Frost seeding clover, oats?

[sailinghudson25]

I am in columbia county.   I scratched a 1/10th acre lawn spot under the apple trees where my hunting blind is.  I put 3 bags of lime in the fall in the area.  Can you put amendments at the same time when you frost seed?  Adding some 12-12-12.  I always broadcast clover with pelletized lime, so I can get a even spread.  I've never had luck with my seedway bag seeder doing straight clover.

 

Also, looks like we might get some warmer days when last nights 1 inch of snow will go away.  Think it'll be ok to spread.

 

I have 2 identical 1/4 acre food plots next to each other.  MY plan is to make one clover for the whole year, and the other I make a more active plot.  Last season I started the project.  I scratched up one side and planted oats and dutch, red, and ladino clover.   The other side got the same treatment in the spring, but in august, I sprayed it roundup, added more oats, turnips, and a bit more clover seed.   

 

The active side with turnips got hammered this fall and winter.  I am going to frost seed, but want to add oats too. Can oats be frost seeded?  This spot is an old apple orchard coverted to lawn.  There is about a 4- 6 inch dip where the tractor path between the apple orchard rows were.  IT does flood in spring.  However, I dug a drainage channel.  Our melt we had last week drained out in a day, which seemed alot better.

The other 1/4 acre spot I am leaving alone until august.  I will spray roundup, turn up the soil with a plow, pick rocks by hand, and likely do a cereal, clover, turnips mix like last year.

[G-Man]

Why are you adding nitrogen to clover?If your killing it to change it to another crop all the nitrogen is in the ground from the clover nodules breaking down. If you were going with a turnip oat mix only I can understand why  personally . I would not frost seed till end of March. We still can have a lot of winter.. but keeping an eye on weather in your area will help

Edited February 19, 2018 by G-Man

[landtracdeerhunter]

With the frost thaw cycle started, I spread on 40 lbs of red clover seed Sunday morning before the wind picked up. In the 40 some years doing this, it has always work out on my heavy soils. I never frost seed grain crops. 

[sailinghudson25]

The nitrogen in the fertilizer is for a fresh clover spot.  I scratched up the lawn grass in this area, in  hopes of helping the clover get bedded into the soil a touch better.  Also, wanted to kill some of the grass.  Did this right before last week's storm with about 3 light passes with my spring harrow.  

The existing clover spot got wrecked by the deer here.  There are tons of deer in this part of the state.  However, finding a place to hunt is tough.  

Overall, this spot is a backyard.  The (2) 1/4 acre plots are bordered by young red dogwood, prairie willow, and what's left of some young white cedar.  They chewed the heck out of those things this year.  Temped just to plant more white spruce to make the border.....

 

The 1/10th acre front corner is doing well, but I never sprayed that area.  There's several 3ft-5ft tall red cedars.  I will spray there this year.  That spot wil get frost seeded too.  However, I will use 6-24-24 over there because the clover held well there.

Edited February 20, 2018 by sailinghudson25

[Blue Hill]

Frost seeding doesn't need to be done during times of having frost. It's all about timing of the ground temperature  adequate moisture for your tap root to travel far enough into the soil to survive so you could always do your oats later.

If your using granular fertilizer your potassium and phosphorus are inmobile. Meaning if your if you not going to incorporate it into the soil your clover will not be able to use it.

I like to over seed my soybean plots at home with winter rye come end of August. So I'll watch for the weather and spread my seed the day before the rain no different than "Frost seeding" other than there is no frost:) 

[sailinghudson25]

I waited until now.  And I'm still waiting.  Should I just wait until the snow is clear, or wait until the night before some rain or snow to frost seed clover.

2 spots are reseeding existing plots started last year.  1 spot is a bow hunting spot 20x40 yards.  It's typical weedy lawn in a spot of apple trees.  Just looking to make it look healthier and with some clover.

Location is Columbia county 2 miles west of the hudson river.  

Edited March 19, 2018 by sailinghudson25

[LET EM GROW]

Wait til the couple inches of snow is left and spread it, at this point. That is what im doing. It wont hurt. I cant even drive in to my place, and im not making that long of a walk with the amount of snow we have. 

I have a feeling its going to just go straight to spring weather in a few weeks and because of the present snow cover, we wont see much of a freeze thaw routine. 

[LET EM GROW]

Unless time permits you to asap, it will probably hit the ground at the same time..

[sailinghudson25]

I Reseeded everything except one spot where is seasonally floods.  Once the spring puddle goes away, i'll clover that spot up.

The lawn around apple trees spot, I spread the seed and then rolled it in with ATV tires.

Overall, the spots were about 80% - 90% bare.  Thinking a little snow will cover it tomorrow afternoon.

Edited March 21, 2018 by sailinghudson25

[LET EM GROW]

Ive had good luck just spreading clover seeds. as long as there isnt much competition and the ground isnt bone dry. 

[WNYBuckHunter]

On 2/20/2018 at 2:38 AM, Blue Hill said:

Frost seeding doesn't need to be done during times of having frost. It's all about timing of the ground temperature  adequate moisture for your tap root to travel far enough into the soil to survive so you could always do your oats later.

If your using granular fertilizer your potassium and phosphorus are inmobile. Meaning if your if you not going to incorporate it into the soil your clover will not be able to use it.

I like to over seed my soybean plots at home with winter rye come end of August. So I'll watch for the weather and spread my seed the day before the rain no different than "Frost seeding" other than there is no frost:) 

Im not sure that you understand the concept of frost seeding.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I have frost seeded clover a few times. I do it right about now usually. I try to time it so that the seed hits bare-ish ground, but Ive spread it on top of snow before, and it works just fine. I have never spread any fertilizer with it.