Planting clover

[ccp contracting]

Has anyone advise on planting straight clover ie , sowing dates, or tips , its for a customer who has had some failures , Thanks .

 

[neilo]

@Great In Grass

 

[cotswoldcs]

Yes. Roll it after you've sown it. I really don't think sowing date matters too much, provided it's not too late.

Are you planting red, white or a mix?

 

[Great In Grass]

Clover is a small seed with very little energy reserve a drilling depth of 2-3mm is all that is needed or a simple form of "broadcasting" into some tilth. As mentioned above roll after sowing.

Bear in mind clover for the best establishment needs a minimum soil temperature of 10dC for 10 weeks in my mind mid August would be the cut off point.

Due to cost many sow at a to low a seed rate 2kg/acre is recommended.

Once established, white clover will perform best under rotational grazing, with grass kept relatively short, as clover grows close to the ground and doesn’t compete as well for light. White clover is preferentially grazed by stock, so continuous set-stocking often leads to over grazing and reduced clover levels.

Excessive use of N fertiliser (>200kg N/ha/year) will give a competitive advantage to grasses, which may result in less white clover in the pasture. The key is to control the extra grass growth to ensure that white clover is not shaded out.

 

[teslacoils]

Einbock onto rolled ground. Roll again after.

 

[Kevtherev]

Don’t leave it too late ie early September at the latest.
Clover doesn’t like to be drilled to deep and either einbock Harrow and broadcast either roll it or ‘walk’ it in with sheep.
Best results can be achieved after a cut of silage when the sward is more ‘open’ preferably before some rain is forecast.
Remember to check P&K levels for good establishment.
Sow at 1.5-2kg per acre
If drilling with a direct drill it helps to put some grass in with the clover due to it being so small of a seed.
The grass seed being a delivery media so to speak.

 

[pauld]

My best results have been broadcasting red clover into cereal stubbles when volunteers start chitting then putting sheep on for a couple of weeks.

 

[yellow belly]

When we drilled nector mix it was not very good
broadcast with the drill at zero depth works well
June the best month

any one broadcast into standing cereal in June July

 

[ccp contracting]

I have put clover in with power harrow drill and worked well in April , failed when we did it in August , we have broadcast fodder rape into standing wheat with verying sucsess.

 

[deleted user 837354]

P and K levels need to be spot on. Are you wanting a pure stand or a mixture? Red or white?

Sowing later into the autumn gives it less time to get established and it won't stick the winter.

Pure stands of red into arable ground is easy, 5 or 6kg/acre and roll it firm. Tiny seed so don't put it too deep.

 

[Great In Grass]

8 Tips for Sowing White Clover Seed

Germinal expert William Fleming shares his eight top tips to help farmers when sowing white clover seeds.

germinal.co.uk