For many meals plotters, planting season stays weeks away. However in case you’ve acquired a longtime clover plot otherwise you began one final fall, it’s time to get out that broadcast spreader and provides these plots a lift by frost seeding. Because the title implies, frost seeding is completed throughout that in-between season, when winter and spring are duking it out for dominance. Seed is unfold immediately onto the bottom, which, due to freezing temps at evening and thawing temps through the day, is frequently heaving. The energetic nature of the soil permits seeds to make contact with the grime and get labored down into the topsoil. As soon as soil temps heat, seeds germinate, they usually’re off to the races. Whereas I’ve used frost seeding principally in clover plots, it can be used successfully for alfalfa and chicory in addition to annual cool-season plot choices like wheat and oats.
Like most food-plotting strategies, frost seeding is one thing we stole immediately from farmers. For a number of years, I hunted a big property close to my house, and the farmer employed rotational grazing to maintain pastures viable for his sheep and cattle. Frost seeding was a typical device utilized by this landowner to increase the lifetime of his pastures–sometimes dedicated to alfalfa–with out enduring the expense of tilling and re-planting those self same fields. And it really works simply as effectively for deer plots.
Why Frost Seeding Now Is Well worth the Hassle
I’ll admit that the primary time I frost-seeded I felt form of foolish. My boots crunched on snow, then slid on mud, whereas I labored a hand-crank spreader and listened to clover seed hit the bottom like pellets of sleet. Clover seed ain’t low-cost, and I puzzled if I’d simply wasted a treasured half-pound of the stuff. However within the weeks that adopted, I watched that plot explode with new development and wished I’d hit two different plots and, within the years since, frost seeding has turn into a favourite approach. In my expertise, frost seeding has three main advantages.
1. Frost seeding helps set up new plots and enhance getting older ones.
If in case you have a brand new plot that also filling in, frost seeding is a simple strategy to increase new development so you’ve gotten a thicker, lusher meals supply for deer within the fall. What some individuals overlook, although, is that the approach may prolong the lifetime of older clover plots nearing the top of their life cycle. As most veteran clover-growers know, the primary and second years of a clover plot normally characterize the height attraction interval for deer, as younger vegetation usually are not solely filled with protein however tender as effectively. However because the plot ages, even with the perfect upkeep, the stems turn into harder and the leaves not fairly as tasty. Frost seeding provides an getting older plot the shot-in-the-arm it wants in its final section of life.
2. Frost seeding helps with weed management.
In case you’ve acquired naked or skinny spots in your plot, like all of us normally do, they’re apt to fill in with weeds this spring and summer season. That’s, except you plant clover there now. Whereas a few of these will probably be evident as you go to the plot to frost seed, I do know a number of land managers who mark these under-seeded areas by flagging them earlier than snowfall. That method, after they return within the spring they’ve clearly outlined spots that require just a little additional consideration. Clover is a reasonably aggressive grower as soon as it’s established, and frost seeding permits your fascinating vegetation to get a pleasant head begin on weed competitors. Often it’s so profitable that I can usually forego herbicide use and hold weed development at bay by merely mowing on the acceptable occasions.
3. Frost seeding saves money and time.
One of many predominant causes frost seeding is definitely worth the bother is as a result of it isn’t a lot bother within the first place. Nothing might be simpler to do, and it delays the necessity to until and replant a plot. Most of us are hard-pressed for time, and a few years we simply don’t have sufficient hours to do all of the issues we needs to be doing. Greater than as soon as, when my schedule was full of stuff that interferes with deer administration, I’ve used frost seeding to offer me a one-year reprieve.
The Proper Approach to Frost Seed a Clover Plot
As famous, frost seeding is greatest finished when the bottom continues to be frozen, however when spring is threatening. For me, which means late February via March, since spring green-up is often in mid-April right here in Minnesota. Don’t fear if there’s nonetheless snow on the bottom, as frost seeding over a pair inches of snow is okay.
Ideally the plots you plan to frost seed needs to be hit with an herbicide in fall, which ought to knock again weed competitors and provides your most popular crop a terrific begin. However in case you missed this step, go proper forward and frost seed. You possibly can comply with beneficial seeding charges when frost seeding, however I have a tendency to use just a little additional seed, particularly in areas of the plot I do know are skinny or naked. I don’t count on a full germination when frost seeding, so I’m sometimes just a little beneficiant. And take into account that if even in case you plan so as to add lime and/or fertilizer to a plot, you possibly can go forward and frost seed now, after which wait till full inexperienced up, full the soil take a look at, after which apply the beneficial amendments.
Make sure you make follow-up journeys to examine the plot after the climate has warmed and green-up is effectively underway. These visits will help you gauge the success of your seeding and, much more vital, gauge competitors from weeds. I’ve realized via laborious expertise that getting a leap on weed management begins with figuring out the culprits early.
Frost seeding won’t ever change the necessity to until and replant crops, nevertheless it’s a terrific and straightforward strategy to increase one which already began. Final fall, my dad tagged a pleasant 10-pointer that was the fourth buck he’d seen on two completely different hunts on the similar clover plot. I’d frost-seeded that plot final March, and whereas the clover was in its fifth yr, the plot was as inexperienced and productive as ever. Is I write this I’m planning sling a seeder over my shoulder within the days forward and see if I can get a sixth season out of that little honey gap.
