I watched the latest vid of Dr. Woods this morning (see link below!)and it got me to thinking. He's drilling soybeans into existing clover or clover that he planted in the fall. I'm thinking that he has to drill the soybeans into the clover early in the spring and before the clover starts gets really tall and thick. But this REALLY has me thinking. Here's my scenario:

This fall, I'll disk my food plots and REALLY level the soil and sow my cereal grains AND, a sufficient amount of clover seed. Level food plots are so much easier to ride a tractor on!

Then, in early spring, fertilize with a 0-20-20 and then I'd drill legumes into my food plot (that I planted clover in the previous fall and yes, my pH is great)and as the soybeans/I & C peas sprout and grow tall, the clover will be coming on. Eventually, the soybeans will gain some height and grow and as July & August hits, the clovers will go somewhat dormant and then in about the end of September or early October, bushhog the beans and drill in cereal grains. By early October, the clovers will be coming on and the cereal grains will benefit from the fixed nitrogen from the legumes and I'd have a great food plot with less labor, time and expense.

Thoughts?

www.growingdeer.tv/#/how-to-maximize-food-plots

I think you'd have to space the soybeans pretty wide to have a shot at having the clover live. A good bean crop wouldn't let hardly any light through.

Yes, I thought about that too, great point. Is it illogical thinking to claim that during the months of July - early September, the clover is not going to do much anyway and by the time the legumes have run their course, the clover will start to come back?

I'm not claiming that such will work... but from a conceptual aspect, it seems like a good plan. But I am not convinced!! Thus, this is why I'm asking on here! Thanks for your input!

i just top sewed my into my white clover plots and they did fine until the got about 16 inches and the deer wiped them out. I mean I still think the clover would get enough sunlight through the gaps and have an abundance of shade to do well. thats an opinion but I think it would live regardless if you had a good stand or not

Too much overcrowding of plants to me. Why don't you do strips of forages instead. Put clovers on outside and plant your middles then swap up when your clover stand starts to decline.

I watched the video earlier this week and he said that was kind of a test for him to see what would happen. I'm sure they'll keep everyone updated on how those beans do drilled into the clover. It seems like too much competition to me but we'll see.

IMO, you just can't predict what will happen with the clover. If it gets timely rain without getting scorching hot, I've seen clover live throughout the summer. Most years though, I believe the clover will peter out in July if not earlier. It can't take harsh summer heat with long periods without rain. The only places that keep clover most years is the shady areas around the perimeter of each field.

Based on these past observations of mine, I think your plan sounds like a good one if you could plan it for the beans to overtake the clover in mid summer.

Do it and let us know how it works. I've done a lot of experiments, some worked, some didn't. The only way you grow as a habitat manager is to try new things.