joeelmo54

I received my soil test results and recommendations on amendments back recently. For white clover( ladinos) they are recommending a fertilizer with 20 to 30 lbs.per acre of nitrogen per acre (depending on the plot). All of my plots currently and for approx. 10 years have had exclusive clovers. Some are lush and will be overseeded this fall and some have excessive grass and weeds and little clover and will be sprayed with herbicide and prepared for new planting. When I questioned my county agent about the need for nitrogen for existing and new clover plots, he said it his opinion that any newly overseeded or planted plot needs a shot of nitrogen to promote new growth, even if you are growing or planting legumes.

Any thoughts on this thought? My understanding is that a shot of nitrogen will surely get the grasses going, which of course is not what I want. If you are starting over on a plot and currently only have approx. 20% clover and the rest has been taken over by grasses. do you think that you still have enough N fixed without adding more?

farm hunter

On a new planting, (plowed, disced and prepared seed bed). I would agree - but I'd probably suggest 10-15 lbs/ acre N at seeding.


I would not suggest it for overseeding, frost seeding, after burning, or roundup/broadcast method.

I have seen where managers suggest high levels of N for heavy seeded annual clover plantings like Crimson CLover - but thats different.

Russ otten

You're soil test, besides determining the PH, usually detects the amounts of N-P-K in your soil. It may even list certain other minerals that may be needed. If you designated Clover as the plot the suggestion for Nitrogen is determined from their findings. And it could be that the abundant weeds and grasses you mentioned depleted the soil from the fertilizers needed for the Clover to start out on. Clover doesn't start fixing Nitrogen until the root has established some. Just go with the test.

Russ

slobbyrobby33

I find this to be a lot of Nitrogen. Is the ground lacking it completely? Was the field used for corn or weat resently? If not you need to inoculant the clover seed. I would suggest fertilizing with nitrogen due to the fact that the seeds will need it to get there root based, after that with the inoculation the the sead, the roots will get its nitropgen in the air. So all you need is enouhg tho estqabilish the root base.