Food Plot Frost Seeding??

[Deleted]

Curious whut ur experiences in this method are or any other other advice you may have to offer?? Interested in best times to plant, whut type seeds etc.

Thanks!

[bake545]

I have frost seeded clover seed into plots that were planted with a clover/rye mix the previous fall. This fills in any gaps that may have existed in the fall planting. I usually frost seed in March and mow off the rye in late June. This process has worked like a charm for me to establish a picture perfect clover plot.

You can only frost seed perennial seeds like ladino clover, annual seeds won't survive.


The right side of the plot in the pic below was planted last fall and frost seeded in March. The clover seemed pretty spotty in the fall but came in real nice with the added clover that was frost seeded.

[bawanajim]

My clover has been doing well for a new planting, last week I put a half cup of round up in my 30 gallon sprayer and lightly over sprayed the plot, today I could see the color difference in areas where the weeds were turning off color, yea!

[Dutch]

Sept 17, 2013 19:56:17 GMT -5 @loggy said:

Curious whut ur experiences in this method are or any other other advice you may have to offer?? Interested in best times to plant, whut type seeds etc.

Thanks!

Make sure you have a decent pH before you do anything.

A cheap soil test will save you in the long run.

I have never frost seeded a new plot, but have like Bake, added seed to an existing plot by frost seeding.

For fine seed like clover, frost seeding really isn't necessary. I have seeded on bare ground, well into May and have had great plots. Just seed before a rain event and you'll be fine.

Kill off existing vegetation first, preferably in the fall for a spring seeding.

[Deleted]

Thanks for all's input!!

I have the opportunity to hunt a remote private track approx 50 acres which has a few open clearcuts with not much growin there other than weeds. They are not machine accessable other than hike-in. Im thinkin of tryin to frost seed some of this next Spring.

[bowbum]

The only resemblance of a food plot I've ever had was frost seeded clover done for a few years some time ago. I don't do testing or prep work....it's a rock hill with scant soil, but I've had surprisingly good results just hand broadcasting clover in February and March.

[Deleted]

BB...some areas i plan to try frost seeding are exactly as you described: rocky w/scant soil with some areas being a lil better. Some areas are merely open strips of ole logging trails etc. I figure anything is better than nuttin so i plan to give it a try.

Got about a 15 lb blended mix of Gro & Thro, Ladino Clover w/aquaBond and a Clover Crush(blend of Medium red, Kotre White, Weka White & Barduro Red clovers). Got it all mixed-up and will hand spread likely sometime in early March. Will seed heavy knowing that survival will likely be not optimum.

[bowbum]

Obviously the more preparation done the better the results should be but I'm not in to spending a ton of money trying to create something that works pretty darn good when done cheap and dirty.
I'm not a big fan of food plots anyway but I know they can be a great draw for deer.

I have a buddy, "Sam" who spends a lot of his cash on soil prep, (even buying topsoil buy the truckload), fertilizer and lime, and a whole bunch of work most of the year. He'll call me to tell me he saw 7 deer in his food plot that day and at the same time I'll be watching 5 - 9 deer grazing and even bedded in our grass and clover field.
 

[Deleted]

Amen BB..fer sure some go to xtremes!


I have hunted the fringes of this area in prior years i plan to frost seed this coming Spring. There are about 500 surrounding acres in the area controlled by 2 hunt clubs who extensively put out corn, turnips etc in massive well cultivated food plots. I was sorta feeling guilty in continually killing deer with corn in their guts so thought id ad my lil 2cts in helping the overall area considering the nearest cornfield(o/s food plots) is approx 10 miles away !

[Deleted]

Sept 22, 2013 17:37:39 GMT -5 @loggy said:

BB...some areas i plan to try frost seeding are exactly as you described: rocky w/scant soil with some areas being a lil better. Some areas are merely open strips of ole logging trails etc. I figure anything is better than nuttin so i plan to give it a try.

Got about a 15 lb blended mix of Gro & Thro, Ladino Clover w/aquaBond and a Clover Crush(blend of Medium red, Kotre White, Weka White & Barduro Red clovers). Got it all mixed-up and will hand spread likely sometime in early March. Will seed heavy knowing that survival will likely be not optimum.

Any thoughts on this seed mix?

[gobblerhunter]

Loggy- did you end up doing this and how did it turn out? I'm planning on trying the same type of thing next year

[Deleted]

I was up mid summer & all areas I frost seeded looked great with many thick growths.  Most area seeded were semi-bare logging roads etc.  I will do this again but will rake some of the areas too.

Best of luck.

[gobblerhunter]

sounds great! glad it worked.

[fleroo]

You can frost-seed clover into a field of weeds. At first, spring/early summer, you'll think it's a complete waste the first time you do it. But the key is KEEP IT MOWED. As summer progressses into August, and we have ample rain, you will have Clover bursting everywhere.