clover vs alfalfa
 

I planted a 2 acre plot of white/ladino clover mix a couple of months ago and it is doing pretty well and is now about 4 inches high in most places. However, I haven' t noticed much use by the deer yet but I see a fair number of deer using a neighbors alfalfa field already. Have others of you seen this? Do deer usually prefer alfalfa? Will the deer turn on to the clover more later in the year? Does the clover need to get taller before they like it? Now I' m wondering if I shouldn' t have just planted alfalfa to begin with.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

I have not heard of anyone doing a side by side scientific deer preference comparison of clover and alfalfa so I don' t want to make a comment on that. here may be a few other thoughts.

1) The alfalfa field probably has been around for a few seasons and the deer are use to it as preferred food source. They may not have found your plot yet.

2) Check the surrounding habitat around your plot and the alfalfa field. The neighbors field may be in a better location then your plot.

3) Fertilization! The more fertilizer put down (up to a point) the more lush growth will be present and the greater deer preference. So who did a better job of fertilizing, you or your neighbor?

4) The alfalfa is taller then your plot. This will lead to more deer use especially by doe/fawns earlier in the year.

5) A combination of one or more of above.


Don' t give up on your plot yet. With less deer use now, the clover will have a chance to become establish. Keep it mowed and fertilized and deer should come. In a few years and if there is an abundance of alfalfa in your area, you may want to convert your field into a late year plot by planting corn, milo or something similar, that the deer will have accessed to when the alfalfa has frozen out. Good luck.

greg

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

The clover will probably get used more over the full year than alfalfa. Deer use my alfalfa field through the early part of the summer when they bed in it. If it isn' t cut they migrate to the shorter clover areas. The alfalfa is used because it is a bedding area, not because the deer prefer to eat it.

greg-dude is right about other factors affecting the clover use. You may plant something else and get the same results.

Dan O.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Gred-dude I don' t believe it would be any of the reasons you mentioned because we have had alfalfa in this same plot other years and deer used it heavily and it is located close to good cover. Also, the neighbors alfalfa field isn' t even that prime, it is about 5 years old, has a fair number of grasses and weeds mixed in it and hasn' t been fertilized for several years. As far as the neighbor' s alfalfa being taller, yes it is but it' s only about 8" , and I' m seeing mostly buck use in it.
Dan O., if your alfalfa is cut so as to maintain fresh growth do the deer still seem to migrate to the clover later? I can understand why they would if the alfalfa isn' t cut because the alfalfa would be far past the succulent stage.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

The above were just some thoughts. Seems to me you may have answered part of the question about which deer prefer most. In your area, it may be alfalfa. However, I would still wait a few more months before you make any direct statement. Here' s another thought. The weeds in your neighbor field may be a preferred source at the moment. I would still not worry too much yet and give the clover at least a whole year to see what the deer will do with it.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

After it' s cut they feed on both the clover and alfalfa. As the alfalfa gets taller they migrate to it again for use as a bed. It happens to be the crop that grows on the crown of the hill where the deer prefer to bed.

Dan O.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Usually there is no competition when clover, the right kind, is in the area. It would seem that your pH needs tobe checcked.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Lunchbucket, I had the soil tested before planting and the pH was around 6.5 if I remember correctly. Also, there was no fertilizer or lime addition recommended. The plot is on the lower end of a farm field that has been plotted for years. The soil is heavy and some what wet depending upon the weather conditions. However, the clover I planted, 50/50 mix white dutch/ladino, should be suited to these type of conditions and appears to be coming in quite nicely. Last year the entire field including the 2 acres I planted was on about the 5th year as an alfalfa field. The alfalfa was sparse with grasses and weeds mixed in and hadn' t been fertilized for 2-3 years. Yet I was watching deer using it consistently by this time of the year. This year the field is corn except for the 2 acres I planted in clover and I' m not seeing any deer use in the clover but plently of deer using the neighbors alfalfa?

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Kinda odd there wasn' t any reccomedations for any lime or fertilizer. Go grab some of the clover leafs and taste them. See it they are sweet or bitter. Are there any coyotes or poachers?

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Lunchbucket, I tasted the clover and it didn' t seem bitter. I' m quite sure it' s not due to poachers or coyotes. The neighbors field is only a half mile away and it' s getting plenty of deer use. Have you ever tried a specific comparison of clover in one plot with alfalfa next to it to see which deer preferred?

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

All of my 6.5 fields have a " no-recommendation" for lime for clovers and brassicas. I' d just give the fields some time. You may find that during the cooler months, and even afters some frost, your clover will be a better draw. I wouldn' t worry about it too much.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

It' s nice to see you' re back Lunchbucket. Is there anything new in food plots that we should be trying?

Dan O.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Dan has a point... I was taking for granted that the deer were not using the clover as much as the alfalfa from the begining. Often during the summer months the deer need different nutrients and the alfalfa may just have what is needed at this time. Is the clover stemmy?
Good to be back DanO... There are some interesting things in the food plot/seed world.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Lunchbucket, the clover is not stemmy. I just planted in late May and it is about (3-6) inches in height and appears to be succulent. I planted it with a nurse crop of oats which are about (1-2) ft high now. I did see a doe and fawn grazing in it yesterday so maybe things are going to improve. On a side note, when is the best time to mow it for the first time? Some of the oats have developed seed heads but they are quite green yet.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

WI Steve; if you were a commercial farmer you' d be harvesting the oats and straw as a crop when were ripe. This would open the clover up to the sun. It' s your call when you want to take off the oats. But when you do, the clover should take off and the deer should move in on it.

Dan O.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Did you put an exclusion basket in the clover?

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

No I haven' t.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Try the basket... Give it a week or two...

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

I thought I would post an update on my clover plot situation. I am finally noticing some significant deer use. However, a couple things have changed recently and may have something to do with it. For one, I mowed the plot for the first time a couple weeks ago and new growth is coming in nicely, and secondly the neighbors alfalfa field hasn' t been cut for a while and is probably getting a little beyond prime stage. Anyway, I' m just happy to finally see some results for my efforts. Hopefully it will continue or even become better as we get closer to deer season. The only negative is when I mowed it with my brush hog it left some narrow swaths of mowed vegetation that I thought would decompose soon enough to not be a problem. However, I noticed that some of it is still there and if I remove it the vegetation underneath looks rotten and is almost black in color. Will this eventually come back or fill in? I guess it wouldn' t be the end of the world if it doesn' t come back in these spots because it is only a small percentage of the total plot. Also, on a side note. I had a discussion with a deer farmer in the area and based on his experience with his deer they always preferred alfalfa over any clover. Just thought I would mention that for discussion purposes.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Steve,

I' ve noticed around my house that some of the local grasses and such are turning a little brown. I' m wondering, even though we havn' t had a frost yet, if the deer are losing the palability of various food sources right now to maybe help you clover utalization take another jump here in the next few weeks. It wouldn' t surprise me if that clover begins to really outcompete that alfalfa in the near future.

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Sounds like too much water... You mowd at 3 inches???

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

I mowed it down to about 3-4 inches.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

I think your on line now... Check the Oh every year and try to stay away from the salt based fertilizers.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Just wanted to mention that the deer are using my clover quite well now. However, as I mentioned previously the neighbors alfalfa was mowed a few weeks back and since then we have been in a drought so there hasn' t been much new re-growth in his field. Whereas my white/ladino clover is about 8-10" high. But anyway, I have another question. I' m debating whether I should mow my clover one more time before season starts. I' m afraid if the drought continues it could hurt the clover and/or it may not regrow enough before bow season starts. On the other hand there appears to be some weeds and grasses present (about 10-20%) that I would like to mow before they go to seed. Any thoughts or advice?

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Steve I wouldnt mow it now during a dry period. Wait a week or two and maybe it will start to cool down and rain. I think youll still have plenty of time to get some new growth before first frost. Good luck!

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

As long as weeds are not heading out - Wait till Labor Day to mow one last time.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Most of the grasses/weeds have seed heads on them already. There is one particular grass/weed that is the most common. On top where the seeds are it branches out in all directions and looks kind of wispy, almost like the end of a feather duster or something. It wasn' t that prevalent until the drought period. Since then it has been showing up more and more.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Queen Anne' s Lace (wild carrot)?

Dan O.

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Steve - its hard to guess your " weed" - but kind of fun too - I' ll post a couple links - have a look and let us know what you think.

Foxtailhttp://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/weedguid/foxtailb.htm

Queen anne' s lace http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordL...annes_lace.htm

orchard grass http://www.kiowacd.org/Products/Gras...chardgrass.htm

reed canary grass http://www.css.cornell.edu/forage/re...rasslide3.html

It could be something else - Let us know any other characteristics

RE: clover vs alfalfa
 

Farm hunter, I checked out your links and I believe it is Witchgrass. Is this a serious problem? Anyway, as I mentioned before most of the grasses & weeds have seed heads already. So is it too late to do any good by mowing them? Also, as I mentioned before we are in a drought. If we weren' t I definitely would have mowed the plot again but I' m worried that if I do mow it and the drought continues I will risk burning out some of the clover and/or not have enough regrowth come hunting season. Again, any advice would be appreciatted.