A&Mfarms
Well-known member
If you have clover in your hay field or pasture how do you keep the weeds down. I use Grazon right now, but with nitrate so high considering sowing some clover. So what can I use?
What to spray with?
- Thread starter A&Mfarms
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Ranchcop
Well-known member
If you want to plant clover I would check with the extention agent in your area to see if it would be too late for this year... I know for most clovers in the East Texas Area..... you want to plant in the fall. There might be some you could plant now.
If you plant enough clover you will not have to worry about weeds. The clover chokes them out.
If you dont belive me just check out the pictures of my crimson clover on my site.
When I comes up in the spring I apply a liquid foliar feed fertilizer on it, Then bale it when it is 50% seeded out.
The Bales have 75% clover and 25% coastal, about 1/2 the seeds are in the hay and the other half is on the ground for next year.... then I dont have to reseed every year.
My customer love the hay and get free seed with it!
If you plant enough clover you will not have to worry about weeds. The clover chokes them out.
If you dont belive me just check out the pictures of my crimson clover on my site.
When I comes up in the spring I apply a liquid foliar feed fertilizer on it, Then bale it when it is 50% seeded out.
The Bales have 75% clover and 25% coastal, about 1/2 the seeds are in the hay and the other half is on the ground for next year.... then I dont have to reseed every year.
My customer love the hay and get free seed with it!
A&Mfarms
Well-known member
Thanks for the quick reply. I'm just hesitant not to use spray b/c chicken litter has been used on these fields for years and the weeds are really an issue.
Ranchcop
Well-known member
well every year in the late winter i see the same amount of small weeds and small clover starting to come up and I think.... wow I hope we dont have a weed problem this year. The only year I have had a problem was in 05 because the rain stopped in March and the clover died and the draught resistant weeds popped up.... Other then that the Clover has always won, and choked out the weeds.
By the way I am organic, the one thing we do have problems with is unwanted grasses such as nut grass or bahia.... We use a vinegar/citric acid solution the practially melts the plants that it is applied to.... you can only use it to spot spray, Just remember the weeds are a sign of sick ground the grass and lagumes should always win when the ground is healthy!
By the way I am organic, the one thing we do have problems with is unwanted grasses such as nut grass or bahia.... We use a vinegar/citric acid solution the practially melts the plants that it is applied to.... you can only use it to spot spray, Just remember the weeds are a sign of sick ground the grass and lagumes should always win when the ground is healthy!
ive always wanted some crimson clover but was told it wouldnt do here b/c of the pH. but it grows on the roadside so i've decided thats BS. how much does it cost in relation to other seeds. i have white clover coming up all over the place right now.
Beefy":1qnqzh0v said:
It ain't nowhere close to the price of Ladino Clovers Beefy.
AU Robin is the best variety around here. Grows in prairie soil, sand and clay. It will bloat them though. You have ease them into it.
Planted in fall will grow good all winter.
i dont know where ours came from. it just showed up one day. last year it really spread a lot b/c it was so wet and had a chance to flower and seed. maybe some of the roadside clover will mosey on over the fence...
Ranchcop
Well-known member
I am not sure about the cost.... I was lucky, as I stopped spraying the weeds the Clover just kept getting thicker and thicker. I do have a friend that I concider a expert on forage, lagumes and fescue. I know he has a contact for execlent seed. You could call him
Bear Lane 903 925-3818
Bear Lane 903 925-3818
If you have been uesing Grazon you may have to wait a few years before you plant clover. Grazon is 2-4-d and Tardon. That Tardon will stay in the soil for a while if you use much of it. Check the lable.
Bobg
Well-known member
I have Ladino clover in my pasture and have used MCPA, it's label for that use. I have also used Hi Dep at the one quart rate, but it is not labeled for use on legumes. It will curl the clover, but only for a day or so and then it continues growing. I would go to your local chemical dealer or county extension agent and see what is locally available.
Bobg
Bobg
norriscathy
Well-known member
Try "Weedmaster" (2-4D). 2-4D will kill broadleaf weeds in the early spring as well as Grazon but will not kill the clover. It may burn it a little if you put it out to heavily, but the clover will survive the 2-4D where Grazon means sudden death.
Ranchcop
Well-known member
May I say that if you use Micro Grow it will detoxify your soil of any chemicals. check out http://www.WatsonRanchOrganic.comalabama":1qis65nu said:
It should detoxify the soil by next fall if applied now!
cypressfarms
Well-known member
Ranchcop":2hlxhipk said:
Ranchcop,
I like your approach!
A&Mfarms
Well-known member
I would definitely say the ground is sick. There is a lot of sage and even moss growing on the ground. We just took over the farm late last year from our grandad who only used chicken litter and didn't know what a soil test was. I sent soil tests off last week and will probably be sick when I see the results. I'm just trying to figure out what to do this coming year to start getting things in shape. Thanks for the advice.
Bama
Well-known member
Before you get the soil samples back, I would urge you to go ahead and buy stock in the lime business. :lol:
preston39
Well-known member
Bama,
LOL...I was gong to offer the same advice. Mossy areas and sage broom is a sure sign of high PH..so our ext agent tells us.
LOL...I was gong to offer the same advice. Mossy areas and sage broom is a sure sign of high PH..so our ext agent tells us.
Ranchcop
Well-known member
If you go Organic then you dont have to worry about lime!
Brad
http://www.WatsonRanchOrganic.com
It is a much cheaper way to go about farming and ranching!
Brad
http://www.WatsonRanchOrganic.com
It is a much cheaper way to go about farming and ranching!
hayray
Well-known member
You can spray raptor, pursuit plus, or butyrac on clover, alfalfa, and trefoil. These sprays will kill other broad leaves and raptor and pursuit will kill some annual grasses. I would not use 2-4 D on the clover, it will really hurt the yield. You need to spray once the clover is past the 3rd trifoliate stage and the weeds are no more than a few inches high otherwise spraying is a waste of time. Keep in mind that spraying a lot of times is not econmical unless you really have a brand new clear seeded stand that you did right - I know, did a lot of stands half - ...s.
preston39
Well-known member
Brad,
Please explain how organic eliminates the need for lime as a PH control.
Please explain how organic eliminates the need for lime as a PH control.
