Food Plots What to spray clover plots with ??

[Monk74]

Finally got my clover plot weeds under control. A couple more days on this burn down and I'll be ready to plant beans.

 

[Cutover]

Thanks

 

[Monk74]

Clethodim for grass. Butyrac 200 (2-4DB) for broadleaf weeds.

 

[Monk74]

Cleth can take 2-3 weeks before seeing results

I'm at 21 days. Two sprayings with Clethodim , surfactant added. Not really impressed with this stuff. I can tell a little difference but not much.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I'm at 21 days. Two sprayings with Clethodim , surfactant added. Not really impressed with this stuff. I can tell a little difference but not much.

Buddy of mine had the same experience and got frustrated....I'm NOT saying to do this....but he got frustrated with the grasses growing up in his imperial clover so he mixed glysophate weak around 1% and sprayed his plot...grass slowly died....clover looked weak for a few days but then bounced right back.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Buddy of mine had the same experience and got frustrated....I'm NOT saying to do this....but he got frustrated with the grasses growing up in his imperial clover so he mixed glysophate weak around 1% and sprayed his plot...grass slowly died....clover looked weak for a few days but then bounced right back.

Back when we tried to manage perennial clovers, that's what we always used to do. Spray weak, very diluted glyphosate. Killed everything but the clover

 

[DoubleRidge]

Back when we tried to manage perennial clovers, that's what we always used to do. Spray weak, very diluted glyphosate. Killed everything but the clover

I know around house and barn.. spraying gravel areas....clover is first thing to bounce back.

 

[Monk74]

My grasses are maybe 5% of my plot. Thanks for the advice. I'm gonna lose my pipe dream of a pure clover stand for now. I figure a little diversity is ok. I do have enough Clethodim to last me 10 years. If anyone is interested in a trade or something. Since it's bought and paid for I'll make it worth their while.

 

[DeerCamp]

Part of me hates spraying these chemicals directly on the leaves of plants the deer eat.

Do you guys every worry about that?

 

[BSK]

Part of me hates spraying these chemicals directly on the leaves of plants the deer eat.

Do you guys every worry about that?

YES!

In fact, that's one of the reasons I don't use perennial plots. Too much chemical maintenance required.

 

[Sasquatch Boogie Outdoors]

Part of me hates spraying these chemicals directly on the leaves of plants the deer eat.

Do you guys every worry about that?

Well I didnt until now, thanks alot.haha....seriously though, since wild deer feed without restrictions I would think that there is no place where they are isolated from chemicals due to agriculture. But I'm just a regular ole regular and ain't the sharpest nail in the box.

 

[DeerCamp]

Well I didnt until now, thanks alot.haha....seriously though, since wild deer feed without restrictions I would think that there is no place where they are isolated from chemicals due to agriculture. But I'm just a regular ole regular and ain't the sharpest nail in the box.

I'm sure you are right! We have plenty of agriculture all around us. Usually corn or soybeans.

I guess as least with the corn, the spray doesn't make it directly onto the cobs.

Don't see how you'd avoid that with soybeans though

 

[DeerCamp]

YES!

In fact, that's one of the reasons I don't use perennial plots. Too much chemical maintenance required.

Can you offer a few alternates?

I planted Cereal Rye last year and my understanding is that helps keep weed growth down. It was just about 4 feet tall before I cut it last week. Hoping that helps.

 

[BSK]

Can you offer a few alternates?

I planted Cereal Rye last year and my understanding is that helps keep weed growth down. It was just about 4 feet tall before I cut it last week. Hoping that helps.

I use exclusively annuals, for a wide variety of reasons. Now if I had the acreage, I would keep a few plots in perennials (primarily clovers) so I always had something growing for the deer, especially while the annual plots are being turned and planted (bare dirt). But I don't have the acreage to spare (at least not yet).

I'm just now starting to experiment with summer annuals for poor soil food plots, but I've had the same mix of fall annuals for a number of years. Lots of trial and error involved in developing that fall mix, but I've found what works for my plots.

 

[Sasquatch Boogie Outdoors]

I'm sure you are right! We have plenty of agriculture all around us. Usually corn or soybeans.

I guess as least with the corn, the spray doesn't make it directly onto the cobs.

Don't see how you'd avoid that with soybeans though

So I'll just keep shootin and grillin!!!!!

 

[DeerCamp]

I use exclusively annuals, for a wide variety of reasons. Now if I had the acreage, I would keep a few plots in perennials (primarily clovers) so I always had something growing for the deer, especially while the annual plots are being turned and planted (bare dirt). But I don't have the acreage to spare (at least not yet).

I'm just now starting to experiment with summer annuals for poor soil food plots, but I've had the same mix of fall annuals for a number of years. Lots of trial and error involved in developing that fall mix, but I've found what works for my plots.

Last year I burned the entire field with round up, two sprays over 6 weeks. Then left it bare for several weeks. After, I planted a mix of cereal rye and winter wheat and in spots, clover.

The cereal Rye really seems to have taken root well and prevented weeds. Now that it has been bushhogged I'm sure some weeds will pop through. My soil quality is low, and that has been a process, so I'm adding fertilizer, bringing up the PH and hoping all the BioMass will help going on year 2. Right now there is a 2-3" layer of dead rye/wheat on top of the ground that I plan to mow again in august to prep for seed broadcast. There's actually quite a bit of clover coming up already.

I've decided not to plant beans or corn due to the unpredictable ag around me. Instead I'm going to go with Austrian Peas (per your suggestion last year I think) and Oats, Barley and Wheat.

I planted sorghum last week as a barrier around the plot. Hopefully it comes up as well as the egyptian wheat did.

 

[BSK]

That's a very interesting and cool mix I've not seen used before DeerCamp. Please keep us updated on how it works.