Clover. Keep or Disk?

[EddieWalker]

My winter food plot was about 2/3 turnips and 1/3 clover. The deer like the turnip greens during deer season, but don't care for them for very long. Nothing eats the turnips, including me. The deer seem to walk through the clover during deer season, but lately, I've seen them out eating it for extended periods. The clover wasn't very thick during dear season, but it's getting pretty thick now.

In a few months, I'm going to disk in the turnips and plant sunflower seeds and beans. The beans are for the deer to eat during the summer months and the sunflowers are for me to take pictures of. I had great luck with them last year and I'm excited to plant even more this year.

My question is about the clover. I'm in East Texas. It gets hot and humid here in the summer. Does the clover live through summer? Will the animals still use it? Should I just disk it in and plant more beans?

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[MMagis]

In hot/dry weather clover will usually dry up and look dead. But, it’ll pop right back when the rain comes back. Just a warning, the deer may not give you a chance to enjoy the sunflowers. Small sunflower plants are high on their preferred snack list, right there with soy beans.

 

[EddieWalker]

I had less then half a sack of black oi sunflower seeds for bird feeders laying around last year, so I spread them out in my food plot. They came up great and turned into a really nice photo op. I went there several times a week just to take pictures and see what was new with them. They only grew a few feet tall and the flowers where not huge, but very nice to see.

I probably tossed out 15 to 20 pounds. I'm not sure, but it was less then half of a 50 pound bag. I'm going to buy a full bag and do it again with a lot more!!! I'm also thinking about buying some seeds of other types to see what happens.

I sort of expected the deer to eat them, or the wild hogs, but nothing seemed to be interested in them. We also had a very hot, very dry summer and they all died on me sooner then I think they would have if it hadn't been so bad. Maybe with better conditions, it might be something the deer like? I'll find out this year.

Eddie

 

[Western]

Eddie, several years ago I spoke with a TP&W Biologist that recommended Arrow leaf clover for East Texas food plots, usually mixed with other grains (He recommended Oats). Generally our heat takes care of clover here.

Sunflowers I have planted, have been grazed to almost extinction, horses at the time didn't help either:laughing: I watch the deer and they seem to prefer the younger, smaller leaves, on occasion they have ate the crown too. I grew some Lab-Lab with SF one year and it was crazy thick.

Since sunflower likes aliot of nitrogen, you may want to plant a legume with them so they get to benefit each other. If it wasn't for cost, I'd like to try SF with Soybeans:thumbsup:

 

[foreman Etexas]

My winter food plot was about 2/3 turnips and 1/3 clover. The deer like the turnip greens during deer season, but don't care for them for very long. Nothing eats the turnips, including me. The deer seem to walk through the clover during deer season, but lately, I've seen them out eating it for extended periods. The clover wasn't very thick during dear season, but it's getting pretty thick now.

In a few months, I'm going to disk in the turnips and plant sunflower seeds and beans. The beans are for the deer to eat during the summer months and the sunflowers are for me to take pictures of. I had great luck with them last year and I'm excited to plant even more this year.

My question is about the clover. I'm in East Texas. It gets hot and humid here in the summer. Does the clover live through summer? Will the animals still use it? Should I just disk it in and plant more beans?

Thanks,
Eddie

I dont know if your running any cattle on it but you really gotta watch the cattle on clover right now. But as for deer they really like it and yes should run threw the summer months,with good rains. If its gets like last year nothing lives,just the weeds,lol..

 

[EddieWalker]

No cattle. Just a pet pig that doesn't seem to have any interest in clover or turnips.

Eddie

 

[forgeblast]

Wait until you see the price of the black oil sunflower seeds, tsc had them for 30.oo a bag. I think thats 2x's as much as I paid for them before.

 

[Western]

I think I'm going to use a couple of bags of wild bird feed that also has sunflower, had good luck with germination in the past and I really liked the diversity of the growth. I had quit using any Milo's when I had horses, but now that that headache is gone, I'm good to go.

 

[nybirdman]

I plant black oil sunflowers every year;deer seem to like them before they open.The bird seed doesn't seem to produce a seed head.For deer my primary year-round feed is soy-beans;I also plant field corn,both round-up ready.
I tried turnips one year also,deer didn't seem to like it.Last year I tried a plot with mixed bird seed and it grew well.It had milo,millet and sunflower in it.