How to plant/cover clover without a seeder?

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

I have been trying to successfully come up with a way to sow/plant clover. I can use a pull behind seeder that spreads things fine. How can I get them covered approx 1/4 though?

Just read a thread about the landscape rake and wondered if I flipped it backwards would that give them better soil to seed contact.

I have been tilling/discing the plot then using a seed fertilizer spreader, with my Kaw mule. Then drive over it with the mule trying to get good seed to soil contact. It hasn't been a great germination rate.

I have the same issue with wheat/oat seeds in the fall. I over seed to compensate does "ok" but not good.

Any ideas?

I am planning to plant some more clover end of the month at $180 per 25# it ain't cheap...

 

[kneedeep]

Drag a piece of chain link fence with a tire tied on over the seed bed after sowing clover.
If a good seedbed is possible, just fence drag.
I used to sow wheat, clover, oats, turnips or whatever was on sale on rough disked ground so a weighted drag was needed.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Red clover can be frost seeded, broadcast the seed and let the freeze thaw cycle do the work of getting the maximum soil contact.
Talk to your extension agent for the best time for your area.
That is if there is oportunity for freeze thaw cycles in your region.

 

[airbiscuit]

For Tiny seeds like clover, I disc and then drag the area. Then I spread the seed with a small hand crank seeder. Then, I drag the area with tire chains attached to a pipe (lightly covers the seeds). Finally, I go over the area with a heavy roller to help with seed contact.

 

[airbiscuit]

A lot of food plot seeds need to be buried fairly shallow - 1/4" - 1/2". I have a disc, a springtooth and a drag to till the soil. I needed something with a lighter touch to cover the seed. I used a scrap piece of angle iron for the front attachment point. I bolted the chains together every couple of feet with 5/16" bots. I put a piece of PVC across the center of it to keep the chains spread apart. I cut the PVC in the middle (and put a smaller diameter PVC pipe in the middle) so it could flex with the ground. It smooths and covers nicely.

View attachment 706420

View attachment 706421
View attachment 706422

Seed Drag Built with Tire Chains

 

[Rockbadchild]

get a roller,
Also do you see a abondance of birds ? they might be eating them before they germinate.

 

[nyone]

since you alreaty own a landscape rake have you tried removing every other tooth on it?

 

[HybridVigor]

If you have established cover like grass but want to add clover on a budget I second the frost seeding method.

In worked ground I think you’ll find a cultipacker or roller will greatly help. I double pack when using a brillion type or spinner seeder. Timely rain certainly helps too.

When I was younger and broker I used a chain link fence scrap set up as a drag before I bought a seed drill.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

I do not own a landscape rake. Thought/thinking this may be the reason to get one..

I think I have a piece of chain link fence in the woods behind the barn. I will check for that.

I have tried frost seeding and get some results just not the beautiful fully populated field I see others getting.

I too try to time it for a good rain. I am planting a little earlier this year to hopefully capitalize on that rain.

Crows are a my nemesis... Well that and squirrels. I plant and the crows come and walk it I'm sure eating some of the grains I have planted.

I am bought 25# of durana clover. Has a a high forage/protein rate, drought tolerant and good traffic resistance.

I need about 15 # for my deer food plots. I am planning to use the other 10# split between the rows of my blueberry plants that's about an acre, my blackberry rows (an acre) or my orchard rows 1 acre. I have planted a taller white clover over there though so maybe not all over there. What I don't use around the blackberries/blueberries I may plant around my fig rows.

The suggested seeding rate for a new plot is 5# per acre.

I may look for a used cultipacker. I think it would be faster than me trying to cover every inch with the mule.

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[Rockbadchild]

Also are you spreading at a very quiet (windless day) I spread mine at dusk when it gets real quiet... To be honest I also don't get real great result the first year, the second year it fills in a whole lot compare to the first one.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

I always try and get a low wind day which is fairly easy to do here. I also try broadcasting when a rain is predicted in the next few days.

With that said there was a drought last fall and I had frost seeded the wheat/oats with little success. It had some effect as I had deer eating it, just not a pretty stand.

End of the month weather permitting I'm planning to:

Prepping to take my tractor to my hunting property about an hour away.
Take my mower up there the weekend before I plant then rent a truck and trailer to haul the tractor. I haven't ever disced those food plots. I had a forestry mulcher dude cut me out 3 food plots and several shooting lanes about 3-4 years ago. He did a pretty good job with getting the stumps below the soil. I thought I could run the disc through there a few times and cut it up enough to give the seeds a chance to take hold.

Another plot of land I have allows me to drive the tractor and use all my implements to get the soil like I want.

Seed ought to be here this week. Gonna order a ton of lime and 3-4 hundred pounds of fertilizer.

The whole thing will probably cost me about $800 to get this accomplished. Ouch... Gotta poay to play...

 

[MMC]

I always try and get a low wind day which is fairly easy to do here. I also try broadcasting when a rain is predicted in the next few days.

With that said there was a drought last fall and I had frost seeded the wheat/oats with little success. It had some effect as I had deer eating it, just not a pretty stand.

End of the month weather permitting I'm planning to:

Prepping to take my tractor to my hunting property about an hour away.
Take my mower up there the weekend before I plant then rent a truck and trailer to haul the tractor. I haven't ever disced those food plots. I had a forestry mulcher dude cut me out 3 food plots and several shooting lanes about 3-4 years ago. He did a pretty good job with getting the stumps below the soil. I thought I could run the disc through there a few times and cut it up enough to give the seeds a chance to take hold.

Another plot of land I have allows me to drive the tractor and use all my implements to get the soil like I want.

Seed ought to be here this week. Gonna order a ton of lime and 3-4 hundred pounds of fertilizer.

The whole thing will probably cost me about $800 to get this accomplished. Ouch... Gotta poay to play...

Have you soil tested? That might give you a better target to shoot at. Clover will respond to proper lime values (even some of the seed you already spread). Might talk to your local ag extension agent for some advice, even as to which quarries supply the "best" lime.

Best of luck.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

I have thought about having the soil tested but keep forgetting to take a sample, the local farm I can/should/will. The other was hardwood timber for a hundred years or more before I had the timber harvested and replanted in Pines. It's a 2.5 hr round trip to that tract. I am pretty sure it needs lime as most timbered tracts do. But I won't know until I know... Thanks for reminding me, gotta put that on the short list.

 

[DJ54]

Red clover can be frost seeded, broadcast the seed and let the freeze thaw cycle do the work of getting the maximum soil contact.
Talk to your extension agent for the best time for your area.
That is if there is oportunity for freeze thaw cycles in your region.

I use frost seeding to sow any pasture or hay seed except Timothy here in central Ohio using my Garber Seed Easy PTO driven seeder. I got a deal on this one for $20. They can be used on any tractor with a drawbar and PTO. A straight section of radiator hose is the PTO shaft. I have a tendency to set it to spread a little light, then run crossways of the first passes to get good coverage. They do a great job. Here in Ohio, it is the perfect time for frost seeding when the ground honeycombs from frost/freeze. When it thaws the honeycombing will close up covering the seed. You're basically mimicking Mother Nature.

For Timothy I seed in Sept, I use a TORO slit seeder. It is PTO driven with cutters to open a slit to drop seed, and small discs to cover the seed. I have it set to a 1/4" planting depth and also does a great job. Much slower than the broadcast spreader, but it can plant seed up to 7 mph. A $100 creampuff I got at a local school surplus sale when they went to artificial turf.

The slit seeders can be rented from equipment dealers that handle them. Last I saw was $175 a day, and it was a Woods brand. This one has paid for itself many times over in rental fees alone.

 

[super55]

For years I used to do the till/broadcast seeding method. For covering the seeds I used an 8' livestock gate from TSC that had woven wire welded on it and then ratchet strap logs on it for weight. It actually worked quite well and I would just keep it on site since such little investment was in it.

 

[HamishMacCheap]

I never bought a iron/steel cultipacker but I use an 8' 6X6 with eye bolts and chains on either end. I hook this poor man's cultipacker to the spin spreader and smooth out the food plots after using a chisel plow/spring tine cultivator and a set of discs to smooth the soil so there aren't any deep ruts for seed to fall into. I then spread seed and pull the 6x6 to turn the seed into the soil. I'm sure some seed is wasted but a bit of wasted seed is cheaper than buying a planter.

As the pressure treated 6X6 ages, it becomes lighter and I will add an 8' 2x6 to put weight back on it. I have found that if it is too light, it isn't effective.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Gonna do the frost seeding this afternoon at my local food plot. We have temps below freezing for about another week possibly 5" of snow Wed. We'll see how it goes. This is one I can reach with my tractor/mule easy enough. I keep it fertilized and limed pretty good. Still gonna get a soil sample and deliver it to the Ag office next week. Gonna take the remote food plot sample there then too.

If at all possible I may take the mule to the other food plot before the snow and sow that then come back Sat and do the lime/fertilizer. That work things keeps trying to get in my way though so we'll see.

I don't use roundup/glysophate on anything I plan to eat from, so I will see how well I can get it to take. I know its better for the clover to get rid of competing weeds, but when cows eat glysophate and other weed killers it can be passed to their manure. Has to have an effect on their meat, deer and cows are both ruminants. That's my stance on it.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I have always used a roller in harrowed dirt for planting small seed and it hasn't failed me yet, it always seems to provide good seed to soil contact.