# Planting clover in pastures



## tnwalkingred

I plan to plant clover this year in all my pastures however I'm curious to get you all's take on it. Would you put red, white, or a mix down when drilling the seed? Also what are the effects of 2-4-d and grazon on the red clovers as well as the whites? Is one more suspectible to damage than the other? Let me know what you guys think.

--Kyle


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## rjmoses

If it's a horse pasture, I over-seed with medium red clover. Alsike clover causes the slobbers. Large red clover gets stemmy too fast. 2,4D, in any form,will kill clovers. Here's the recommendation for Grazon:

_"Recommendations for Illinois (IL), Iowa (IA), Minnesota (MN), Nebraska (NE), and Wisconsin (WI).
• Grazon® P+D or GraznNext® HL up to 2 pints per acre:
»» When applied in the spring or early summer (before July 15), forage legumes should not be planted the year of herbicide application but should be planted the following spring.
»» When the applications are made in the fall, forage legume planting should be delayed until the following fall or the spring after that (12 to 18 months after application)."_

Ralph


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## CockrellHillFarms

I wouldnt ever spray clover with anything. It will kill it. Thats why I spray all my "horse hay ground" with grazon. I dont want clover in that hay, only in my pastures and cattle hay. If your going to plant clover. Better get on it quick. I would be planting it right now. I havent ever used a no-till to drill cover. I assume thats what your talking about if ur using a drill. Other wise you shouldnt need a drill. I always use a 10' brillion seeder or I have two other small land pride seeders with rollers. All you have to do is get it on the ground, and worked in alittle if you like. The heaving of the ground will work the seed in enough. I always plant my clover at the end of Feb., beginning of march. I always use red clover but ladino clover is good as well. Around here, if there's clover in the bale, "horsey" people arent going to touch it. If you have ever seen horses slobber, then you will understand why that is the case. I have been trying to get more clover in my pastures so I can drive down my nitrogen cost. The key is to get it baled right after it heads out. Otherwise, you will lose leaves, flowers, etc.


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## Texasmark

rjmoses said:


> If it's a horse pasture, I over-seed with medium red clover. Alsike clover causes the slobbers. Large red clover gets stemmy too fast. 2,4D, in any form,will kill clovers. Here's the recommendation for Grazon:
> 
> _"Recommendations for Illinois (IL), Iowa (IA), Minnesota (MN), Nebraska (NE), and Wisconsin (WI).
> • Grazon® P+D or GraznNext® HL up to 2 pints per acre:
> »» When applied in the spring or early summer (before July 15), forage legumes should not be planted the year of herbicide application but should be planted the following spring.
> »» When the applications are made in the fall, forage legume planting should be delayed until the following fall or the spring after that (12 to 18 months after application)."_
> 
> Ralph


The D surely kills it, and the P definitely will kill it. BTDT TAMU experimental center at Renner, TX. has a book out detailing some of their research there, course it's reasearch of 50 years ago, but still applies. Surely there are new ap notes considering current conditions. I think you ought to consult them, another university's ag dept on the www, or a seed company and see just which one suits your operation. Lotta good info out there. There are different growing patterns and as a result different means to deal with them. Some you may like and others totally unsuitable for your resources and equipment.

Mark


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## tnwalkingred

I won't be putting clover in any of my hay fields so it will just be on the pastures for the brood mares and cattle. I have access to a land pride OS1548 seeder so I think I may just use it to put the seed out. People around here are telling me that 2-4-d won't bother the white clover nearly as bad as the red clover. Any thoughts????

--Kyle


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## CockrellHillFarms

Is that the one that has the PTO drive on it? I have one like that and one alittle bigger that is just the regular seeder. I've used both with the clover and they work well. I dont know anything about 2-4-d, we havent used that in along time. I tend to plant more red clover because I like it better. I also think it makes more tonage.


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## tnwalkingred

Yes it has a PTO drive on it. I'm also using it to overseed some of my orchard grass fields and it seems to work well.

--Kyle


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## downtownjr

In Indiana, I am able to frost seed clover and that works really well. My pasture is for cattle, so I use red clover and have some other grasses and a little alfalfa mixed in for the pasture. I use a spot sprayer or a weed wiper in the pasture to get the thistle and taller weeds. It took two season, but my pastures went from a lot of weeds mixed in to very clean. I also implemented a rotational grazing plan, which allowed a rest period and kept me from overgrazing. The grass and clover took over and finally was able to keep the weeds out. Purdue rotational grazing booklet


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## tnwalkingred

I plan to utilize some rotational tactics in order to keep my pastures in better shape as well. My pastures will be mainly for cattle as well. I think I will use this seeder to plant some white clover in the pasture this spring. Thanks for the link about rotational grazing. I will check it out.

--Kyle


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## TNKid

I have seeded white clover in the pasture and red in the hay. I am currently going back over pastures with red as well. The red has taken off very good and my hay is very clean. The pastures are not as good. I do overgraze due to my operation of preconditioning feeders and keeping them closer to the barn. I spent one full year killing weeds and sowed clover and reseeded grass the next year. The hay field has stayed extremely clean, although I spot spray areas as soon as I see any signs of weeds. I have used Butyrac for small broadleaf weeds and GrazonNext for other areas. I don't know if the clover resists the herbicide slightly or if it reseeds and spreads back, but I still have plenty of it.


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## Vol

TNKid said:


> I have seeded white clover in the pasture and red in the hay. I am currently going back over pastures with red as well. The red has taken off very good and my hay is very clean. The pastures are not as good. I do overgraze due to my operation of preconditioning feeders and keeping them closer to the barn. I spent one full year killing weeds and sowed clover and reseeded grass the next year. The hay field has stayed extremely clean, although I spot spray areas as soon as I see any signs of weeds. I have used Butyrac for small broadleaf weeds and GrazonNext for other areas. I don't know if the clover resists the herbicide slightly or if it reseeds and spreads back, but I still have plenty of it.


Sounds as if you have a good handle on your grazing and haylands. What is the grass mixture in your hayfields?

Regards, Mike


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## TNKid

I have fescue(60-70%) and orchardgrass(30-40%) and lots of clover. My soil tests call for very little to no nitrogen which is a huge cost savings with the current price of fertilizer. The orchardgrass seems to be thinning slightly. I think the fescue is pushing it out a little. I try to turn the calves in on as much of the hay as I can for a few days to clean it up a little about this time of year. Then I drag and reseed. It seems to be working OK. I wish I could get a handle on my alfalfa. I'm about to update a post from last fall on it.


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