Deepsouthdeerjunky

I just got home for the summer from college an I was hopeing to get an opinion on a summer clover pot. We have never had the opportunity to plant summer food plots before so I am a rookie in tht regard. Would it be too late to try and plant some clover for summer forage in central alabama? I know spring is ideal but we r expecting rain over the next few days and if I'm goin to do it now is the time

hossdaniels

Yes, too late now and even spring isn't real good. Fall is the ideal time. Plant it in late september for best results.

tim03b

Why is it better to plant it in fall?

North22

Less weed competition in the fall. The following spring the (perrenial) clover then has a head start on other weed seeds, therefore a better chance to outcompete and thrive... I have planted clover plots in the spring and had good results, but they typically require more maintenance than if fall planted


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tim03b

Thanks for the input! Much appreciated!

dbllunged

you could plant clover and then put something like winter wheat, oats, rye over the top of it. this way you will have a fall plot and in spring the clover will come nice too.

North22

This above method is, in my opinion, the best way to plant clover. I really like mixing in oats for a couple of reasons.
1. Oats are an annual. You will not have too worry about pesticides next spring to get rid of them. Rye will grow the next spring and shade the clover. It gets stemmy when tall and will not be eaten.
2. As dblunged said, you get a great fall plot out of it still. Clover can withstand a lot of grazing, but the oats will help to keep the pressure off so the clover can fully establish.
3. Deer love oats!

For what it's worth, ive read a bunch on buck forage oats vs. other oats vs. rye and winter wheat. Some research suggests that deer may prefer (slightly) BFOs if given a choice, but the bottom line is to me they just arent worth the name brand price. Two years ago, I actually split a field and planted rye and BFOs each on a half. In my observation, they preferred the rye by a lot. Rye is great in the north because it will stay green long into the winter. I just dont like it in clover fields because its a perrenial (i should mention that you can get rid of it in a full year with mowing). I guess what im trying to say is, go to a farm n feed and buy some generic oats if you decide to go that route.

Sorry for the long post. Im known to ramble a bit

Deepsouthdeerjunky

Good info guys. I had been planning on mixing oats already, these posts just make me feel better about it. We plant about 25 plots every year on our 3000 acre lease down here. We use oats exclusively in these plots mainly because they are easy to grow and are cheap.. I just get so tired of seein our deer in such poor shape every summer. We have no agriculture in our area and no one plants any type of summer plot to my knowledge... I just want to start getting them some sort of nutrition in the summer months by putting clover in some of the winter plots we always have in Oats

hossdaniels

Look into some adding chicory in with your clover. It is a big help in the summer with clover in the south. Doesnt take much, 2lb per acre is plenty in a mix with a tough white clover.

North22

Good point. Look into clover varieties. I plant nothing but white ladino clover here in northern Wisconsin. White varieties grow shorter so are less stemmy, and ladino is engineered to have large leaves. BUT, in the south red clover and chicory can be much better replacements because of their ability to withstand drought much better than white clover. Alfalfa is a pain to establish in some places (and can be expensive), but it will perform well in near desert conditions. These are all things to consider when you decide how to manage your summer nutrition plots. Good luck!


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