Is it too late to plant clover?

[Mr. Hawk]

I was thinking of spreading some today where I just had some Dozer work done and it's bare dirt.

 

[BSK]

You can plant it, but don't expect much growth before spring. If you want something attractive for late November and December, try elbon rye (winter grazing rye, NOT ryegrass), as well as wheat. Elbon rye will just about grow on pavement. I can grow a heck of a plot of it in the bed of my truck!

 

[Mr. Hawk]

Not looking for attractant this year, just want it to come up in clover by spring. Or should I wait and plant it in late February

 

[Vermin93]

You can plant it, but don't expect much growth before spring. If you want something attractive for late November and December, try elbon rye (winter grazing rye, NOT ryegrass), as well as wheat. Elbon rye will just about grow on pavement. I can grow a heck of a plot of it in the bed of my truck!

Speaking of rye grass...I went to the co-op in early September to get seed for my first ever food plots. I won't mention what co-op it was. I asked the guy what he recommended. He said they have a deer mix that included all sorts of things, but I said I would prefer just to plant a single crop or maybe just mix two things together like wheat and oats. He then suggested rye. I said ok and he asked me what kind I wanted. I did not know the difference between rye grass and cereal rye. Another co-op worker came in and I told them I want whatever rye that deer like best. The other worker said you want "Marshall rye". I said great, I'll take 25 lbs. I also bought a bag of wheat and was planning to mix the two together. I left and as I was driving to my lease something had me feeling a little unsure about the Marshall rye. I Googled it and found all kinds of posts on hunting websites about how Marshall rye is a terrible choice for deer food plots. Needless to say, I was not happy. I went back to the co-op and asked if I could return the Marshall rye seed for oats or more wheat and they said I couldn't because it might be "contaminated" and they couldn't put it back in their inventory and sell it to someone else. I said that's fine and I took my business down to Tractor Supply and bought a bag of forage oats from them. So I was stuck with 25lbs of Marshall rye seed. I ended up spreading it on unprepared soil in a clearcut where nothing much seems to be able to grow. I'm interested to see if it grows and anything eats it.

 

[BSK]

Vermin93,

Deer will eat newly germinate ryegrass. However, their interest in it will decline once it gets beyond the earliest growth stage.

 

[Mr. Hawk]

How bout that clover ?