Food Plots Clover, Ugh!

[tellico4x4]

For the first time ever my clover plots are full of Poa Annua. When I say full I mean nearly solid. This past year appears to have been a perfect storm . Late summer & early fall drought; no acorns which led to intense pressure on what little clover was there; -4 degree cold snap; and now with excessive rain and near record early warmth, I've got a mess.

Know I can kill with Clethodim, but with 20+ plots in clover and the cost, I'm not sure I have enough clover left to warrant it. While some of clover was re-done last couple years, others are several years old. Usually frost seeding thin spots by now but poa is so thick it wouldn't make it to soil. Don't really have a plan right now which is highly unusual for me.... Thinking about just waiting & see how much clover bounces back & adjust accordingly. May be a major overhaul year.

Have been trying to pull plugs for soil test for all 41 plots (clover & annual) for past 3 weeks, but too darn wet. It's been years since have done some of them so decided to bite the bullet, & do all. Had 150T of lime spread last summer so that's done. Looks like 2022 frustrations are rolling over to 2023...

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Tough situation. I had to google Poa Annua. We have a ton of that too. Let us know what you end up doing.

 

[BSK]

I'm afraid to see how bad my plots look right now.

 

[deerhunter10]

I feel for you. We are lucky our plots by and large are in pretty good shape. Everything is thin from getting hammered hard but considering everything I am thankful and feel a little lucky honestly.

 

[megalomaniac]

Here's a cheaper option... if you are thinking complete replant, hit one of the plots with straight roundup at 3/4 strength right as daytime temps hit 70. Hopefully kill the grasses, will knock the clover back, but good chance the clover will rebound before hot summer temps.

I'm suggesting this because a few years back I nuked my fall balansa field with roundup, then planted beans. The clover came back so strong it choked out the beans... at least until mid summer when the clover died... but it was too late for the majority of beans to flourish.

 

[tellico4x4]

Tough situation. I had to google Poa Annua. We have a ton of that too. Let us know what you end up doing.

If you have it in the clover, you are going to have to deal with it. Had it in sodded Bermuda at previous house & was a constant battle each spring. Unchecked it'll take over Bermuda so clover won't stand a chance. Summer heat makes it go dormant, leaving you with big patches of nothing which attracts other weeds... Clethodim will kill it & not harm clover but you have to be diligent & start as soon as weather allows spraying. Cleth is currently $220.00/2.5 gal!

Problem in annual plots will be that it'll be dormant when you typically spray gly in prep of fall planting, so it'll be missed. Only way to deal with that I know would be a pre-emergent in fall which is what I do for my lawn.

Will probably try Mega's suggestion on some of plots. Others may get nuked with gly & 24D before it goes dormant. Gly is $810 for 30 gal drum at Rural King.

 

[Bucket]

I'm curious if a roller crimper would terminate it and still leave most of the clover....

 

[tellico4x4]

I'm curious if a roller crimper would terminate it and still leave most of the clover....

From my experience in Bermuda I doubt that it would. Each plant has thousands of tiny seeds that can lay for years before germinating