Clover Seeding

[Anonymous]

Sometime this month, while the ground is still froze, I want to sow clover into existing pastures that will be baled this summer. Any thoughts, hints or suggestions? Also approx. how many pounds per acre ? Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

It depends on what kind of clover, what kind of pasture, how good of a cover of grass exists

dun

> Sometime this month, while the
> ground is still froze, I want to
> sow clover into existing pastures
> that will be baled this summer.
> Any thoughts, hints or
> suggestions? Also approx. how many
> pounds per acre ? Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

> It depends on what kind of clover,
> what kind of pasture, how good of
> a cover of grass exists

> dun

more than likely it will be red clover and the pastures are mostly various grasses, with no other legumes in them. They range from 6" tall to one that was grazed short in late fall.

 

[Anonymous]

Assuming you want about 50% red clover you would need 4 1/2 to 5 lbs per acre. But as usual, there is a catch. For frostseeding to really work well, the grass needs to be clipped/grazed very short before you broadcast the clover. in the pastures that are grazed short you will get better stands then in those that are longer. There is also thew matter of when to do it. You need to have it on the ground early enough that you will get enough frost heaving to work it in but not so early that it's too deep. In mid to southern MO we frost seed in February, further north not until march. I like to put it on while there is a thin layer of snow so that I can see where the seed has fallen and not get too much overlap. Next best is just before a snow or rain so it can wash the seed to the ground and the frost heaving can have an affect. Check with your local NRCS office, they are the best source of information for your area. Your tax dollars pay their salaries, so you might as well get a little something out ogf the money you've invested in them

dun

> more than likely it will be red
> clover and the pastures are mostly
> various grasses, with no other
> legumes in them. They range from
> 6" tall to one that was
> grazed short in late fall.

 

[Anonymous]

> Assuming you want about 50% red
> clover you would need 4 1/2 to 5
> lbs per acre. But as usual, there
> is a catch. For frostseeding to
> really work well, the grass needs
> to be clipped/grazed very short
> before you broadcast the clover.
> in the pastures that are grazed
> short you will get better stands
> then in those that are longer.
> There is also thew matter of when
> to do it. You need to have it on
> the ground early enough that you
> will get enough frost heaving to
> work it in but not so early that
> it's too deep. In mid to southern
> MO we frost seed in February,
> further north not until march. I
> like to put it on while there is a
> thin layer of snow so that I can
> see where the seed has fallen and
> not get too much overlap. Next
> best is just before a snow or rain
> so it can wash the seed to the
> ground and the frost heaving can
> have an affect. Check with your
> local NRCS office, they are the
> best source of information for
> your area. Your tax dollars pay
> their salaries, so you might as
> well get a little something out
> ogf the money you've invested in
> them

> dun I'm in central IL and the ground is about as froze as its going to get (I hope anyway). When we used to sow clover into wheat that was done in Feb so I'm pretty sure (same as your area) Feb is the time to do it. As far as the taller pastures, if they were to get burned off first would that make a differnce ? Thanks for your advice.

 

[Anonymous]

Burning would help to reduce the stubble height. But, some grasses don't respond well to burning and you usually want to wait until they have started greening up before you burn. That would put you too late for frosy seeding. The point in frost seeding isn't to just put the seed on when the ground is frozen. It's the thaw freeze cycle that works the seed into the soil.

dun

 

[Anonymous]

> Burning would help to reduce the
> stubble height. But, some grasses
> don't respond well to burning and
> you usually want to wait until
> they have started greening up
> before you burn. That would put
> you too late for frosy seeding.
> The point in frost seeding isn't
> to just put the seed on when the
> ground is frozen. It's the thaw
> freeze cycle that works the seed
> into the soil.

> dun OK ... Thank you very much for your help. If you think of anything else please feel free to email me.

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

I just found out about this a week or so ago. Medium red clover is a pretty wide term. Kenland is the oldest variety and no longer has to be a pure strain of a given type that will give you a consistant hidth of growth. Kenstar is a newer variety, not much different then the original Kenland, but in order to sell it as such it has to be pure. Some of the newer cultivars are far superior to Kenstar. At the price difference it may pay to look at some of the newer ones, particularly those recommended by your ag universities for your area. At 1.20 per pund for Kenland it's hard to justify paying for a crappy type. But then again, you may get lucky and get all that is a real medium red.

dun