I’m interested in trying to get a bed of clover on my trails around my property. Thinking it would be good for the grouse. Central MN property, trails see tractor traffic, some more than others, most have tree cover. They are all mowed down low now going into the fall. Any reason not to just frost seed them in March? Do they need a cover crop of oats like plots?
Anyone done this successfully?
Never tried frost seeding but i’m guessing getting the clover to outgrow the weeds is going to be your biggest hurdle?
When I plant clover in food plots I do the following. First spray glyphospate when about 1″ of green weed growth can be seen. Usually about the 2nd week in May around here. Wait 2 – 3 weeks until the second set of green weed growth starts then spray again. A few days later is when I broadcast the clover seed on bare ground. No till! That will just give you more weeds. Drive over the clover seeds several passes with an ATV and cultipacker to get your soil contact. Clip it once about early August and if everything goes well you should have a nearly weedless clover patch.
would be good for the grouse. Central MN property, trails see tractor traffic, some more than others, most have tree cover. They are all mowed down low now going into the fall. Any reason not to just frost seed them in March? Do they need a cover crop of oats like plots?
We have quite a few customers who do clover on trails. As has been mentioned, grass competition is the main issue.
A couple of ideas to make your clover trails more successful:
– Results from frost seeding are highly variable this far north. Timing is important, but so is the factor that cannot be controlled–the weather. Ideally, you are seeding when the snow is gone, but you are still getting hard freeze temps at night. It takes a long time to get germination in the spring and growth can be very slow in the early stages. Be patient.
– You have already mowed, but continue to mow the trails after germination to keep the grass short so the clover gets more light. Clover is slow-growing, so the more you keep the grass short, the better it will be able to compete. Mow the grass, not the clover until the clover is at least 4 inches tall if possible.
– White clover, with its bigger leaves, is more successful in shaded areas. Red clover, on the other hand, is tougher and more winter hardy. Ideally, I would use a good blend, but make sure it’s all PERANNUAL covers. A lot of food plot mixes put on the market by southern food plot companies contain mostly annual clovers, so they will not come back the next season.
– No, you do not have to use a nurse crop like oats on trails. It’s really not practical to do so if overseeding/frost seeding because if left exposed on the surface birds will get most of the oats anyway.
– Have realistic expectations. Clover and grass are mortal enemies, so clover on a trail won’t last like a pure clover plot.
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