When to seed Clover

super99 · Mar 30, 2017

A guy I work with has a small place in the country. He wants to kill the grass on a small plot of land and seed it to clover for the deer. He said it is grass and some scattered multiflora rose. He wants to spray it with Roundup to kill the grass, and something to control the multiflora rose. I told him it needed to warm up to use Roundup with any effect. I suggested he check with the SCS and see if they had a no till drill he could rent to plant it. Another fellow told him to plow it up and then seed it. Marv only has a 25hp Ford compact tractor and loader and no equipment. He lives about 25 miles from me, across the Mississippi and thru town to boot. I would like to help him out, but my old equipment doesn't like to get that far from home, thru town no less. Could he wait until it warms up and spray it with Roundup, wait a few days and broadcast clover on top of the ground and let the dead grass cover the seed to get it started?? How late in the year can you plant clover and expect it to grow? Any suggestions on how to go about this project?? Thanks, Chris

super99 · Mar 30, 2017

Forgot to add, this is in eastern Iowa. Chris

Roger Tomfohrde · Mar 30, 2017

Biggest concern is how much moisture you will have. We seeded clover with the alfalfa and timothy usually when we seeded the grain. We would also go in thin spots in existing stands and using a field cultivator loosen the ground up and use the drill after we were done with planting corn. It usually was good for the rest of the year. This is in southeast MN. How much vegetation is there? A lot will cause problems and need to have it burned off or something done if possible and then seed once the existing stand is killed.

coonie minnie · Mar 30, 2017

I had an elderly uncle who just used a regular drill into some old, round-uped sod. (Former CRP) It was old, steel wheeled Oliver, and he did it after a pretty good rain so the ground was a little soft. He did it multiple times... I was impressed how well it worked. If you are seeding for deer, I think this method would work for you, especially if you get another rain in a few days to get the seed germinated.

I would not bother plowing, disking, etc. You are just going to wake up a bunch more weed seeds.

Things need to be growing, and over 50 degrees for round-up to work well. In my neighborhood, that seems a ways off yet.

coonie minnie · Mar 30, 2017

I should add that the best time to do this would be as soon as it warms up a bit... he always did it about now...

PJH · Mar 30, 2017

The old timers around here used to broadcast it on snow in March with a horn seeder. This was overseeding on established pasture or hay ground in Southern Illinois.

hd6gtom · Mar 31, 2017

I hope you guys don't come to regret putting out food plots. we have so many deer around here it isn't safe to drive on our roads. I live 15 miles from work and just this morning I counted 21 deer that were laying beside the road, been hit by cars in the last week. We cant grow anything without major deer damage. They will come within a few feet of the house and destroy anything in the garden. I was given 30 deer depravation tags by the DNR last fall and told to share them with the neighbors, I could not give them away because the DNR had given the neighbors as many as they gave me. 3 years ago, my son and his daughter came out to deer hunt. They stepped out of the pickup and shot their deer right in the garden, drug them about 50 feet to the shed and hung them up.

rdandersom · Apr 1, 2017

The best time to do roundup for a project like this would have been a few days before the grass went dormant last fall then broadcast the clover during the time the maple sap is running.(below freezing at night but well above freezing during the day)

NCPABill · Apr 1, 2017

Your plan sounds great. I would mix roundup at 2% and spray it all, including the rose. Wait two days, sow clover, maybe drive it in with a four wheeler, etc. and walk away. The dying grass mulches the seed and keeps it moist. Works great!

If there are any woody stem (autumn olive, etc) cut them off, spray the cambium layer on the stump with 50/50 roundup and diesel and they won't regrow.

Good luck!

When to seed Clover

super99

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super99

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Roger Tomfohrde

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coonie minnie

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coonie minnie

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PJH

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hd6gtom

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rdandersom

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NCPABill

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