Whitetails 365: Maintaining Clover Food Plots

Whitetails 365: Maintaining Clover Food Plots

By Jessica Graham

From my hunting stand, I watched the 11-point buck bedded down in the clover field through my binoculars. Thanks to the establishment of clover on our small property, my husband and I were able to hold and attract neighboring deer to our place, and in this case, we had attracted a mature buck. The 11-point buck had frequented our one-acre clover field often throughout last year and this current hunting season. Throughout the months of October and November he regularly visited the clover field, which I attribute to supporting his antler growth and development. We were able to observe his behavior, and a powerful attractant for deer along with other wildlife as it provides a high-quality food source available most of the year. It is one of the first plants to start growing in the spring, so naturally hungry deer will come visit these fields in the spring to replenish much needed calories they have worn off surviving tough winters. If you have a clover food plot you must maintain it in order to keep it.

Planting the Plot
Before you begin planting a clover food plot, you need to do a little planning beforehand. You should begin by deciding which type of clover or blend of clovers you want to plant on your property. For instance, white clovers tend to be sweeter and more preferable to both wild birds and wild herbivores. This is due to the presence of tannins found in the red clovers. You may want to plant a blend of clovers for best results. After you have decided which varieties of clover are suitable for your hunting property, you need to select a site to plant clover. Clover prefers the PH of the soil to be somewhat neutral, close to 7.0. Clover varieties are pretty adaptable and can grow in an assortment of soil types from a sandy loam soil to a poorly drained clay loam soil. They are a good choice for an Iowa food plot.

Clover can be fairly easy to plant and even with minimal equipment, you can quickly establish a food plot for wildlife. It can be planted in either the spring or frost seeded in the late winter months. To plant in the spring, you can either drill the seed into the ground with a drill, or mechanically work the soil and prepare a good seedbed for the tiny seed. If you plow, disk, and harrow, or use a tiller on the ground, use a cultipacker to increase the seed-to-soil contact, which will support a healthy stand of clover. Seeding rates vary depending on the variety of clover. Red clover should be drilled at 15 lbs. an acre for a pure stand, or broadcast at 20 lbs. an acre. You can also frost seed clover, which is basically broadcasting seed on top of the frozen ground. It is best if it is frost seeded into an area that will have a good seedbed in the spring, such as a harvested corn or soybean field. The agricultural fields will provide adequate soil-to-seed contact necessary for increased growing potential with little weed competition.

Mechanical Weed Control
Once seeded, clover will start growing to establish a highly attractive food plot for deer. Deer will browse heavily on the clover, and will chose to eat clover over available grasses growing in the food plot. You will need to maintain the clover food source as weeds will compete for nutrients and sunlight. One of the biggest competitors is grass. It is unfortunate, but if you do not control the grass, it can completely choke out the clover. This will leave you with a field of grass rather than a field of clover. If left unmanaged, the weeds will try and take over. You can control unwanted weeds through either mechanical means, such as mowing, or by chemical means by applying herbicides. Mowing will help keep warm and cool season grasses from smothering out your established clover stand. It allows sunlight to reach the clover and maintain a healthy, thriving plant. Mowing grasses will also restrict grasses from depositing their seed into your food plot. Additionally, mowing promotes branching out of clover which shades competing weeds and creates palatable tender shoots for deer and other wildlife to consume. During drought conditions, refrain from mowing as the clover will be too stressed and you could actually injure and kill the plants. Once August comes around abstain from mowing and allow the cover to mature into a seed head. The clover will deposit more seed on the ground to promote more growth the following spring. By refraining from mowing in the late summer, you will allow the plants to grow and store nutrients to get through the winter. The plants should be able to grow and be heathy prior to fall frosts. Over all, mowing and brush cutting clover food plots will promote optimal establishment and healthy food plots, and is a great way to control weed pressure in your food plot.

Chemical Weed Control
You can also chemically control weeds by applying herbicides. There are two main types of herbicides: selective and non-selective herbicides. Non-selective herbicides are herbicides such as Glyphosate (Round-up) which will kill all plants that it contacts. Selective herbicides, on the other hand, only kill targeted plants, such as grasses in clover food plots. While applying herbicides to clover, you want to make sure you are applying herbicides that are selective for grasses and/or non-clover broadleaf weeds. You can find this information on the label and should always apply accordingly. Some herbicides, such as clethodim and sethoxydim are labeled for clover and will not harm it. The herbicides provide adequate control of weeds and allow the clover to thrive. Some chemicals provide some extended protection by residual suppressant of germinating weeds. Chemicals should always be mixed, applied and stored according to the label to ensure chemicals are not harming you or the environment. The chemical control of weeds helps eliminate their presence and allows the clover to flourish, and can reduce the need for mechanical maintenance. If a field has been invaded with weeds, you can often reclaim the clover field and convert it back into a luscious, and nearly a pure stand, by applying herbicides to the field and allowing the clover to reseed its self. Applying herbicides to a field may be ideal if equipment is not available, or if you choose not to disturb the wildlife habitat by frequent mowing. The herbicides are designed to specifically target distinct characteristics of competing weeds to help you regain a field of clover.

Clover is attractive to deer almost all year long, and is a key component in the growth and progress of deer health. It supports a high source of crude protein (20%) which will aid nursing fawns and lactating does in growth and development. Clover is a necessary factor to support bucks attempting to grow their antlers. It contains a rich amount of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium; the three biggest mineral components of antlers. Deer will seek out clover in an effort to supplement the antler masses growing from their heads. The antlers collect the nutrients to grow the antlers as much as 1 ½ inches a day. Growth decelerates towards the end of summer when the antlers harden and velvet begins to leave the antlers. However, deer still crave the nourishment provided by these food plots. Clover is also highly digestible for deer, which means when deer consume clover, they are able to utilize the vast majority of the plant, and very little goes to waste. For these reasons, clover is an essential dietary component for deer. You should incorporate clover into your hunting property to draw and attract deer to your area.

With a little equipment and investment of time, you can plant and maintain a luxurious clover food plot. If planted without maintenance, grass and weeds will take over the food plot and choke out the clover. With a little mowing and/or the assistance of herbicides, you can have a long-term food plot that will thrive and last for years. Clover will help you hold and attract neighboring wildlife to your hunting property. Whether your goal is to feed and support the local wildlife, or if you are planning an exciting hunt, clover food plots should be planted on your hunting property.