Just doing some late night plot research for next spring. After looking on the Rural King website, one of the admin say that Clethodim will damage clover. Is there something better to use so grasses/ weeds in a clover plot?
DT
I haven’t heard of Cleth hurting clover, that is what most people use. Is there crop oil mixed with the cleth? Some times too much crop oil will hurt clover but not kill it. Most people by straight cleth and add crop oil.
In the Applicator’s Manual for Clethodim, clover is listed in the “For Use On” section.
In addition, in the additives section here’s what it says about crop oil for use of Clethodim on clover:
Always use a crop oil concentrate at 1% v/v in the
finished spray volume unless tank mix instructions
indicate otherwise.
I HAVE heard of guys successfully using LOW doses of Roundup on clover to kill grass invaders. Repeat the “LOW” part. NOT full strength Roundup mixes, there is no Roundup Ready clover. The idea being grass is more sensitive to Roundup than is clover so the grass dies where the clover just get shocked and comes back.
IMO, this idea of Roundup makes me VERY nervous and I would only try it if I had time to test areas with different concentrations using a hand sprayer first.
As an aside about Rural King, get your chemicals when you can and have them in stock when you need them. Rural King’s prices are great, but what has NOT been great for me is UPS shipping of chemical from Rural King.
Of my last 2 chemical shipments from Rural King, UPS beat the first on up so badly that it’s amazing it wasn’t leaking when I got it. The very next order of 2 x 2.5 gallons of Gly was punctured in shipment and had to be returned. The replacement was lost by UPS. I finally cancelled the order because I needed to spray and couldn’t faff around any more waiting for UPS to get it right.
Bottom line is if you see a good Rural King price, order it and get it in stock before you need it.
Grouse
I have sprayed clover with 1oz of gly per gallon of water(half the normal rate) and it worked very well. It did set back the clover for a week or two, but it came back well after that. Clover is naturally somewhat gly resistant. The one thing to worry about with doing this is you can make grasses or weeds gly resistant by hitting them with multiple lighter doses. A one time shot should be fine though. I still would rather hit with Cleth and crop oil, I just didn’t have any cleth on hand at the time.
Sorry, new to all of this. What rate per acre do you spray Clethodim? Also, I see on the Rural King site they have bean oil. Is that the same thing as crop oil? Otherwise if you have a link to what you use.
DT
“Food Plot” is that PC for “Bait Plot” . rrr
Nope.
Here is a quote for a true expert:
8 ounces of clethodim and one quart of crop oil per acre will kill the fire out of grasses! If you have tough fescue I use 10 ounces but 8 is plenty for annual grasses like foxtail or even brome grass in clover.
The beginning of a new 20 acre alfalfa field out my south window. 
My food plot is out the east window.
DT
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The alfalfa will be a huge draw next year, looks great so far!!
I would like to know what it is about alfalfa that makes deer in my arw go hot and then stone cold on it? I have 20 acres of alfalfa that i could hunt over. Except there hasn’t been a single deer using it since July.
Anyone read or hear anything about this?
Grouse
Does it get cut and harvested? If it gets beyond mature they will stop using it.
We have had alfalfa in for 2 years and the deer are in it from first green up until it’s completely dormant. Still using it last weekend.
Does it get cut and harvested? If it gets beyond mature they will stop using it.
Yes, it’s a working farm field, not a food plot, so it gets harvested 2 times a year.
I’m wondering if they plants, as they age, don’t lose some of their deer appeal? This particular field was planted in alfalfa 3-4 years ago. I believe I’ve heard that as an ag crop, alfalfa has about a 4 year lifespan before generally needing replanting.
But I’ve also observed even when this field was young, the deer seemed to go hot/cold on it. Of course this could be due to a lot of factors including availability of other, more desirable food sources.
Bottom line I guess, is that it still seems like the best idea to me is not to put all your food plot eggs in any one basket.
Grouse
I have 16 acres of crop ground that I am renting and was contemplating on what to do with it with the renter. Since I want the rent off the ground… brassicas and clover type food plots are off the board. He brought up to me Alfalpha. I said I would think about it. I know deer like alfalpha at times… but as a straight ag planting does it out draw corn, or soybeans? I dont think it would. Ideally would like him to plant corn again this year and not rotate into beans, but that means added costs for him. Still on the fence about it. What do you guys think?
Let him plant beans!!! IMHO there is no better draw than beans. Sure corn in king in late November, but June thru October and beyond its hands down beans for me. Alfalfa would be second due to the use spring summer and fall. Corn is great for gun only hunters and winter food source
“Food Plot” is that PC for “Bait Plot” . rrr
RRR, you are just poking the bear with a post like this, not cool!!!
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