swampthing - I commend your efforts - planting an out-of-the way plot - If you get it up and established - it should be a real magnet!

No mowing - makes it real tough to keep a clover plot viable for more than 2 years. Even if you can get in once a year, to mow, your plot will draw deer better, and remain viable longer.

Dan's point is right on - Red clover, and alfalfa tend to grow faster and taller than white clovers. Without mowing, they get stalky, fall over and can even die out, especially alfalfa - since it does very little natural reseeding. The deer will switch off of it if this happens. I would not recommend either if you cannot mow at least once or twice a year.

White clovers in general are lower plants, and have a longer "stand life" than red clover. Ladino clover rarely gets more than 14" tall, White Dutch clover rarely gets taller than 6" tall. In my experience, white clovers grow thicker than red clovers, and flourish with constant browsing by deer.

The other circumstance to consider, is if your deer population high, they can keep a small plot "mowed" down quite well, especially if its the only plot in the area. However, our area has between 40-60 deer per square mile, and they cannot keep up with our 2 acre plots of Ladino - The white dutch, they do. If you open the land to grazing by the cattle a couple times a year, this could slove your problem - regardless of what you plant.

My favorite mix for deer is a White Dutch/Ladino mix 50:50 - I do not know how it fares for cattle.

( - EDIT : SORRY DAN & LUNCHBUCKET - IT LOOKS LIKE WE ALL HAD THE SAME THOUGHT AT THE SAME TIME - ITS GOOD WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH)

Good luck - keep us posted.




Edited by - farm hunter on 01/03/2003 19:32:42