Hey guys, I am a new hunter. Last year was my first season, and I loved it. So, this spring, in order to cure my itch I decided to plant a small kill plot ( about a 1/4 acre). About 3 weeks ago I hit the plot with some round up, waited a week and planted. I went with some clover I found online and put the seeds in the ground about 10 days ago. Since I planted, we have had tons of rain and above average temperatures. I checked the plot today and the clover is coming in great. Only problem is the weeds are coming in great as well. I am afraid the weeds are going to out compete my clover. I was wondering, since the clover is so young, if I could spray the plot now with a less concentrated round up solution. Any help or advice you guys have would be appreciated.
A lot of guys like to spray twice, and the more years you plant a food plot the less weeds you get. As far as spraying goes I'm not an expert so someone else will have to answer that Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Dont spray it with roundup ! You need to spray it with tide clythodium and some crop oil mixed in. Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
If you didnt spray it, then till it, then spray it again your going to get weeds. Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
No need to till clover. Spray in may. Spray in June spray in July plant in August Clover is tough to plant in spring without weeds. You can try spraying arrow and crop oil in a few months once the clover is established somewhat.
I didnt mean till the clover. I meant he should have sprayed, then tilled, then sprayed again before he put down the seed.... Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
We also try to plant clovers in the falls...less weed competition, can prep plot better and then really takes hold in the cooler temps in fall and then in the spring the following year can really get a foot hold before ever seen dry summer conditions.
added bonus o fall planted clover, deer love young tender greens in the fall! just drive by an alfalfa field planted in august in late September or early October!
for sure, on thing I see and have been guilty of is guys spend so much time in the fall in a tree that I forget that most recent information is a huge key to getting on good deer! two years ago I was so fixed on the pre season pattern of one deer that it took my neighbor calling me 3 straight nights to tell me he saw a big boy in my food plot on his drive home from work. The 4th night I hung a portable on the plot down wind of it at 4 pm and shot him at 6:30 pm as he slipped into the plot to eat! I had been hunting the pattern he was on 2 weeks earlier, he had changed over to eating brasiscas and I didn't notice. that was my lesson learned, lesson applied! part of scouting is talking to the neighbors and listening to what they have to say! If I hadn't this slob wouldn't be on my wall! That being said, Ty will you come drive around and scout for me while I deer hunt this fall? lol hunting season is only 4 months away! wahooo!
Spring time plots can be hard to get established unless you spend a lot of effort to rid your plot of weeds and grasses first. Typically I would recommend spraying Round-Up, wait two weeks, spray again and then till a week or so later. You may even want to wait another 2 weeks to spray a third time if it is a brand new plot, tilling a week or so after that one. What you did could still be salvaged though but it will take a lot of TLC. First off, mowing will be needed regularly every 2 weeks or so to keep the grass and weeds back. Secondly it wouldn't hurt to find a good grass herbicide killer like Arrest, Slay or Poast that will not kill your clover. Thirdly, it doesn't hurt to spot spray with Round-Up for clumps of weeds or grasses that have clearly taken over in spots. After the spots are dead you can work up the ground and re-plant more clover if necessary. Once you have kept the weeds at bay then you can start holding off on the mowing for 3-4 weeks at a time or longer.
