Clovers, lime and fertilizer.

[erussell]

So everything I have read about clover suggests that if your PH is out and if you dont have everything perfect white clover will not grow. Now, I have whiteclover all over my yard and I have never fertilized or limed it ever. The last time I checked the ph in my yrd while messing around with a ph meter I had just bought it read around 5.5. I have clover everywhere. I have more clover than I have grass. So what gives is it just a bunch of food plot BS designed to get us to buy other un needed stuff?

[dave6x6]

LOL, Thats so true. Clover all over my yard and never put lime on it ever. Maybe thats why it never grows over 3 inches high in the yard though.?? Still, I never plant it in my plots without doing the soil test and adding lime to try to get it as close to 7.0 as i can. Don't know if i'd say it "won't grow" without it but i do think that you may end up with a weaker planting and the weeds will have an advantage in poorer soil.

[erussell]

I have never planted a clover plot because everything Ive read always said it was a pain to take care of. I intentionally try to kill the clover in my lawn short of using napalm and it gets thicker. Its even growing this yr in a spot I havent been able to keep grass on in the last 3 yrs. I just dont get it.

Edited May 17, 2012 by erussell

[Paula]

how tall is clover and how long does it last if i planted at end of august

[First-light]

Hey what type of fertilizer would you put down on a new clover plot?

[G-Man]

clover like most plants will grow if slightly acidic. Lime just lets the plants absorb nutrients more effeciently thus resulting in more lush growth. think of trying to drink a glass of water thru a stir stick(acidic) or drinking straight from a glass(neutral). As for fertilizer 0 -10-10 or any 0-x-x will work just do not add nitrogen!!! the n-p-k is how fert is rated.Good white clover can reach 18 in to 24 in high..unless its being eaten and if mowed to keep competing grasses from growing 3- 5 years is possible . For killing clover and all other broad leaf use 2-4-d available in concentrate from a ag supply store its very inexpensive, mix it by direction or for ground ivy about 5% solution. this will killa dandelion, clover ,ivy and broadleaf plant in your lawn(its what you lawn company uses in so low % a solution they have to keep coming back..lol 5% you'll see the dandelion dead in a few hrs..lets all grass including crab grow only for broadleaf .

Edited May 17, 2012 by G-Man

[ants]

A few years back I planted a small (less than an acre) plot of one of those brands...biologic or something, but a lot if it was clover. I just disced it up and added about 160# of fast acting lime, because the .ph was off. It grew great and is still there. We tried the same thing on another part of the property and it did'nt grow half as good. We also added some 10-10-10.

Who knows? I think alot of this food plot stuff is hit or miss.

[Fantail]

I am thinking a few differences in the condition of the soil in the avg yard vs. what qualifies as dirt in a plot might require some asistance.

edit - being lime, fert, & some tilling to work these into the ground.

Edited May 17, 2012 by Fantail

[erussell]

For killing clover and all other broad leaf use 2-4-d available in concentrate from a ag supply store its very inexpensive, mix it by direction or for ground ivy about 5% solution. this will killa dandelion, clover ,ivy and broadleaf plant in your lawn(its what you lawn company uses in so low % a solution they have to keep coming back..lol 5% you'll see the dandelion dead in a few hrs..lets all grass including crab grow only for broadleaf .

Will have to try that, I usually just get the weed and feed stuff because it says it kills weed. But like you say they just keep coming back because the % is so low. And dont even get me started on the F'n dandy's!!!! I might throw a little clover in one section of the lower food plot. It gets direct sunlight most of the day so it should grow good there.

[erussell]

Was weed wacking my smaller plot down to dirt the other day and guess what I found growing all over it? Clover!! There hasnt been any clover planted in this plot and there wasnt any there the last three yrs either. So where it came from I dont know.

[growalot]

http://www.weedalert.com/weed_pages/wa_white_clover.htm

Told my neighbor that if they didn't want to do food plots to simply mow wide winding trails and wait...where ever you mow up here clover will grow...then to make it more desirable just fertilize...Well It started out as two trails now they are mowing trails every where...lol

I made a plot by simply mowing a large area...with in 3 years I had an excellent stand of clover/rye grass ...and never planted a thing...the deer feed in it all the time and I have 16 different "hybrid" plantings to choose from...several being planted clovers with good PH....

[erussell]

Might have to go up and hit it with a rake and break up the stolons and spread the love. Nothing better than not having to pay for seed.

[First-light]

http://www.weedalert...hite_clover.htm

Told my neighbor that if they didn't want to do food plots to simply mow wide winding trails and wait...where ever you mow up here clover will grow...then to make it more desirable just fertilize...Well It started out as two trails now they are mowing trails every where...lol

I made a plot by simply mowing a large area...with in 3 years I had an excellent stand of clover/rye grass ...and never planted a thing...the deer feed in it all the time and I have 16 different "hybrid" plantings to choose from...several being planted clovers with good PH....

Been doing the same thing. It's amazing how you can mow through a field and create a food plot. It also causes the deer to walk these trails right to you!!

[OldNewbie]

Don't be so quick to kill the dandelions, I've seen deer go through my yard eating one after another of the yellow flowers.

[landtracdeerhunter]

I know this is a six year old thread, but what the heck. Yes deer eat dandelions. They also eat the purple silk on the end of the thistle blossom, seed pod. Many other weeds are consumed by the deer population. The only thing I wish they would eat is rag weed. With these rains, it growing very well, this season.

[sailinghudson25]

I saw deer in my plot this morning.  They were eating the tall line of weeds I have surrounding the plot.  Just old lawn I stopped mowing to get a bit of concealment.

With fertilizer and lime, some forget this big thing.  The amount you put in is relative to how deep you get the stuff down to.  Clover plots can be left alone for a good number of years before you turn it up again.

I like to start them right, since my effort in time is worth alot to me.