My food plot failed

So, heres what I did: Started late. In this order, I :
1) mowed the plot with a rental brush hog, a 25 yard x 40 yard plot roughly
2) sprayed it, in August, not with round up
3) sprayed a few more weeks, but still had alot of green on my plot
4) Mowed with a lawn mower but there was ALOT of dead grass still on the plot, enough for seeds to not hit soil
5) Tilled with a rental tiller, one time, a big one but not a tow behind. The tiller was tilling the dead grass and not the soil I think.
6)Tested PH and added pellet lime, didn't test after I applied lime, then I
6) Fertilized and seeded the soil, September 5th Whitetail Institute Clover

Then just waited for all the weeds to pop up. I think soil prep and seed contact were the biggest problems along with timing?
Help! lol -Jimmy

 

If you had that much grass....I would have considered burning it off before tilling. Better luck next time.

 

I wouldn't expect much from a fall planting of Clover for the first season. Clover takes time. A spring frost seeding would be better if you wanted results that year, but don't give up yet. Have you checked the plot out this year? It could have taken hold much better now.

I spring planted clover last year, and my plots were decent last fall. Nothing special, and I was a bit disappointed. Last weekend I went over to mow the plot, not really expecting much. My clover was exploding. It was 12-15" tall and very think. I was extremely happy to see it really starting to take hold.

If the plot did not take, I would recommend fall planting something else like turnips. Then in the early spring, go back and frost seed the clover again. The freeze and thaw of the frost will help the seed work it's way into the soil and help get that seed to soil contact that you need for good germination.

 

I agree with Sky's assessment. I will add that we have had success with fall plantings of clover mixed with a chicory or oats as well and then frost seeding on top of it again with just clover in the following spring.

 

Good point, The mix will help protect the clover for the fall season and provided that food source you are looking for. Then you can establish the long term clover plot by frost seeding.

 

Is there a reason for not using roundup when you sprayed? That stuff really works if you can get your hands on it


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What did you spray with? Was it off brand Roundup? As long as it's at least 41% Glyphosate, you are basically spraying the exact same thing as roundup. I have had no issues with the off brand Gly. I have used Pronoto Big-N-tough, and also FarmWorks Glyphosate.

 

Thanks for all the help guys, I never even thought about the perennial possibilities to be honest haha. So even if the fields not cleared or anything, just spreading seed early spring can help? The stuffs called Trimec, I felt like alot of the time I was sprating the top of the grass and not the soil so that could very well be why. Gonna check the plot tomorrow and see if anythings growing, hell maybe I'll put up a cam if thats the case! -jimmy

 

Looking at what Trimec is for most of what it says on-line is for killing broadleaf plants in lawns. To me that means it would do next to nothing for killing grasses which Round-Up would. If you used RU with two applications like that I would guarantee you would have had a better seed bed after tilling. All of the dead grass from mowing, did you rake it up and remove it or perhaps burn it off? Not getting the weeds killed to the root and not getting the ground worked up enough are the culprits in my opinion.

We have done clover plots two ways now. One was late summer/early fall and I planted Forage Oats first, lightly packed the soil and then went back over it all with the clover seed. I did not pack after that as we had rain in the forecast. That fall the oats did great and the clover looked so-so. By springtime that clover was thick and after the first mowing it was lush and not a weed. The last time we did it we got it in late spring/early summer and just planted clover. It turned out very well in one plot by fall, a plot that had been an annual plot the year before so it was already low on weeds. The other plot was new, sprayed twice then tilled and it did decent until we didn't mow it for over a month and soon we had weed problems. Both plots we frost seeded a couple months ago. This spring the one looks great, so lush and full of nothing but clover. The other we will have to keep our eye on and make sure we mow often. It's a love-hate thing I think LOL!!

 

Spray, till, wait for weed seeds to sprout. Spray again and then put down seeds. Please read herbicide labels. Trimec kills clover dead but only kills some grasses.

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Well...there's your problem!

 

Lime takes up to 6 months to work
If you used imperial whitetail clover, 35% of it is berseem clover. I love it but it will die off once it hits 26 degrees typically and if you planted that clover late, in a cooler climate you didnt get that year one benefit and the other clovers might not have taken well cause of weather issues, fetility issues and weed pressure issues.
Many people plant food plot clovers too deep!!!
What was the previous crop on that land? Was there herbicide carry over issues?

 

That herbicide stuff has a residual effect also. That explains why it failed.

I learned that too with 24-d (stuff you use on the lawn to kill dandelions/broadleafs). Figured I use up what was left in my sprayer on a small plot as I was planting later that month. Out of that 1/8 acre of brassicas/clover mix I counted ten plants that sprouted while my other no till plot I did the same way minus the 24-d looked like this : .

While we are on the subject, keep any lawn fertilizer like "Scotts" away from your food plots. Quick story, a lady did everything to the T of what was covered in a seminar. Complained few months later nothing grew, still dirt mainly. Looked at the receipt and seen Scotts fertilizer.


I agree read the label. Even Walmart has 42% gly in a white bottle/purple cap called Illimanator, something like that.

 

Herbicides can be a lifesaver or can be a rawnchy mess...be careful folks. If you don't know and a label is not clear...find someone who knows...a professional and a second opinion never hurts either, lol.

 

haha you got to be kidding me!! I asked Farm n Fleet for round up and thats what they gave me. Well, I'll check the plot this week but I'm sure you were all spot on about the weeds still being established and what not. When do you start spraying?

 

Thanks man, I was iffy about Trimec when we first started using it in the first place, now I know haha! So you mow once a month then? And is most clover perennial?

 

I always push people toward fall seeding perennials to reduce the weed issues. This is why i also recommend having 1/3 of one's plots in a perennial mix, one in a brassica, beans or annual mix and the last 1/3 in a soil building, set up your plots for next year mix.

If one has a healthy soil you will have less weeds. Weeds thrive on unhealthy soils. This is why i want to use fast growing cover crops and even use spring seeded products like deer creek seed's Plot Restore, or using berseem clover or buckwheat to act as a smother crop/plow down and then establishing your perennials in the fall. One can even use a mix of perennials with the brassicas in the fall.

 

Thanks for the input man. I plan to do a mix of brassicas and perennial clover this fall, so is the plot restore a herbicide or a fertilizer? still a bit confused in that realm

 

Plot restore is a berseem clover/forage radish mix that i use that :
-Reduces soil erosion and surface runoff
-Increases earthworm population
-Improves soil microbiology
-Builds soil tilth
-Produces and scavenges nutrients
-Reduces compaction
-Improves weed control of winter annuals
-Increases nitrogen fixation
-Improves water holding capacity
-Improves aeration


i prefer to not name drop on companies and products but restore mix is a newer product that is sold by by a wisconsin seed distributor with a deer in its name....

 

So true. We rarely even roll over our clover seed. A simple rain is plenty to make the soil to seed impact needed for clover and honestly for that matter many seeds used for food plots (soybeans and corn obviously excluded).