Help with clover planting and landscape rake

Laminarman · May 6, 2004

Here's another project going (only about 1 of 5 right now). I have some nice lush grass woodland roads that I'd like to plant in Extreme Whitetail Clover from the Whitetail Institute. I can kill the grass with Roundup easily enough. Will a landscape rake be good enough to scour the dead grass and expose dirt for an overseeding? I don't really feel like trying to plow, disc and pack (especially as I don't have any of that equipment). We're talking a small area. Perhaps 150 yards long and 8 to 10 feet wide. The soil is slightly moist, but not hard and dry or wet. The reason I ask is that a landscape rake can be gotten locally inexpensively, and I need it for other stuff. This might be a quick way to do this well traveled (by deer) road?

beenthere · May 6, 2004

I didn't have any luck getting the Whitetail clover to grow on my forest trails, after they were disked, seeded, and packed.
Hopefully you will have better luck. (But the deer still use the trails).

Are you thinking a powered landscape rake? That might work.

Bob_Skurka · May 6, 2004

I tore up a field pretty well with a landscape rake so I think you could do it. But if you have any problems with just the rake alone, you could put your toothbar on your bucket and slowly drag the area with the teeth pointed down while driving in reverse and the bucket set in the "float" position, then drag it again with the rake. I would thing that if the rake didn't work alone, the combination of the rake and the toothbar would easily make the surface more hospitible for planting. Just make sure you don't throw the seed out too soon after spraying or your Roundup will kill the seeds too.

KubotaSteve · May 6, 2004

I think a landscape rake would be fine for that small of an area. It may take several passes and you may have to adjust the toplink for the rake to cut in. I have used my rake to cut down a bank before I had the FEL or boxblade.

Laminarman · May 6, 2004

Thanks everybody. The ground is rather soft so I'm sure I can rake it pretty well. I'm trying the Extreme blend which is supposedly better with tough soils. My pH is 5.5 and I'll lime it as well.

rambler · May 10, 2004

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Thanks everybody. The ground is rather soft so I'm sure I can rake it pretty well. I'm trying the Extreme blend which is supposedly better with tough soils. My pH is 5.5 and I'll lime it as well. )</font>

I'm not familiar with the brands you are talking about, but sounds like a yuppie scam. You can buy 2 times as much clover seed from a real seed place & have much better luck than buying some gormee seed that is the same exact thing you get from the other places..... Just heads up, I've heard a lot about these places.

Clover likes it damp & cool to start, we are getting kinda late. It does not like to be in the woods, it will sprout & then die out over summer if it's too dense. It does not like to be planted very deep. Like, only 1/2". However it likes the dirt very firm packed over the top of it.

--->Paul

Laminarman · May 10, 2004

Paul

I've seen deer chow down on this and Imperiale Whitetail Clover, leaving adjacent fields of cow forage alone. It grows lusher, and with finer stems and no woody stalks compared to regular clover. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes many times I wouldn't believe it either. That being said, it will be a small test patch with good drainage, but full sun for most of the day (mostly morning sun). I'll keep you posted.