What did you do for the deer today?
- Thread starter giles
- Start date
Thinking about grabbing a bunch of clover and frost seeding this weekend. To early? Be ok? What do you think?
Figure I’ll be bumping deer around for folks anyways, trade the ML for a seed spreader.
Figure I’ll be bumping deer around for folks anyways, trade the ML for a seed spreader.
IMO, it is too early. The freeze and thaw cycle is what works the magic when it comes to frost seeding. We are not really getting the types of frosts that I'd typically want for seeding. With current conditions, I would worry about the seed being washed away or even sprouting early, thereby being susceptible to a late frost. I'd wait until 2/1 at least, then look at that 15-day forecast and see what it brings.
I was worried more about the early sprouts. Wasn’t sure if young clover would recover or not. Never messed with it. But I’d love to cover those ridges in Athens...just always seem to be busy. Maybe in April I’ll get a chance this year.
I'm with Jesse on this one. I think I waited until March because of the slow warm up last spring.
cspot
Member
So I guess what I’m asking is, now or April? Maybe I’ll split it up and report back. Maybe I’ll just do nothing...seems to produce deer now.
cspot
Member
If your choices are now and April, then I would split it up and see what happens.
@giles What is the condition/type of substrate where you want to plant this clover? Open hardwoods, grassy area, bare dirt, well-drained, poorly-drained, etc? I'm assuming this is in southern Ohio? If so, I think April is going to be too late for "frost seeding. And I think now is a bit too early. Not that something won't grow, but the question is whether or not it's enough to make it worth the effort, or cost. We're not talking about Rye or Oats here... Clover isn't fucking cheap. To go out and throw a bunch down willy-nilly and "hope for the best" is just foolish IMO. You're not making or breaking the quality of that deer population or the quality of that local habitat by slinging down an acre of clover and getting 20% germination. Not knowing the site, my vote is if you can't spread the seed at the ideal time, don't bother with it. Do it when you CAN make a reasonable impact.
Edit...
If you want to do something NOW that will benefit the deer, grab your chaps and a chainsaw instead of a seed spreader. Make some hinge cuts in select locations. Relieve competition from some of your hard mast trees. Create openings to the forest floor that will generate thick understory and choice woody/herbaceous browse and optimize cover. That's the kind of stuff that will draw in and keep the deer... Not a shitty patch of clover.
Edit...
If you want to do something NOW that will benefit the deer, grab your chaps and a chainsaw instead of a seed spreader. Make some hinge cuts in select locations. Relieve competition from some of your hard mast trees. Create openings to the forest floor that will generate thick understory and choice woody/herbaceous browse and optimize cover. That's the kind of stuff that will draw in and keep the deer... Not a shitty patch of clover.
This is why I’m asking. It isn’t cheap and I don’t want it to be a waste of time and energy.
Property was heavily logged and has some open hill tops that are overgrown grass fields. Most logging trails aren’t planted with anything and are bare soil. Property owners don’t have the money to prevent erosion. Trying to help myself, help them, help the land and help the local wildlife.
I’m talking about a very large area that needs some help. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s close to 20 acres of open ground right now. Covering it all this year is out of the question. Redoing any is also not what I want to do.
Options here guys?
Buckmaster
Senior Member
If you've got a legitimate 20 acres worth of clean slate, and it's something you don't want to mess around with each and every year, then a good perennial clover mix makes all the sense in the world. If it were me, I wouldn't mess with frost seeding right now. For that amount of space, I would give that clover the best chance at establishment possible and invest in it the proper approach. Start by spraying in the spring with Glyphosate (round up or generic), then spray again in the summer, then maybe again if necessary later-summer. Early-fall (September-ish) I would then disk and/till the soil and prepare a proper seed bed. Then spread your clover mix with a nurse crop of winter wheat, cultipack, and call it good. Let that wheat take off and the following spring you'll have a great clover crop getting started, if done properly and the weather cooperates. From that point on you'll obviously need to do a little maintenance via well-timed mowing and spraying, but nothing major for the most part. THAT'S when your early-spring frost seeding will come into play... after your clover is already established and just could use a little "boost" now and then.
OO2
Well-Known Member
Well...it’s February now and I still haven’t done a thing. Probably go grab some bird seed mix and corn today. Feed the local wildlife here at the house. With all the rain and swinging temps, I haven’t put anything out in a while. I should be on the search for clover seed and MAKE time to go to Athens.