I was planning to get rye and/or chicory into the spring planting with Rape being planted late august.
Gotcha. That's the time to plant rape.
I've never tried planting winter rye in the spring, it might work, I just don't know. Oats is commonly planted in the spring and I've always had good luck using them as a nurse crop for alfalfa and clover. In the Mid-Atlantic states, we have available both winter hardy oats and spring oats. The spring oats is cheaper priced and better suited for a spring nurse crop. The winter hardy oats (including buck forage oats) is a much more leafy and low growing type of oat. They would still work, but you've got to reduce the seeding rate.
Back to the above plot. Frost seeding most but not all clovers is a very effective way to keep a clover plot going. The freezing-thawing process has a way of making seed to soil contact almost perfect. The chicory frost seeded into your clover plot would work well also. Chicory loves nitrogen and you can bet that plot is loaded with nitrogen. Keep in mind there are several varieties of chicory. Puna and WINA chicory is the only two I've tried, but if I were to plant it again Forage Feast would be the one I'd try due to the slow to bolt characteristics.
I'm waiting for the right opportunity to frost seed some Durana clover now. I checked a plot today, but it's just to wet and its unlikely it will get below freezing this week. I'm not complaining about the warm up though
And there will be some below freezing mornings ahead.
I did manage to find a shed laying in the plot. Small, but got me fired up
