| Clover planting question |
|
||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
By:
aandw
Date:03-Feb-17
|
I plan to throw and mow sunn hemp and buckwheat into my food plots this spring/summer. I have a 25 lb bag of durana I didn't plant in the fall because of the drought. What would be best, plant this spring with hemp and buckwheat or wait until fall? I know that fall is generally best time to plant clover in the south but just wondering if clover will "start" this summer and be productive when I throw and mow my fall plots. Location is NE Ala.
|
By:
r-man
Date:03-Feb-17
|
your clove can thrive now ! we don't have to wait to plant clover here . AS for planting clover in the summer in the south , I say nay . it may not even germinate till temps drop. you can plant the buckwheat april 01 , Not sure when to plant the hemp , I never grew pot
|
By:
r-man
Date:03-Feb-17
|
I would ring the plot with clover and plant your summer crop in the middle , works good .
|
By:
Bowman
Date:05-Feb-17
|
Sunn Hemp Establishment To establish a successful stand, seed should be broadcast or drilled and covered ½ to 1 inch deep into a well prepared, weed-free seedbed. If broadcasted, seed at a rate of 40 to 60 pounds of live seed per acre. Sunn hemp can be planted any time after frost danger is gone, but grows best when the soil temperature is 65 degrees or higher. The first heavy frost will kill it in fall, much like soybeans.
Buckwheat Seed- Buckwheat produces an abundance of seed in 70-80 days which holds onto the stalk well after ripening. On average, the plant height is 2 to 4 feet. Buckwheat grows well in most any type of soil; poor, fertile, peat, sand, clay or loam. Buckwheat is not very shade tolerant and can germinate and grow at temperatures as low as 45 degrees F, but optimal growth occurs at or above 55 degrees F. It is very frost sensitive and does not survive even light frosts. Buckwheat has a low water requirement and does not do well in wet soils. Buckwheat is a great addition to spring and summer food plots for quail, doves, turkey, ducks, & deer. Buckwheat also serves as a great cover crop for gardens.
Seed Rate: 35-50 lbs per acre; 3 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. Seed Depth: 1/2 - 1 inch Fertilizer: 250 -300 lbs per acre Planting Time: Spring-Summer pH: 5.5-6.5 Life Span: 65-80 days Variety: Mancan
Durana Clover Planting: • Rate: 3 lbs./acre drilled or broadcast into established pastures; 5 lbs./acre for a pure stand. • Date: September - November in southern U.S. Frost seeded-February and March. Spring seeded in late March or April. • Method: Graze or clip pasture close prior to seeding. • Depth: 1/4“ maximum; many stand failures result from seed planted too deep. • Fertilizer: Liming to a pH of 6.0 and providing adequate levels of potassium and phosphorus are necessary to ensure a productive clover stand. Soil testing is highly recommended; see your local county extension office for details.
My experience. I planted 2 fields with Imperial Whitetail PowerPLant which has sunn hemp. I raked the fields to prepare the fields and cultipacked after. Both fields were total failures. I only had a couple of sunn hemp to germinate and they were stunted. Besides the lack of rain, I did not plant deep enough. I had the same results with lablab.
I now have a disc and may try sunn hemp and lablab again.
Since sunn hemp and buckwheat should be planted deeper than clover. One possibility may be to broadcast the Durana into the stand in September since I see that you are in Alabama.
I would reduce the seeding rates if you plant the sunn hemp and buckwheat together.
|
By:
nutritionist
Date:07-Feb-17
|
Sunn Hemp needs heat. It doesnt do much until the ground is 65 degrees and kills off with a frost. You would need to drill or disc down to 1/2-1" deep with the buckwheat and sunn hemp then come back and broadcast the durana clover. Then drag and roll.
Have you taken a soil test yet?
|
By:
aandw
Date:08-Feb-17
|
I have not done a soil test yet. I was told that a seed store near our farm rents a drill. I will do a test before planting, make amendments, spray plots and then drill sun hemp and buckwheat for the summer. I will broadcast the Durana with my normal fall plots.
|
By:
Steve Leffler
Date:12-Feb-17
|
I am going to frost seed 2 of my plots with clover in late March. I do it every year and it has allowed the fields to stay productive for 5 years. I have tried powerPlant twice. Once with sorghum and once with sunhemp. Complete failures both times. My buddy also had a PowerPlant failure. This is VT so maybe that's part of it but no more PP here.
|
By:
nutritionist
Date:12-Feb-17
|
Power plant is very depth sensitive. My four galore works better for the average guy as cowpeas are a smaller seed and less finicky as to depth. The trailing soybeans are a smaller seed as well and as a result can be a tad shallower. Power plant has some seed size challenges as well. Good product but pricey and check the label to see fresh date and is there inoculant on the soybeans in their mix. Anyone ever ask about that?
