Frost seeding clover

Ecnerwal

Member
Am I recalling correctly that to "frost seed" clover, I just go out and broadcast it in/on the snow, hoping the mice/birds don't eat it all? I suppose if I do it in the snowstorm, the birds might miss it.
 
Yes you are correct but it is way to early to be doing that yet. Best to do it on a later snow. You store the seed in a dry warm place so that it is sort of warm when it hits the snow and that helps hide it from birds etc. I frost seed clover in my hay fields every year and might try some oats this spring also to make oat hay
 
It's way to early, it's done in the spring when the ground is bare but still freezing at night. Do it in the morning before it warms up. Look at the ground while it's frozen and you will see where the ground is open from being frozen. Theory is the seed falls into these openings and when the ground warms these openings closes and the birds can't get to the seeds. We used to mix the seed with fertilizer at the bulk plant and run it thru the spreader truck to distribute it in the fields. Still a lot of snow around the edges and around the hedgerows and woods when we did it. Lots of Mennonites doing it.
 
The only advantage to sowing it on the snow cover is you can see where you've been with the seeder. Generally, most people wait until mid to late February. The "almanac" people will tell you to sow it "in the dark of the moon in February".
I personally, use a target date of January 21st. I"ve never failed to get a stand using this date. Most stand failures with "frost seeding" are due to sowing the seed too late with subsequent lack of adequate freezing and thawing to incorperate the seed.

Never....have I heard of birds eating all the seed. Do you know how many seeds of Red Clover are in a pound?? 'Something like 272,000! With a 6-10 pound seeding rate....well, you do the math.
 
My experience is pretty much the same as randallinMo. The last half of Jan to the middle of Feb. I also like to run cattle in the field if not too wet about the same time.
I knew a fellow who mixed clover seed in mineral mix and let cattle scatter it. His goal was not hay but pasture mix,worked good for his purpose, but I want a more even mix for hay.
 
I "frost seeded" red clover one year by setting
gangs on transport disc straight and set to where
they slice top inch or so then spread seed, The
next day it rained and washed seed into sliced
soil.Actually worked pretty good.
 
My dad and grandad did it that way for 100 years or so. Dont think they hardly every failed at it. In the 40 years I helped my dad, I dont recall it not working. Birds are no problem at all.

The seed works right into the soil. Now we always sowed it into winter wheat.

Dark of the moon in Feb. was the old timers rule. Also "School election day" which I think is in April?

Gene
 
Thanks, all. The almanac folks won't be happy this year anyway - the "dark of the moon" is Jan 31 & March 1 (but I suppose they could do the early morning of the 1st and late evening of the 28th ;-) )

Given I'm in New England I guess I'll shoot for the end of February.
 

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