1. Follow Lindsay on @LindsayThomasJr. That was the response I gave to my longtime friend Cal Marsh over three decades ago when he suggested we go turkey hunting. The more you can do to control problem weeds before you plant perennials, the greater your chances of success. I often use glyphosate with a handheld or backpack sprayer and apply a very low volume precisely to individual weeds and do my best to avoid killing the surrounding desirable forages.”. This is why I feel mowing can often do more harm than good. Which is bad for not only your deer, but turkeys, quail, pheasants, and even pollinators. Left uncut, white clover grows 4-8 inches tall and produces small white flowers that are often tinged with pink. “After some time and a few rain events, you may need to spray a new flush of warm-season weeds,” said Craig. Learn about Non-Typical Clover, how to plant it and tips for caring for it from the experts at Mossy Oak. Mowing After sowing seed, the lawn should be mown regularly and fairly close (1.5 to 2 inches or 3.8 to 5 cm) which favors clover over grass by allowing more light to reach the clover. Clover is a low-growing weed and offers a shallow root system. The southwestern flavors create a wonderful mix with the tender smoked pheasant, making this recipe one to keep. Non-Typical Clover is late to flower, so you'll get 6-8 more weeks of good, quality deer and turkey forage before the clover begins to flower. To encourage a patch of clover already growing in your yard, mow your lawn to 1.5 to 2 inches (3.8-5 cm). The key to effective weed control in all seasons is spraying at the correct time and monitoring the plot closely. Secondly, perennial white clover plots are usually but not always placed in small food plots or areas of high browse pressure. Trifolium repens, the white clover (also known as Dutch clover, Ladino clover, or Ladino), is a herbaceous perennial plant in the bean family Fabaceae (previously referred to as Leguminosae). Between turkey, quail, and pheasant nesting and poult seasons and whitetail fawning you are limited to mow during the late spring to early summer period. Adjust Your Mowing Height. “That’s also when you might see bald patches. This is the Black Bulls of the Universe - 44B. It is simply an extra dwarf white clover (Trifolium repens), not reaching more than 6 inches (15 cm) high even if you never mow it. “The stand becomes less and less dense, and you’re seeing more bare ground. In the North, I’d top-dress in August, and in the Deep South you could wait as late as early October.”. However, it’s not until the legume dies that the nitrogen produced in the nodules on the roots becomes available to other plants. Once you plant Biologic’s Clover Plus, the product will produce tons of highly-nutritious food for deer, turkey and other wildlife for years, if properly maintained. If you planted a blend of clover and alfalfa, you will likely see alfalfa weevils each spring, and there are insecticides you can spray to control them. The Smoked Pheasant Tortilla Soup is a great, warm-you-up a meal for those cold days during the winter. It’s also important to keep in mind that I’m am talking about mainly white clover species, as they are more common in food plots than red clover. RELATED: Black Clover: 10 Best Magic Knight Rivalries In The Franchise. Craig has planted food plots and hunted the deer that use them, but more importantly he has put food plots through university-level testing to produce valid results that meet scientific standards. Selection 11. But the final nail in the coffin comes with the extremely limited window you have to mow. Throughout the life of your perennial plot, you will spend much of your time concerned with weeds. So to start mowing does control annual broad leaf species and can keep other weed species from seeding out. When we talk to Cranky about turkey hunting, he always says, “Turkey hunting comes hard to me.”, Donald Devereaux Jarrett | Mossy Oak Pro Staff “Turkey hunting? Mark Stowe, the producer and host of The Direction – an adventure-travel fishing television series, well regarded for its entertaining and educational storytelling – has announced a strategic alliance with MOOSE Media by Mossy Oak that includes increased awareness for the 811 Outdoors’ “call before you dig” national safe digging initiative. Fortunately, there are some effective herbicides available to control most weed problems in perennial forage plots, and the choices and applications don’t have to be overly complicated. Come October, it will look great.”. But overall from a wildlife professional’s point of view, it can actually do more harm than good! Despite what you may have heard, mowing does not get rid of weeds in perennial food plots. If you don’t control weeds, don’t worry about year five.”. “If you bush hog a fallow field and disk in the debris, you incorporate a lot of nutrients, and they will slowly become available as the organic material decomposes over the next several months,” Craig said. Craig recommends giving every plot at least one year off from perennial clovers when it’s time to renovate. His work is helping weed out a lot of faulty food plot lore. He was co-editor of QDMA’s book, Quality Food Plots. He has no wing unlike his brother. Also, how often should we apply herbicides? However, if you can get several years of utilization out of your clover fields instead of having to replant every year, you may save some money and time. Of course, most perennial forage plots never see year five because they are overtaken by weeds long before then. But overall from a wildlife professional’s point of view, it can actually do more harm than good! “That’s just wrong. All Rights Reserved. Should you mow your clover food plots this summer? They can’t just spray the plot one time and be done for the year. Lindsay Thomas Jr. is QDMA’s Director of Communications and editor of Quality Whitetails magazine. If it is grass competition, it is usually better to spray than mow, but if it is broadleaf weeds, then mowing should clean up the plot. clover into an existing grass hay field can vary greatly depending on time of seeding, environmental conditions, soil type, amount of thatch and competition from existing vegetation. If not using only two herbicides like 2-4-dB (for butyrac) and Clethodim can effectively remove both the broadleaf and grasses species without harming clover. Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois shares one of his Duck Camp Dinners using duck breasts and boar bacon. Thus, the next time you are mowing your loan, change your mower’s blade setting to let your grass grow taller. “When a clover plot wilts down during summer, it looks rough,” Craig said. Craig’s once-a-year mowing often takes place the same time he needs to top-dress the plot, so both tasks can be tackled in one visit. cutting height (25mm) had more impact when shoot cutting was more frequent. The next year, you’ll be ready to rotate back to clover if you want. As I have learned first-hand, just because perennial clover has the potential to live for five years or more, doesn’t mean this lifespan is automatic. And if you mow occasionally, it will top out at 4 inches (10 cm). If the clover is doing well in May and June and deer are eating it, let them eat it. Disk the plot, plant a warm-season annual such as soybeans, cowpeas or lab-lab, and then follow that with a cool-season annual such as wheat or oats. It’s time for crop rotation. This height is more favorable to clover than to grasses. Craig Harper was the first habitat management expert I ever heard begging hunters to leave the Bush-hog in the shed. Let’s assume you’ve already established a stand of perennial white clover (either the ladino or intermediate sub-type of white clover) and perhaps it is mixed with other perennials like chicory or alfalfa. Clover suppresses common lawn weeds. File Sizes 3. theme.plist 4. The unique dense growth allows for low mowing height. Clover lawns are lush green from spring until fall. Incidentally, I asked Craig about spraying perennial clover with Roundup, a practice that some food plot managers say can work for weed control without killing the clover if you spray at the exact right time. If your desire is more wild turkeys on your property the best way to accomplish that goal is to provide everything possible that turkeys seek in their home range. Mowing clover lawns is usually only necessary to prevent blooming or to tidy their appearance in summer. This advice on mowing differs from some food plotters, who believe in mowing clover when it is at its most productive. It is important not to let your clover get above 8 inches or so. This also keeps the clover more palatable and attractive to the deer. You don't need a tractor or heavy equipment to get things done. Components 10. Don’t mow it! Craig said it is not uncommon for a soil test taken one year after establishment to call for the same amount of lime and fertilizer that was called for at planting. I’m getting it prepared for fall growth. 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