Overseeding food plots
 

Going to be overseeding some clover plots in September. Plots currently consist of clovers(small due to lack of rain) and grasses and of course some weeds. Should the plots be mowed as low as possible before overseeding? Do you recommend a light disc? If so, describe a light discing. Overseeding will be clovers mixed in with fertilizer applied by spreader truck. Any input appreciated.

RE: Overseeding food plots
 

Your seed bed should be fine firm and moist for your red (crimsom) clover (I guess thats what your planting.) . It usually broadcast at a rate of 15 to 20lbs per acre hulled or 45 to 60 unhulled (but im sure you knew that). I suspect it could be used as a green maunure. I would disc plow to to eliminate competiton from weed growth.
The growth of clover is improved by mowing the stubble and removing any grain crop immediately.

RE: Overseeding food plots
 

Joe, a lot of red clover is overseeded into fescue in Missouri with no tillage at all. Its a poor way to do it but thats the nature of fescue! It would be a lot better to have some form of surface roughing even if its a drag harrow. As far as seeding rate...its an overseed so about 1/ 3 of what is normal planted all the way down to 5 to 10 pounds

RE: Overseeding food plots
 

Wooddust - Which fescue are you referring to? Just curius.
Insome fescues close grazing along with nitrogen fertilizaation maintains the plant in a more succulant, palatable condition.

RE: Overseeding food plots
 

Depending on your view, Missouri is blessed or plagued with KY31. Hardy, tough, requires little management. Terrible for wildlife, has a major health impact on cattle caused by a toxin given off by an endophyte. But its tough, winter hardy, and stands drought like a champ. Most fertility programs are aboiut 40 -70 pounds actual N/acre.

RE: Overseeding food plots
 

Woodust,
That Fescue may hard on cattle but it will kill horses. But they have developed a strain now that is fungus free. But my son still won' t gamble on using it in our hayfield. But for that reason, I would rather use annual Ryegrass as a companion crop for Clover. After a couple good frosts, it' s mostly gone and the Clover takes over. A good clipping and it adds humus to the soil.
Russ

RE: Overseeding food plots
 

The new fescue thats being planted in our area by the more progressive cattle guys is called MaxQ. Pennington sells it. Its really looking good and the guys on it are amazed how well the cattle do compared to KY31. Expensive up front to kill out the fescue they had but looks like long term very smart. Is pretty neat stuff but for wildlife you cannot beat native grass mixtures.

RE: Overseeding food plots
 

KY31 makes a great lawn grass, tough and tolerates shade quite well. ;But that' s about it is good for. (But I would rather have Zoysia.)
Russ