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Post by smsmith on May 2, 2019 18:37:59 GMT -6
Has anybody either frost seeded or spring planted Frosty Berseem clover? What were the results if so?
I planted some in a mix last fall and was impressed with deer usage. I've got about 2/3 acre in two plots that I seeded to Frosty a week ago or so. They were both oat/radish plots last fall, so they were relatively clean of weeds. I did hit them with gly at seeding to deal with the winter annual weeds that were there.
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Post by MoBuckChaser on May 2, 2019 20:24:59 GMT -6
Frosty Berseem is high in protein. up to 25-28%. Starts slow but in 6-8 weeks you will have forage.
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Post by MoBuckChaser on May 2, 2019 20:26:32 GMT -6
It also can handle wet soil, so spring planting may work!
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Post by wklman on May 2, 2019 21:12:38 GMT -6
Sounds interesting. Where'd you get the clover from stu? Might have to throw some in one of my plots.
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Post by Sandbur on May 3, 2019 4:24:33 GMT -6
It is an annual?
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Post by nhmountains on May 3, 2019 6:10:26 GMT -6
Yes. From what I’ve read on it. |
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Post by smsmith on May 3, 2019 6:41:42 GMT -6
Sounds interesting. Where'd you get the clover from stu? Might have to throw some in one of my plots. Great Basin Seeds had the cheapest price I could find |
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Post by sd51555 on May 3, 2019 6:48:57 GMT -6
Sounds interesting. Where'd you get the clover from stu? Might have to throw some in one of my plots. Great Basin Seeds had the cheapest price I could find Is it just branded berseem, or an improved variety? I put plain berseem in last year for the first time in a blend around mid july I believe, along with other annual and biennial clovers. The whole mix got leveled in short order. This year: Repeat. |
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Post by smsmith on May 3, 2019 6:58:20 GMT -6
Great Basin Seeds had the cheapest price I could find Is it just branded berseem, or an improved variety? I put plain berseem in last year for the first time in a blend around mid july I believe, along with other annual and biennial clovers. The whole mix got leveled in short order. This year: Repeat. Improved variety for cold tolerance and multiple cuts. I think it's mainly targeted at alfalfa growers to boost thinning fields for a year. Last year I had green berseem until early December. It's advertised to take temps as low as 5 degrees. I'd say that's pretty accurate. What I don't know is low it will grow when spring planted. I imagine if it blooms it will end it's life cycle (annual). If the deer keep it from blooming, will it grow for the entire growing season? Will it die mid-summer, leaving me an opportunity to plant oats/radishes/brassicas? I guess I'll find out |
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Post by kooch on May 3, 2019 7:26:43 GMT -6
Great Basin Seeds had the cheapest price I could find Is it just branded berseem, or an improved variety? I put plain berseem in last year for the first time in a blend around mid july I believe, along with other annual and biennial clovers. The whole mix got leveled in short order. This year: Repeat. The clover portion of my mix last year was equal parts Frosty Berseem, Fixation Balansa and Crimson. I planted first week or so in July, along with brassicas, all mixed together. I spread the clover component heavy because my seedbed is not really a seedbed. It grew great, and I had green clover still on opening day up at my place and we had a few hard frosts. The crimson was long gone by then though. During my tree planting trip a couple weeks ago, I saw quite a bit of tiny little green clover sprouts. I'm hoping it'll grow like mad then die back in time for me to get my concoction planted this summer without too much fuss. I do not know which variety was sprouting already. First year planting this so I too am interested to see what all of this has turned into when I head back up in a couple weeks. Another spot, very wet, and brand new, was seeded in MR/Alsike/WR. It was also doing it's thing already, despite the giant pools of standing water all around it and generally muck dirt it's in. |
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Post by smsmith on May 3, 2019 7:45:16 GMT -6
The clover portion of my mix last year was equal parts Frosty Berseem, Fixation Balansa and Crimson. I planted first week or so in July, along with brassicas, all mixed together. I spread the clover component heavy because my seedbed is not really a seedbed. It grew great, and I had green clover still on opening day up at my place and we had a few hard frosts. The crimson was long gone by then though. During my tree planting trip a couple weeks ago, I saw quite a bit of tiny little green clover sprouts. I'm hoping it'll grow like mad then die back in time for me to get my concoction planted this summer without too much fuss. I do not know which variety was sprouting already. First year planting this so I too am interested to see what all of this has turned into when I head back up in a couple weeks. Another spot, very wet, and brand new, was seeded in MR/Alsike/WR. It was also doing it's thing already, despite the giant pools of standing water all around it and generally muck dirt it's in. With a Frosty Berseem, Fixation, Crimson mix, about the only thing that could be sprouting/growing now is the Fixation. The stuff will put on an amazing growth spurt if the deer don't keep it eaten to the dirt. My fall planted Fixation turned into an incredible mess of clover by mid-summer. Bees loved the stuff. It did not however re-seed itself. |
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Post by nhmountains on May 3, 2019 9:01:31 GMT -6
I’ve always planted perennial clovers. Do the annuals grow faster and produce more or what is the advantage?
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Post by smsmith on May 3, 2019 9:29:55 GMT -6
I’ve always planted perennial clovers. Do the annuals grow faster and produce more or what is the advantage? Annuals grow much faster and produce more tonnage, but obviously only for one year. I'm wanting to see what the Frosty does when spring planted. This year I plan to just let it do whatever it does. If it grows well, produces a bunch of lush, high protein forage (i.e. poor man's alfalfa) and then dies in summer it would serve me well in providing "free" nitrogen fertilizer for a successive brassica crop. If it grows all year and stays green until we get single digit temps and then dies, it will have provided a year of food, a bunch of bio-mass, and should leave me a pretty clean plot next spring. Perennial clovers are my mainstay. The plots I've got planted to berseem this year are what I usually use for brassicas. |
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Post by Freeborn on May 3, 2019 11:41:10 GMT -6
I’ve always planted perennial clovers. Do the annuals grow faster and produce more or what is the advantage? Annuals grow much faster and produce more tonnage, but obviously only for one year. I'm wanting to see what the Frosty does when spring planted. This year I plan to just let it do whatever it does. If it grows well, produces a bunch of lush, high protein forage (i.e. poor man's alfalfa) and then dies in summer it would serve me well in providing "free" nitrogen fertilizer for a successive brassica crop. If it grows all year and stays green until we get single digit temps and then dies, it will have provided a year of food, a bunch of bio-mass, and should leave me a pretty clean plot next spring. Perennial clovers are my mainstay. The plots I've got planted to berseem this year are what I usually use for brassicas. That's sounds like a smart strategy. If the deer don't keep it mowed how tall will you let it go before you Mow?
I planted regular Berseem a number of years ago as a nitrogen credit to Sorghum. It grew well.
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Post by smsmith on May 3, 2019 13:01:52 GMT -6
That's sounds like a smart strategy. If the deer don't keep it mowed how tall will you let it go before you Mow?
I planted regular Berseem a number of years ago as a nitrogen credit to Sorghum. It grew well.
I don't plan to mow it, I just want to see what it will do when spring planted and allowed to do whatever it does. |
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