Frost seeding

jm.

Well-known Member
Location
Dover TN
Here is my question. Have a piece of ground been in hay for several years and was getting where it needed to be redone. Last fall after last cutting I round-upped it heavy then about three weeks before frost hit it again so it went into winter clean dead. Last few days we have had 5 inch snow and cold . But they are calling for 40s tomorrow and 50s Sat. I applied 10 lb per acre of red clover. Would it help to run over it this afternoon or first thing in the morning with a cult- packer. They are calling for warm rain Tuesday and warm weather next week. I know my dad always like to frost seed on a late snow but this is my first try.
 
Using the culti -packer won't hurt unless it is muddy and seed sticks to rollers. It may not be necessary. Its depends on conditions following seeding. If it rains soon after planting rolling may do as much good as if it stays dry. Using the packer is a good way to get soil to seed contact.
 
Jm,
I'm not an expert here's. One early December day, I used some fill dirt to repair a small section of the yard. After leveling the dirt I used a 3 ft wheelhorse disk to put groves in the dirt. Spread lawn seeds by hand. Next day winter set on . Cover seeds with snow. I thought the worst. Next spring after the ground warmed up I had the best lawn you could ask for. The groves made by the disk is where the seeds ended up. Like I planted seeds in a row.

That said seeds need to be covered with a little dirt or packed a little. I would use a culitpacker after ground thaws.

Next week will be above freezing temperatures for first time in a spell. Next week they are adding days of rain too. So I have about 8 inches of SNOW on top of frozen ground and add rain. The water isn't going to soak in, it's going to run off . That potentially would wash seeds away.



Again I'm no expert when it comes to grass. One reason I like zosya grass in lawn . Get it started and it's good to go.

Good luck.
George
 
Where did you get frost seed!!!! Plan on getting to the big city next week. Was wondering how a lawn and garden battery would work as jumper battery?????
 
Appreciate both replies , I am thinking after tonight , bright sun in the morning the thaw or melt will be from the ground up and it is real level if I get a hard rain it will just soak in. Guess I,ll see what my mood is and how much other has to be done in the morning will depend on where it gets rolled or not. Right now it is trackless, had a neighbor put it on from the air.
 
We always broadcast clover seed just before a light snow so the snow melting would help put the seed in the ground,too much snow and the running water from the melting snow will wash the seed around.
 
Bill ,
I got mine SNOW seeds at my favorite store, MENARDS.

Lawn mower batteries come in different CCA.
I buy the biggest CCA sealed mower battery. I think you can get a bigger CCA car for around $50 at RK. The cheapest mower batteries aren't worth bringing home. About 200 cca.


George
 
Here in S Iowa we tried to seed clover in wheat last week of feb or first week of march. Some snow is nice so as to see where you have seeded, but you can seed on bare ground. Ideally you want thawing during day and freezing at night. IMO I think you are in good shape.Leave it alone!
 
I put out 50 pounds today myself and plan on sowing 50 more tomorrow. I try to do this about every year. Anymore clovers only last about 2-3 years, but is super easy to get a stand. Nathan
cvphoto78839.jpg

Here is my rig.
 
That sure looks good, hope I get a stand. Seed is not cheap but I think I did everything rightm but was wondering abut rolling it in, think I will just let it melt in.
 
Wouldnt be bad to roll it . Thats why I like using a press drill I set the openers with good down pressure and then the press wheels make sure to get a little soil to seed contact
 
Ive had good luck loosening up the ground with my lely doesnt kill the grass and gives the seed really good contact
cvphoto78886.png
 
We have a big hard land drill, I was looking at something that did not require that . Just put these out on top of the snow and hope it works.
 
I think you will be alright, I have seen guys use a regular end wheel grain drill and plant the seed with snow on top of the ground, no seed to soil contact. Try packing half of the field and do nothing to the other half and see which one is better, then you will know for the next time.
 
Here in the south when we had milk cows we would sow oats in a prepared seed bed for fall pasture. In Feb or March overseed the oats with lespideza on a frosty morning. Its the freezing thawing action that gives you the seed to soil contact. Snow not reliable for that purpose here. You could bale the oats at dough stage in May andbesure the sickle cuts above the lush young lespadeza and then bale the lespedeza in August. Both crops made excellent hay. Dad started that in the fifties. My last oat crop was in 2005 I believe. Made excellent fall pasture for the Angus cows. Mother Nature has been frost seeding long before me or you tried it. She knows what shes doing.
Andy
 
Back when we had the dairy cows I kept a bag of red clover in the barn cleaner pit and would throw a coffee can full of seed on top of the manure every morning before going out to spread. You wouldn't see the results on the first cutting of hay but we always had to ensile the second cutting because the clover was too heavy to get dry enough to bale. I'd say leave it alone and let mother nature do the work for you.
 
Yes but Mother Nature doesnt buy seed or Diesel fuel and she doesnt care whether she gets a crop or not shes always got next year
 

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