Sorry to ask more questions about clover fields but I' m reading so much different info. I planted 4 acres of Wild Turkey Federation clover last spring. Plot came up pretty good. I checked on it early spring and it was doing well. For about the past month I was out of town for work and was unable to mow the field. I just got up there this weekend and it was about 4-6ft high. Weeds and grasses everywhere. I bush hog' d it down but now there is a ton of clippings and I can' t hardly see clover. I was going to get some Post and sprayto try and keep the grass from coming back. How long should I wait? There were a ton of seeds on the grass I was cutting so I would like to kill thost as well. I' m worried that the weeds choked out the clover. After I spray can I no till some more seed in this fall? Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

Right now I' d worry about smothering the clover with the cuttings. You may have to mow the piles of cut grass if they' re covering the clover and blocking all the light. Another pass with the bushhog over the cut grass should chop it up further so it' ll work down between the clover plants.

Dan O.

barile -

It sounds like the fertility level of the soil is high, 4-6 ft is very tall. I assume most of the height was Cereal Grain, (rye, probably) maybe some grasses in the mix - and possibly some annual weeds as well. I' d guess the clover was less than 24" at mowing. While poast might be the answer in the end for you, keep in mind that its likely the mix purposely had some grasses (for turkey chick survival- and food). Applying poast will eliminate that part of the mix - which is fine if you want a clover plot aone.

Personally I' d wait 2-3 weeks after mowing to see of the clover comes back stronger than the other plants in the mix. Clover can smother other competing grasses/weeds if the conditions are right.

Dan' s point about the clippings smothering the plot is a good one. Clover is usually quick to shoot up through a mulch, you need to keep a close eye on it to make sure its not too thick.

good luck.

Thanks for the advise. I went over it with the bushhog a few times but I will probably get up there and do it 1 more time. Some of the areas didn' t have any clover at all just tall grass. If clover doesn' t come back should I spray post and no till some more seed in? or should I till and replant?

Barile; are you trying to help the turkeys as well as the deer? If so check the contents of the mix because (as farmhunter said) there may be other parts to the mix which benefit the turkeys.

Dan O.

I' m trying to just help the deer. Unfortunately there aren' t any Turkey' s on our property yet (that I' ve seen).

Do whatever you need to do to get your Clover boosted. don.t worry about food for Tutkeys. If they do come to your area, They' ll eat the Clover, too. I' ve one plot that they consumed almost half of the Clover while it was very small. Northern ILL has a good flock of turkeys, so it shouldn' t be too long before they spread out toward you area. A hunter friend who hunts turkeys, checked crops of the birds he harvested, They were full of Clover.

Barile -

if the clover does not come bac, or even if it does and the weeds are greater than 50% - I would replant - not reseed.

There are some specialty techniquies like spraying roundup then overseeding clover - but for my time and money - its tough to beat a good plowing - harrow/disc - lime/fertilize - cultipack - plant - cultipack - hope for light sustained rain, technique.

If you decide to replant - and you want a clover only plot - do not use a mix - even if its cheap or free - it' ll cost you more in the long run to fight the grasses. I' d suggest a 100% clover planting if the soil moisture is good and you are not in drought-like conditions - or seeding with 30-60 lbs/acre of an anual cereal grain like oats - for a nurse crop.

Just checked the plot again this weekend. 1/2 the field looks great. Clover coming back everywhere. The other half not so good. As a matter of fact it sucks. It has basically turned into thick grass. I was getting ready to buy some poast to spray on the plot. Should I spray the entire thing including the 1/2 that doesn' t even have any clover growing? I would prefer not to disc b/c most of the grasses and weeds seeded out so I will just have to deal with those again. I was hoping I could spray the post to kill everything and then No Till the clover in. Can you use a No Till drill with clover? Thanks for your help.

Barile - it would be nice to know why the clover did not do well in that section before you plant again. It could be that section is to acidic for clover, or too dry.

If you want to overseed the area anyhow, mow its close to the ground first, then spray poast a couple days later (roundup would be better - it would kill everything there - but the poast should work). Broadcast 8-10 lbs/acre of clover - do not use a drill- It does not sound like you do not need to apply fertilzer but without a soil test there is no way to know.

Lastly - be prepared for the clover to not come in well, hopefully the grasses just overtook the plot, but it could just as easily be that the Ph in that section of the field is too low and needs lime.

good luck