# Planting Clover



## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

I was thinking of doing a field of clover. Maybe 5-10 acres of it. How do you do it I am not a farmer.? Do I till it or just sprinkle it over the grass that is there.? Do I till after I sprinkle also so it mixes in?

Is planing clover worth it?

Any good sources for 50 lb bags of the seed?


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## CynCityBee (Oct 13, 2010)

There are several ways to seed clover. You can broadcast it and if that is the way you choose fall/winter is a good time to do it. If I broadcast seed I try to do it right before a snow fall so that the snow provides a cover of the seeds from birds. The best way though is to drill the seed with a pasture renavator. Of course that does involve having a tractor to pull it. Where I live at our county extension office has one that you can rent for I think $50 a day which is well worth the money. Your percentage of actual seeds that come up will be greater this way over broadcasting. Southern states or any farm supply should have the clover instock.


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## Mike S (Dec 25, 2009)

You could do it either way but it would probably be be best to at least run a disk thru it a few times. Its probably too late to come up this fall ( I'm not sure about your area) I know its too late here.

Make sure you have the soil PH tested and or apply plenty of lime. Clover loves the lime. Call your county extension agent and they will help you, should get your soil tested for free and also they can tell you your lime application rate for your soil. They will give you instructions on how to test your soil.

If you spread the seed this fall the snow should help push it in the ground and come up next spring for you. In our area the optimum time to sew is middle of August, letting it come up some in the fall while the weeds are going dormant so it will have a good start in the spring.

Start off by calling your extension agent, good luck.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Thanks. I am in the Washington that does not get much frozen snow. Our snow is a bit more liquid. But, we do get 61 Inches of it a year. I now need to find out what disking is. I do have a tractor so that is not an issue. 

So disking is those disks that point into the ground and till it a bit. Nice. http://www.epa.gov/agriculture/ag101/cropsoil.html


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## arcowandbeegirl (Oct 11, 2010)

We have had great success broadcasting the seed out, if your grass is short, then scratching the ground with a drag, or piece of chain link fence or panel weighed down with old tires or whatever you have. If you have a small tractor, atv or truck you can pull this behind any of these. It would be best to buy white clover for your bees.


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## Mike S (Dec 25, 2009)

I agree with beegirl also, anything to scratch up the ground a little, a small garden disk will work fine and your 61" of wet snow should do the job. You just need the seed about 1/4" in the ground not over 1/2". Dont forget to lime for better results.


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## beth14kk9 (Sep 20, 2010)

Discing is done using an implement that is pulled behind your tractor that has a number of metal discs that basically break or till up your ground. It will be usually very roughly tilled up.

Beth

Oops, I see you found out. A disc is one of those implements that you almost can't do without if you do any kind of farming or large gardening. You should be able to find a good used one, if you need to purchase.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Found one on craigs list for 500 bucks. So might check it out.

Selling 3- point tandem category 1 hitch, disk harrow 20 hp tractor or greater $500.00 You Haul


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## bradley39482 (May 26, 2010)

eastside
it might be better to try planting just an acre or 1.1/2 acre, just to see how things come together if u have never planted before. an acre is easier to manage than 10, and it can easily be tilled with a tiller, or any small motorized equipment for tilling the ground. this way you can barrier off for deer, deer love clover, thats what we plant for hunting in the fall and spring, "clover",. deer and other wild game will be easier to manage with just one acre instead of 10, also there is always the possibility that the clover may not germinate, so instead of spending all that money on clover,"which sells for $5 a pound down here", youve only spent say 45 or 50 on clover. Also be in mind that u have to broadcast clover with some other type of carrier, like fertilizer, unless you plan on throwing it by hand, clover seed is very tiny and does not broadcast easily by itself. just some thoughts for u, will make u country, keep practicing,lol.:applause:


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## Merlyn Votaw (Jun 23, 2008)

Check with your county farm AG agent. he knows more about your area than most people here would and also knows what is available to rent in your area


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## ParanoidBeek (Aug 1, 2010)

What is the best clover to plant for honeybees?


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## Mike S (Dec 25, 2009)

Read through this thread, lots of discussion on clover. i still havent got my patch of ground going yet.

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=236614


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## honeybeekeeper (Mar 3, 2010)

I had about 5 acres of nice white clover that was about approx 40 yards away from the hives and when they say if there is something better out there that the bees like they will ignore whats in front of them and fly right over it...Well its true!! My bees flew right over that nice field of pure white clover. But later on they did use the white clover when other sources was drying up! I also had over 100 acre field in Soy beans about approx 150 yards to the left of the hives. Soon as i seen that the field was gonna be in soy bean i started searching to see if soy beans was a good nectar source, hear it stated that soy beans are a good nectar source "but" not all soy bean brands produce nectar and it souly depends on what the farmer plants! So there are several brands of soy beans that farmers can plant and not all of them are nectar producers! "I would plant a white clover high in protein!" White clover, alsike clover, and the white and yellow sweet clover plants are a good protein and nectar source!


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## greengecko (Dec 16, 2008)

honeybeekeeper said:


> I also had over 100 acre field in Soy beans about approx 150 yards to the left of the hives. Soon as i seen that the field was gonna be in soy bean i started searching to see if soy beans was a good nectar source, hear it stated that soy beans are a good nectar source "but" not all soy bean brands produce nectar and it souly depends on what the farmer plants!



 Some soybeans have neonicotinoid (thiamethoxam and imidacloprid) seed treatments.


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