When to plant crimson clover in central Texas

[Coolbreeze89]

New to cover crops. Hoping to provide some winter grazing for my pigs/goats (along with hay). Am I understanding correctly that it will grow through the winter (barring another arctic blast) but shouldn’t flower til spring? When my ag co-op advised this due to my sandy soil, I didn’t realize how much taller it got compared to the white clover I read about. Oops! I had been planning on seeding it as a “low“ cover crop in areas where grass died but where I still walk/do chores. Taller growth along periphery and in pastures is fine, but will it stay <6-8” before flowering in the spring? Or are my animals likely to chomp it down to low levels regardless? Thanks. I’m a newbie to anything but buying feed/hay!

 

[Baymule]

I sowed crimson clover on my farm in Lindale. White sugar sand for soil. I planted in September or October, depending on rain. A hot dry September is a bad time to throw seed around.

It comes up with rain and cool weather. It will not support grazing over the winter. January/February it may reach 3-6” tall and will have a growth spurt in March. It gets about 2 feet tall and blooms in April, it’s done by mid to end of May. If your animals are on it over the winter, they will eat it down and it will not provide much forage. I kept my sheep off until mid March and didn’t graze them every day.

I have an old pasture thread that covers several years and includes both white and crimson clover. I bought seed at East Texas Seed Company in Tyler.

I’ll go look for my pasture thread. BRB

 

[Baymule]

Found it. You may have to scroll through a lot of pages, but I grew some bodacious clover! I also sowed rye grass with the clover. Clover can cause bloat, I fed my sheep before taking them to pasture and put baking soda in feeders for them. The rye grass gives them something else to eat besides the clover and it does not cause bloat. I grazed them for 2 hours a day for a week, then upped the time each week. I kept the baking soda out for them.

When the clover dies back, mow it. The clover takes nitrogen from the atmosphere and fixes it in their root nodules. The roots decompose and release the nitrogen in the soil. Mowing it down let’s the summer grasses come on out, Bermuda and Bahia.

Making A Pasture

This is about a one acre pasture in the front with road frontage. It does a fine job of growing my nemesis, green briars. We are cleaning it up to prepare for planting pasture. Before pictures.

www.backyardherds.com

 

[Coolbreeze89]

Found it. You may have to scroll through a lot of pages, but I grew some bodacious clover! I also sowed rye grass with the clover. Clover can cause bloat, I fed my sheep before taking them to pasture and put baking soda in feeders for them. The rye grass gives them something else to eat besides the clover and it does not cause bloat. I grazed them for 2 hours a day for a week, then upped the time each week. I kept the baking soda out for them.

When the clover dies back, mow it. The clover takes nitrogen from the atmosphere and fixes it in their root nodules. The roots decompose and release the nitrogen in the soil. Mowing it down let’s the summer grasses come on out, Bermuda and Bahia.

Making A Pasture

This is about a one acre pasture in the front with road frontage. It does a fine job of growing my nemesis, green briars. We are cleaning it up to prepare for planting pasture. Before pictures.

www.backyardherds.com

Thank you so much!

 

[Baymule]

Crimson Clover Seed - Coated

Dixie Reseeding Crimson Clover Seed (Coated) - Dixie Crimson Clover is a reseeding annual clover developed by the Georgia Experiment Station at Griffin, GA. It is commonly seen growing in Southeastern interstate highway medians. It is very tolerant of soil acidity, but not poor drainage. Dixie...

hancockseed.com

Shop | East Texas Seed Company - Part 5

easttexasseedcompany.com

I shopped both companies. East Texas Seed is in Tyler, so it was easy to just go pick it up. Hancock usually has lower prices and I've bought from both companies. The Arrow Leaf white clovers do not reseed and come back, or at least they didn't for me. The white ball clover did great, reseeded and came back every year. I mixed in Dutch White Clover too, it is a low growing clover and has great reseeding traits. That is the one to plant where you just want a ground cover.

https://www.amazon.com/Outsidepride-White-Dutch-Clover-Seed/dp/B004QLGT5Y/ref=asc_df_B004QLGT5Y?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=79920803409782&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583520382244001&psc=1

 

[Baymule]

Did you get the clover planted?

 

[Coolbreeze89]

I did not. I’ve been waiting for rain…now I guess I’m too late.

Thanks for checking in on me. I haven’t been on here much to follow your move/new property, but I’m always wishing good things for you.

 

[CLSranch]

I’ve been waiting for rain…now I guess I’m too late.

Here (I'm way north of you) it's not to late. If I could get a little rain that is. As a rule once you get less than 10hrs a day things quite growing, even if something in your garden stays green doesn't mean it's growing. Some grasses though rely on ground temps. You should have a little more light in the winter than me.

 

[Baymule]

Yeah it’s not too late. You could plant up to first frost.