done in early spring, not early "winter".
 
I also live in central NC (Lee County). I drilled in a mix of six seeds on Oct 15th. Ladino clover, cereal rye, triticale, hairy vetch, tillage radishes and Austrian peas. At a month in the rows are about ankle deep. I am curious as the the effect of the low 20s temps the past couple of nights and this upcoming weekend will have on the seedlings.

I haven't tried broadcasting but I think a consideration might be the ideal ground temp for germination as to when you are hoping to see growth. At this point, the seeds might lay dormant until spring if the ground temperature isn't right.

I would also encourage you to research Ladino clover which is great for our area. It has better forage and it's taller than red clover. My primary motivations for choosing it were soil health and forage for my cattle.

I'll be interested to see how things turn out for your planting.
 
Aero said:
We have no red clover and I would like to have it as a complement to our fescue. I am not planning on drilling anything and broadcast is about all I'm willing to put into it. We rotate every day or so and it will take about 60 days to get around the whole farm this winter. If I broadcast it in front of the grazing herd (~65,000lb/acre), I'm told I will get decent seed-soil contact. Is there any real down side to broadcasting a little through winter or will the seed be a total waste this early in winter?

I'm in central NC and our winters usually range from a few 20 degree days and a few 70 degree days. It usually gets very wet sometime around January-March. This is just to get some clover started and I'm looking for ultra easy and moderately effective with some persistence over the next few years in some small amount.
Click to expand...
The thing that I have found to have the greatest effect on clover is getting the PH higher. Seems that I didn't have good luck with the clover until I got the PH correct no matter if frost seeded or drilled.
I do think your plan is good and as noted dark moon of February is the time to do it.
 
anewcomer said:
However, the rate you describe is extremely low for what is recommended, if I remember correctly. Also, if you don't have a ladino white clover in your pastures, I would suggest you start with that. I recommend Regal Graze ladino, an old stand-by that has never failed me. Good luck to you.
Click to expand...
The seeding rate is based on a financial cost I won't notice and I can always put down more over time. The bag calls for 4-8 lb/acre drilling and I think 50% more broadcast.

We have white clover everywhere and it can generally be controlled by how low the grass was grazed. Some of the pastures the previous tenant wore down had a full pasture of 90%+ white clover in the spring after 120 days of rest and we had to wait until the clover was overmature to graze due to bloat concerns. There is some grass coming up in it now but still a long time to get a forage balance back there.

My main concern now is paddocks that have 90% fescue and that is where the red clover should help the most. One pasture had cows panting open mouth with some froth so we arent going back there until January when the toxicity should be mostly gone. Ill seed that paddock a little heavier before we get there and maybe spring will balance it out.
 
Ok. Drill it. Go buy a drill vs an atv spreader. You'll be saving money big time with all those seed savings plus you'll get that tractor and drill out there at the best time for the fescue belt seeding of clover. Wait a minute No you won't. It's February freezing and thawing in the fescue belt. Good luck.
 
BFE said:
Ok. Drill it. Go buy a drill vs an atv spreader. You'll be saving money big time with all those seed savings plus you'll get that tractor and drill out there at the best time for the fescue belt seeding of clover. Wait a minute No you won't. It's February freezing and thawing in the fescue belt. Good luck.
Click to expand...

I said drilling was more effective. And it is. If you want to make noise knock yourself out..lol
 
Hubby used to run a fertilizer plant and sold grain seed. He always broadcast spread our clover seed - or mixed seed with our fertilizer and spread it that way. "Frost seeded". We also put it in our mineral and let the cows spread it.
 
callmefence said:
I said drilling was more effective. And it is. If you want to make noise knock yourself out..lol
Click to expand...
Maybe. Maybe not. Timing is everything. They don't teach you that on a seed sack you have to learn it yourself or listen to those who've done it.

No one makes more noise than you. It seems to be your specialty.
 
BFE said:
Maybe. Maybe not. Timing is everything. They don't teach you that on a seed sack you have to learn it yourself or listen to those who've done it.

No one makes more noise than you. It seems to be your specialty.
Click to expand...
So now instead of answering a simple question in about the discussion your going with insults. That pretty much tells it all.
If you want to plant with your 4 wheeler I wish you the best.
 

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