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white clover

3K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  pabonecollector 
#1 ·
I am wanting to plant a small plot of Ladino white clover under a small group of apple trees. Would the clover grow if I just mow the area and spread some seed or will it need to be disced up? How about just burning the grass off and scrapping the soil and spreading the seed before a rain? Would any of this work?
 
#3 ·
mossie said:
I am wanting to plant a small plot of Ladino white clover under a small group of apple trees. Would the clover grow if I just mow the area and spread some seed or will it need to be disced up? How about just burning the grass off and scrapping the soil and spreading the seed before a rain? Would any of this work?
Clover is such a small seed that direct soil contact is all that is needed. Clover after established is great, but getting past all the competition of grasses, weeds, etc. takes a little time. If it is a small plot under the trees scratch the surface with a rake etc. disking or tilling under apple trees could damage some of your feeder roots on your apple trees and slow their production. Without a soil sample I would 1st throw some lime down, 2nd add some 10-10-10 fertilizer and try to incorporate it the best that you can or before a good rain. 3rd spread your clover and run over everything with a 4 wheeler or anything to compact the soil a little. The lime and fertilizer will also help your apple trees production so it is a win win situation. Took me a while to think that we are not farmers and trying to make a living off our plots. Just trying to do a little to improve the land that we have. Good luck
 
#4 ·
Just what JB said. I don't know if spraying round up would hurt the trees or not. If your comfortable doing that, then mow low then spray then rake, or use a drag harrow. After that spread lime and fertilizer and work it in the soil. Then you can seed. After seeding, drive around with mower or quad to assure seed to soil contact. And it should grow pretty nice for you. Good luck.
 
#5 ·
If the trees are young and you get round up on the sucker starts, it will kill the tree. I lost a couple that were better than 8feet tall a couple years ago that way.
 
#6 ·
I won't use any pestisides under those apple trees and I was going to mow around it to green up the grass under the trees anyway. Some 10-10-10, clover and a salt block on a stump near a small creek and I should be in for some whitetail watching. It's not for hunting purposes but for deer viewing. The clover patch will be so small that it will probably be chewed down to the dirt anyway. Just some cheap fun that's all. I don't have the resources to go into a elaborate food plot.
 
#8 ·
As an alternative to Whitetail Imperial clover, you might want to try Alice or Durana clover. Imperial Clover has only about 1/3 good clover and the rest is cheaper seed and filler. Alice and Durana are white clover and establish well on a variety of sites and are heavily preferred by whitetail.


Welter is an excellent source for Alice clover. Good prices and they coat their seeds.

http://www.welterseed.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=340


Durana is more expensive unless you can find it at your local co-op(chances are slim).

http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/203629106?p...la#.UYkCwMoasV8




Here's a very long but excellent thread on clover at the qdma forums.

http://iowawhitetail.com/forum/showthread.php?s=cf79a32732f06051f2faa1acf94076f6&t=15076
 
#9 ·
I will add that a friend and myself have used Imperial Clover with very good results. Downside is you can't spray it with cheap Gly like you can Alice and Durana. Makes it difficult to keep weed control intact unless you fall plant with a cover crop such as winter rye.
 
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