Crimson clover

[Durry cows]

Wasn’t sure where best to put this but after some advice on crimson clover. Anyone that’s grown/had experience with it pictures would be great! Would love to put it in after Maize this week I know we’re late enough but it’s still warm and soil temp good. Would ideally silage before maize again next year
Any advice appreciated

 

[sidjon]

Wasn’t sure where best to put this but after some advice on crimson clover. Anyone that’s grown/had experience with it pictures would be great! Would love to put it in after Maize this week I know we’re late enough but it’s still warm and soil temp good. Would ideally silage before maize again next year
Any advice appreciated

Have a look at Fixation.

FIXatioN Balansa Clover | It's Bio-Massive | Official Site®

FIXatioN Balansa Clover is the most cold-tolerant annual clover. It can withstand temps down to -14˚F and fix 100+ units of Nitrogen per acre

fixationclover.com

 

[le bon paysan]

I use it, put in short term grass. There are pictures in Pictures from France.
Page 15 post 289

 

[quattro]

I grow it as green manure mixed with phacelia and forage rye
after it had been flail topped the clover had grown back with 3full leaves in 5days

 

[Great In Grass]

Too late for any clovers now I would say. Crimson Clover is not particularly winter Hardy either.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Drilled a week ago and we are on late ground
Don't play about ploughing mind ,in an out no messing about

 

[Dog Bowl]

Put crimson in this spring along with some IRG as a catch crop. I've cut it 3 times, every time cutting before it flowered and its bounced straight back. I fully expect it to not be much cop next year and will be ploughed up in the spring. I would use red clover if the ley is staying down longer than 12 months.

 

[neilo]

I put 2 fields of an IRG/crimson clover mix in this time. On one, the clover has taken well, although never getting above about 8” tall. Grazing it currently and it’s noticeable how the sheep have been preferentially grazing the IRG, surprisingly. It’s only got 14 ram lambs per acre on it, and they are taking it down faster than it’s growing.

The other field has had the crimson clover as good as taken out by slugs, despite 3 lots of 5kg/ha of slug pellets on, and redrilling at 1/2 rate to bolster plant population. 0.5 kg/ac of leftover Redstart seed, broadcast over the top with a slug pelleter has grown an awful lot more DM there tbh.

Overall, quite disappointed in the crimson clover this year, although I have seen it work well in a ProtoPlus mix previously. It’s certainly not a wonder crop, any more than Balansa clover is. Back to the drawing board...

 

[Durry cows]

I put 2 fields of an IRG/crimson clover mix in this time. On one, the clover has taken well, although never getting above about 8” tall. Grazing it currently and it’s noticeable how the sheep have been preferentially grazing the IRG, surprisingly. It’s only got 14 ram lambs per acre on it, and they are taking it down faster than it’s growing.

The other field has had the crimson clover as good as taken out by slugs, despite 3 lots of 5kg/ha of slug pellets on, and redrilling at 1/2 rate to bolster plant population. 0.5 kg/ac of leftover Redstart seed, broadcast over the top with a slug pelleter has grown an awful lot more DM there tbh.

Overall, quite disappointed in the crimson clover this year, although I have seen it work well in a ProtoPlus mix previously. It’s certainly not a wonder crop, any more than Balansa clover is. Back to the drawing board...

You weren’t overly impressed with the balansa I take it?

 

[neilo]

You weren’t overly impressed with the balansa I take it?

Not really. It’s something and nothing really, certainly not a breakthrough crop imo.

Tbh it’s a job to beat a decent PRG/white clover ley for cost, flexibility and ability to withstand the occasional bit of abuse.

 

[Dog Bowl]

Tbh it’s a job to beat a decent PRG/white clover ley for cost, flexibility and ability to withstand the occasional bit of abuse.

Amen to that. After a few years of trying the 'next best thing', this autumn I have gone back to really decent PRG and white clover. Tried and tested and never ever fails to disappoint.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Amen to that. After a few years of trying the 'next best thing', this autumn I have gone back to really decent PRG and white clover. Tried and tested and never ever fails to disappoint.

Thats all well and good but I never had much success fattening lambs on grass at a time when I wanted the grass for the ewes at mating and I'm being told by a lot that Red Clover is rocket fuel for fattening

 

[Dog Bowl]

Thats all well and good but I never had much success fattening lambs on grass at a time when I wanted the grass for the ewes at mating and I'm being told by a lot that Red Clover is rocket fuel for fattening

I don't fatten lambs so that is an argument I can't have with you. My cattle growth rates on very good rotational grazed PRG leys are above and beyond anything else I've grazed. Plus with good management these leys will stay down for a good number of years which is just terrible for grass seed salesmen

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I don't fatten lambs so that is an argument I can't have with you. My cattle growth rates on very good rotational grazed PRG leys are above and beyond anything else I've grazed. Plus with good management these leys will stay down for a good number of years which is just terrible for grass seed salesmen

Thats good for a grass seed salesman if he preaches about persistence

 

[neilo]

Thats all well and good but I never had much success fattening lambs on grass at a time when I wanted the grass for the ewes at mating and I'm being told by a lot that Red Clover is rocket fuel for fattening

Everyone tells me that red clover certainly is good for lamb fattening, but it’s not much good in the winter, or in a prolonged wet period, or over tupping...

Lots of crops are good for fattening lambs, but little is as flexible as a well managed grass/clover ley.

 

[North East Crofter]

have it in the green manure mixes fantastic stuff, lasts over winter if mild, but as said above only really 1 year mix 2 at a push

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Everyone tells me that red clover certainly is good for lamb fattening, but it’s not much good in the winter, or in a prolonged wet period, or over tupping...

Lots of crops are good for fattening lambs, but little is as flexible as a well managed grass/clover ley.

I'm sure its not but my Niebour has had some down for 4 years -its looking better than ever and had two good cuts and grazings off it . You won't do that with rape and grass ain't that hot for fattening lambs

 

[Great In Grass]

Thats good for a grass seed salesman if he preaches about persistence

You don't talk about persistence with your mixtures then?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

You don't talk about persistence with your mixtures then? [emoji849]

Thats our selling point

 

[Will 1594]

Any of you livestock men ,after grass seed
Cheffins have an online machinery auction ,
Couple palletts grass seed
A silage ley mix ,and a st catherins no 1 over seed ing mix