Legume/Nitrogen??

[dieselscout80]

A legume like clover add the nitrogen to the soil when the legume it dies or is tilled under.

If I plant some clover in my pastures and let it grow and then kill it with say 24d will it add nitrogen to my soil?

 

[ctbigman]

NO. A legume like clover or alfalfa only enhances the nitrogen in the soil while it is growing. Once it dies it becomes manure...some value but not what you are trying to achieve, I think

 

[dieselscout80]

NO. A legume like clover or alfalfa only enhances the nitrogen in the soil while it is growing. Once it dies it becomes manure...some value but not what you are trying to achieve, I think

This is a quote from http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_a/a-129.pdf.

"Nitrogen Return to the Soil and Other Crops The amount of nitrogen returned to the soil during or after a legume crop can be misleading. Almost all of the nitrogen fixed goes directly into the plant. Little leaks into the soil for a neighboring nonlegume plant. However, nitrogen eventually returns to the soil for a neighboring plant when vegetation (roots, leaves, fruits) of the legume
dies and decomposes."

I don't know, but I want to know.

 

[jonyyuma]

Good point, so whats your Covercrop? I need something to plow under in the spring, besides turnips and greens?

 

[dieselscout80]

Good point, so whats your Covercrop? I need something to plow under in the spring, besides turnips and greens?

I want to add some clover to my pastures.

 

[MMagis]

NO. A legume like clover or alfalfa only enhances the nitrogen in the soil while it is growing. Once it dies it becomes manure...some value but not what you are trying to achieve, I think

No, that's not right. Legumes add the nitrogen AFTER they die and decompose.
So yes, you could seed some clover and then kill it later. But, a couple problems could arise. One, you'll have a tough time getting clover going in an established pasture. Your best bet would be to frost seed in Feb/March. Clover starts growing earlier than most other pasture plants, so that give's it a head start. The other issue would be that I don't think you'll get enough N to do much good. Typically, it works best to frost seed the clover, and let it go. Once it gets established, there will always be some dead plants giving off N.

 

[jonyyuma]

I was afraid the clover might come back too strong for a garden? The 3006 i planted on the hill, comes back yearly?

 

[MMagis]

For a garden, you could plant berseem clovers. It’s an annual, so it’ll die in the winter. A lot of people plant winter rye in gardens over winter. It doesn’t add nitrogen, but it does make some of the N that’s already there more available to plants. Not sure I completely understand how.

 

[cowski]

spread crimson clover at frost in the fall.it helps to graze or cut before spreading.a good mature crop of crimson clover puts a lot of usable nitrogen in the ground.

 

[boer]

Take a look at Radishes...Tillage Radish - The Cover Crop That Pays
I am not a salesman or affiliated with these folks, but have been looking to use this in my tired, established pasture to see if this will do what is advertised.