I' m still trying to decide the best way to develop my property and after reading the archives of this forum I am wondering if clover is really the best option for me. I have several open fields to deal with in a spruce forest but none is very large. I get the impression that you need a fairly large field to make seeding clover worthwhile. My largest tillable area is about 30X100 yards and most are much smaller. Would it make more sense for me to plant a couple of dozen apple trees instead? It would certainly be alot easier in the long run. Apples are about the only fruit trees that do well here. Nut bearing trees don' t survive. Are there other crops that are worth planting in small plots?

I' m sure Dan will have some great advice as usual. I' d suggest, why cannot you do both? Clover is a great cover/companion crop with apple trees as far as I know. I' d make sure I planted the apples far enough apart, 20 ft? I think, and use clover as a cover drop.

Good luck.

borealboy; Clover will feed the deer from the time it greens up to late fall. Apples will only draw the deer for a few weeks in the fall until they' re consumed. In your area the deer winter feed on browse (cedar, balsam, dogwood) but there are farms growing rye, wheat, alfalfa and clover. An area 30 x 100 yds has the potential to produce large amounts of hay (ton(s)). An other thing you could do is create a larger opening (4-5 acres) and let it regrow in brambles and poplar. These clearings keep the browse within reach of the deer.

Dan O.

I like farm hunters reponse. Do both and I don' t think 30 yards by 100 yards is too small a plot.

Wig is right. I' d go for the clover. 30x100 would give you a nice plot. Apple trees are nice but they take time to grow and bear fruit. I have mine fenced or the deer eat them.

thanks for the advice! Although I' m not looking forward to the blackflies and mosquitoes, I guess I' ll try to plant both clover and apples.
How late is too late to plant clover this year? Its going to take me until mid june to find enough days off work to spray, till and plant.

borealboy; we had frost last night near lake Ontario. You should have no problem seeding this year.

I checked out oaks that will grow in your area and Burr Oak is a possibility unless your land is near lake Nippigon. Check out the attached link:

http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/stedwill/buroak/info.html#1

Dan O.