# Clover taking over



## lacamo (Aug 15, 2008)

I have a hay field near the barn which I put my sheep on in the fall, instead of a third cutting. It seems that each year, more and more clover is replacing the grass. My second cutting had noticeably more in it than last year and the sheep got real poopy withing a day after they started grazing it. Short of a total replanting, what's the best way to reverse this trend? I live in NE Vermont.


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## CantonHayGuy (Sep 25, 2008)

I'd use a good broadleaf weed killer (around here 2-4-D is popular) and rent an over-seeder. I have the same thing going on in the pastures we keep our animals on and that's what I'll be doing this Spring.


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## UpNorth (Jun 15, 2009)

What type of clover and what type of grass do you guys have planted?


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

2,4-D is what we'd use, but like the other post hinted to, I would be concerned that you have enough grass to fill back in. We spray nearly everything with 2,4-D if it's grass when we topdress, as most fields have a little clover (where it keeps coming from, I don't know), so nothing every really gets out of control. You may need to overseed, or completly replant, just depends how old the stand is, and how much is left. Red clover doesn't really last here, but that white crap just keeps spreading, and it's not too great for horses (and maybe your sheep) cause it is so lush, and tasty...... Had a neighbor had colic in his horses after turning them on that stuff....

Rodney


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## Barry Bowen (Nov 16, 2009)

Depending on how much clover you have will really determine whether starting over is needed. One of my landlords had a pasture 4 years ago that he loved the way it was red clover, and orchard mix. I suggested then that we should work on getting rid of the clover or at least controlling it some. He decided that his horses loved the clover and it would not really hurt anything. By the middle of this summer it was nothing but clover covering around 80%, and the rest was weeds and a little grass in spots. We sprayed Forefront in mid summer and it did a GREAT job of taking out the clover and the other broad leafs, but there was not much orchard left and the foxtails took over. I sprayed the entire thing down with roundup and notilled orchard, timothy, and brome in at 30 lbs to the acre in two perpendicular passes at the end of September. Thing looks great now. Bottom line, let clover get the upper hand and it will win so be careful how you decide to handle it.


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## lacamo (Aug 15, 2008)

The field was planted/maintained by previous owner(s) who raised horses. The clover is red but I can't identify the grass: it's very fine, pale green; dries easily and apparently quite palatable. I plan on taking a sample into a local seed/fertilizer supplier to identify it.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

bluegrass,timothy?sod type or bunch type?


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