With that being said what should I plant. I'm planning on planting perennial clover . Gonna spray it down this fall and till it and broadcast seed hope to have it ready before a good rain . Is august too soon. I'm wanting to add some balansa clover as well
Food Plots Planting Clover in Sept.
- Thread starter Spurhunter
- Start date
This is what I'm doing as well. Whitetail Institute says to plant Imperial Whitetail Clover from August 20-September 30.
Don't plant accordingly to a date on bag. Worse thing that can happen is to get a good rain , seed germinates and then no rain for a couple weeks. You probably just lost your crop. September is historically one the driest months in our area. I've been burned many times.... Brassica likes to be planted early but everything else can wait until Oct if needed.
Crimson clover and winter wheat mix will be usable by wildlife by Nov and will survive until the heat of the following summer. A lot cheaper than the designer clovers and can be purchased at your local feed store. I plant it for the turkey population but the guys that deer hunt the property always take several deer off the half acre patch every year.
I'm doing Durana this year for a perennial, but am planting it with crimson and oats, then over seeding with rye in October. We'll see how it goes.
Gobble4me757
Well-Known Member
If you want a great mix with a bunch of clovers…check out WMS deer magnet out of eutaw, Al…they supply up here in west Tennessee. We saw a lot more deer, turkeys, hogs on our place in bama the year I started planting it.
I'd rather have a foot plot full of sticker bushes and privet than buy something out of alabama!
Just kidding Tiler. Thanks for the suggestion.
My only problem with the fall planting of clover is getting enough rain around the planting time to ensure good germination.
Seems like around here lack of rain the early fall has been the norm.
Seems like around here lack of rain the early fall has been the norm.
BSK
Well-Known Member
September and October are traditionally our driest months. That does make it hard to plant fall crops. I watch the weather like a hawk around planting time. Won't plant until I see a couple of good rains forecast back-to-back.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
moisture is a MUST HAVE for clover in the fall... esp with the usual mid 90s temps that hit in Sept. We can plan for the most wonderful plots for wildlife... but we are totally at the mercy of the weather concerning if they fail or succeed
Turnip Greens are the cheapest and easiest food plot to plant for sure. If deer was my only objective thats what i would plant. I always sow the garden plot in turnips and the deer us it until spring. My primary food plot is crimson clover and winter wheat mix. Plant (plow, disc and sow) in Sept and deer are on it by Nov Usually the deer hunters will take 2 to 3 deer every year there, i plant it for the turkey to winter on.
I've tried turnips a couple of times in my backyard plot and the deer never touched them.
Stumper
Member
I overseed it in spring and fall, usually mixed with Dakkon Radish, purple top turnips and a little annual ryein the fall. have had a lot of success in keeping the plots green in the winter and a spring clover plot after the early spring rains.
BSK
Well-Known Member
Everything in brassica family (turnips, kale, rape, etc.) is hit or miss. In some locations, deer go crazy over them. In other areas, they won't touch them. The only way to know if deer in your area like them is to try them.
My deer go crazy for the Whitetail Institute Winter Greens, but I want to plant something that will attract the turkeys as well. I will say year before last, we had plenty of rain after planting and the Winter Greens flourished. The turkeys stayed in the plots eating what greens were left, bugs, or something well into the spring.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
just add an annual clover to the greens. turkeys love clover and the clover complements the greens well
Creek bottoms
Well-Known Member
Anybody had good luck drilling clover? We'd always disc the plot good every 4 or 5 years, sow it and cultipack it. This would take place around Labor Day. The stands were always good. Just looking for thoughts on drilling it.
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
I've drilled it, but only in blends, not just strictly clover in a plot. I'm not sure it would grow fast enough to outcompete weeds due to the spacing. We have moved straight to no till, but last year when establishing clover plots, we disked then sowed by hand spreader right before a rain.
Creek bottoms
Well-Known Member
I have enough clover remaining that I hate to disc it up. I thought about drilling some in early September and frost seed in February to see if I could revive the plot. My cultipacker didn't fare well in the flood nearly two years ago.
