Progress of a second year clover plot.

[mudmarlin70]

During this slow time, I figured I'd start a thread on the progress of a second year perennial clover stand. I'll post pics on the progress of the stand if there's interest with trail cam pics once does start fawning.

The stand was started last April with a mix of clover and chicory. Ph was good after liming in 2007 when the area was planted in brassicas. The chicory came in as the dominant seed, until the deer found it. They ate it down so hard that they bit off every plant below the crown and killed every plant. There was no Chicory left by July.

Battled weeds through the summer eventually spraying for broadleaf and hand pulling common mullien. Late August I spread fifty pounds of 0-20-20. I ended up with a pretty strong stand of clover by September with lots of grazing. Unfortunately my son took ill and we were in the hospital from Mid september until late October and I couldnt hunt at all until then, so I didnt hunt the stand much. I would only hunt this stand once or twice a week anyway, being a big believer in stand rotation.

First job will be to spend a couple hours picking up surface stone left on top when the ground settled after tilling last April. I dont want to sacrifice any surface area to stone. Then I'm expanding two edges a few yards in those areas to make the stand about fifty to sixty yards by about thirty five to forty yards. I checked things out last week and the clover overwintered well. I'll be spreading a little bit of lime for maintenance and overseeding with just a couple pounds of durana clover on the existing area.

I am battling a heavy deer density in this area, so establishing a strong stand is tough. But in year two, the perennial clover is supposed to be much stronger. Harvested seven mature does off this area between a friend and myself last Dec and January, which hopefully will help some.

Here's a few pics I've posted before from season one.
http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/200810_017.jpg http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/test.jpg

http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/200810_018.jpghttp://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/200810_021.jpg

[Bird Boy]

thats a great plot. we are trying to start a plot. last spring we started liming and planting and we got a little growth. but this year we hope to get a good strong plot goin

[mudmarlin70]

Well I found about an hour and a half to shoot over and start cleaning up a bit. The clover has already greened up some since last week. I was able to pick up about three wheelbarrows of stone and take a couple pics.

http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/Picture_00113.jpg http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/Picture_0068.jpg

http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/Picture_00214.jpg http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/Picture_00510.jpg

I'll need to find another couple of hours to pick up the down hill side where there's alot of stone. Then time to spread a couple hundred pounds of lime and very lightly overseed with no more than a pound of seed on the established area. You mix the seed with something as a filler to get equal coverage with as little as a pound of seed. I use a bag of cat litter for filler. It probably wont need the overseeding, but I'd rather have a thick stand than chance having bare spots for weed to establish. I'll stand the exclusion cage next time I'm there to judge how much grazing is going on.

[Ole 20 Point]

Great work Mud. I wish I had an area on my property where I could do this too. I'd need a massive bulldoze of forest. :(

Do you notice more bucks being attracted or no change?

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Thats pretty cool. Ive wanted to try this behind my house too. I have 5 acres bordered by woods. Used to be farmground but its just a field now that I cut a few times over the summer with a tractor.

[mudmarlin70]

Thats pretty cool. Ive wanted to try this behind my house too. I have 5 acres bordered by woods. Used to be farmground but its just a field now that I cut a few times over the summer with a tractor.

That's the perfect scenario...and if you have the tractor, all the better. Near the house is great because you get to watch all the time. And you guys probably have nothing like the stone I've got!

Do you notice more bucks being attracted or no change?

Ol 20, I always had the deer there. But that spot is a grand total of six acres with a 15 acre piece across a street I can also hunt. I am up to my eyeballs in deer there, but I couldnt really maneuver the way I wanted on the six acres. I would watch deer on a major travel route on a piece I didnt have permission on from the six acres. Now, those same deer on that route come up the hill to graze. I probably see more deer, but definitely get more deer in range of the bow. And they are alot less spooked by the standing clover than they are of a bait pile, especially the older class deer.

The view from the stand on the clover is awesome....one of my favorite stands and tough to stay out of. But that's key not to burn it out.
http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/200810_007.jpg

[Ole 20 Point]

Looks like deer hunting heaven to me Mud...awesome set up.

[mudmarlin70]

It's been about ten days of pretty crappy weather, but I checked things out today for a couple minutes. Things are really greening up and pushing now. Deer sign is already in the clover. Within the collapsed exclusion cage in the brassicas, I found a mutilated rabbit from last night....what a bloody mess. Something cornered him into the chicken wire and had at him! :fight:
Goes to show how that stand is benefitting different critters throughout the season. Might place some brushpile along one edge. Easter bunnies to be would appreciate that I'm sure.

[mudmarlin70]

What a difference a month makes. On April 13 I spread 50lb of 0-20-20 and 150 lb of lime as 'maintanance'. We finally got some rain after that and finally some growin' weather. I'm more than happy with the results:thup:.

http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/deer_0011.jpg http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/deer_0041.jpg

http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/deer_009.jpg http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/deer_007.jpg

A Pic with my key chain to show the size.
http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/deer_007.jpg

http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/deer_014.jpg

Got one type of grass/weed invading some. Gonna ID it and spray to take it out now. Not much more to do other than expand two edges and I may even wait till fall to seed that area. I'll set a cam on the plot in Early June to catch fawning! Enough to get me drooling for first frost!!

Hope you enjoy seein the pics a fraction as much as me:thup:

[Ole 20 Point]

Great stuff Mud...you'll have the pick of the litter come deer seasons. I wish I had the time and a spot on my property to do something like that.

[Z-Man]

Very Nice! I have 4 1/2 acre plots (total of 2 acres). I have had clover in them the past 4 years with fairly good results. However, this year I planted 3 in Imperial whitetail clover (1st time used) and tried round-up ready sugar beets in the other. :thup:

[mudmarlin70]

Very Nice! I have 4 1/2 acre plots (total of 2 acres). I have had clover in them the past 4 years with fairly good results. However, this year I planted 3 in Imperial whitetail clover (1st time used) and tried round-up ready sugar beets in the other. :thup:

Throw up some pics...That clover was started as Tecomate Monster Mix and I overseeded lightly last August with about a pound of Durana. I stopped by the other day and I need to mow and probably spray with 2,4DB for some broadleaf. I cant believe some weed is coming through as thick as the clover is, but It's there. My lawn tractor is in the shop, so I'm a little behind the 8ball.

[Z-Man]

I will get out there this weekend to spray round-up on the beets and try to get some pictures. I tried to use plot-saver on the beet field and one of the clover fields. I will see if it has helped.

[mudmarlin70]

Got the tractor back today and Had to mow late today. It killed me to mow back that lush growth, but i know it only helps stimulate new growth and helps supress weeds which were taking some hold with some grass. Deer are definitely in the clover hard now.
http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/0519091544-00.jpg http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/0519091544-02.jpg

All mowed down.
http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/0519091617-01.jpg

Need to allow a couple days of new growth and spray with 2,4 DB for broadleaf control. I'm in for about a total of $35 so far this year with the maintenance lime and 50lb of fert and my time.

[Z-Man]

Do you use a finish mower or rough cut brush mower for the clover?

[mudmarlin70]

Z,
I've gotta use my White lawn tractor with the deck raised up the max of about 6 ". I'd like to just brush hog cut it, but I'm working with what I've got. It works though. i did a small test patch a couple years ago behind my house and everytime it started gettin weedy or grassy, the mow helped. it tends to look a bit maicured for now, but it will look totally different here in another week or so with new growth when i'll spray.

That whole thing is done kinda half a$$ed, but it's coming out well. No Plow/disc for me! Whole think is done with an ol battlehorse Troybuilt tiller. I do have an ol hand-me-down chain harrow and a sprayer I refurbed for about fifty bucks with new tires and hardware that I got from a farmer friend who upscaled his 'home' operation in Vermont. It's quite the spectacle, but it all works!

Howd your RU ready beets come out? I just had glyphosate for sale up here for $99 for 2.5 gallons of 41% concentrate. More than I'll use in a few years, but worth the price in the AG section of our TSC. Starting to prep this year's brassicas plot area. Looking to double the size of last year.

[Z-Man]

Time will tell on the RR beets! When I spread them I used RR beets with regular sugar beet seed so they came up great. However, I sprayed this past weekend so I will see what is there this coming weekend! Hopefully, they look like an even spread. Took a picture but it does not look good enough to post. I will wait to it fills in better to post some pictures.

:bow:Clover & oat plots look good so far!

[mudmarlin70]

I tried the nurse crop of oats last year.....damn deer ate it to the ground when the oats got about four inches tall. I'm shocked I had to mow. Deer densities are through the roof in that spot and last year I never mowed....but what a difference from year 1 to year two for the clover. I considered sugar beets, but I wasnt comfortable with the size of the plot. Didnt think I'd turn out enough forage with the beets.

[Z-Man]

Clover is the way to go! Oats just help when seeding...Trying the RR beats as an experiment with the one plot. Time will tell!!!

[Z-Man]

:mad:RR beats do not look to be spaced right; it looks like a failed experiment. However, time will tell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:bow:

[mudmarlin70]

Sorry to hear z. You can always do it over in brassica! I plant just after August 1 for that. Havent gone wrong with that yet. Seems it will grow like crazy every time.

Things are responding to the mowing nicely here in less than a week. Spot sprayed with 2,4 DB yesterday.

http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/CLOVER2.jpg http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/CLOVER26.jpg

Sorry the pics kinda suck, but I took them with the phone this time.

[bowtechman1966]

nice:thup:

[Z-Man]

Sounds great!! Thanks!

[mudmarlin70]

Deer are hammering the clover now. Just some grass kicking in I need to spray for. Deer camera is in place and we'll see what's visiting...

http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/clover_cage.jpg

[ACEarcher]

Nice how many inches was your test cage?

[mudmarlin70]

Nice how many inches was your test cage?

The mesh is 2"by 1" and the outside growth is still probably 4-6" tall. So inside is another six plus inches of growth since the mowing. You can see how inside the cage flowered and there isnt a single flower outside! There were so many bare stem from the browsing. It's definitelly getting the pressure now.

I gotta haul the sprayer over there soon anyway to spray the area I'm planting in Brassica, and I've got a gallon of poast that was passed on to me from a buddy in landscaping who switched to a different brand of grass specific, so I'l spray and knock out the grass. Some foxtail is taking hold on the edges and the poast will knock that out. late August wil be the last (second) fertilization and I can pretty much leave it alone other than that. I may mow again, but time will tell.

[mudmarlin70]

Had it out for just a couple days.. Nothing special so far. fawns starting to travel with mom. 36 pix in those couple days on a thirty minute delay..

http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/deer_cam_June_033.jpg http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/deer_cam_June_026.jpg

http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/deer_cam_June_014.jpg http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/deer_cam_June_003.jpg

http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/deer_cam_June_031.jpg

And Think she's checkin out the electric fence on my garden this mornin'? Dont think she's dropped yet..
http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/deer_cam_June_034.jpg

[mudmarlin70]

Been a couple months since an update, and I finally got over there yesterday. I put out a bit of fertilizer on the clover. I no sooner start packing up and turn around to find this fawn walking out into the plot at around 1130 am. She didnt seem to mind me standing there with the spreader. I made my way over to the camera and got a shot....at ten yards!
http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/Joelles4th002.jpg http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/Joelles4th015.jpg

Well, things are looking pretty good over there. deer sign every couple of feet. I finally did get another cam set over there, and we'll see what else is lurking. You can see my 1/2 acre brassica in the background, below the ridgetop. The pic is washed out some in the sun, but it looks great too. I walked down and took a couple shots.
http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/Joelles4th017.jpg

[BowtechKilla]

Plots look great!! Quick question for ya'....What are you using to prepare the seed bed after tilling with the Troy Built?. I'm doing the same thing in my small plot for winter brassicas and curious as to what you are doing. Thanks.

[mudmarlin70]

Plots look great!! Quick question for ya'....What are you using to prepare the seed bed after tilling with the Troy Built?. I'm doing the same thing in my small plot for winter brassicas and curious as to what you are doing. Thanks.

I use a small 4ft chain harrow a buddy was gettin rid of. That's got enough weight to level out the mounding the tiller creates in one or two passes when pulled with the tractor, atv, whatever. Just go nice and slow, that seems to level things off nicer. Even a small piece of chain link fencing wold work if you could weigh it down a bit.

after that, I've done things two ways. I've used a roller to pack things a bit and then seed by broadcasting right on top. I've tried the rolller to pack the seed a bit, but it doesnt always make the best contact. So what I did this year in the brassica is just use the tractor to drive in a big circle around the entire plot and tighten the circle in a foot or two on each pass. The tire treads do a great job of packing the seed and definitely help with germination.

Here's the brassica thread if it helps with how the seed bed progressed.
http://www.thebuckbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2749