# broadcasting clover/alfalfa into existing nurse crops



## jamie7117 (Aug 15, 2001)

i have a 6 acre field that i planted buckwheat in around the last of june, it has really taken off with the recent rains, i mainly wanted to use it as green manure and weed control, which it has done quite well, the deer are really hitting it (i attribute this to some failing crops in my area and wheat fields that haven't came back from their initial cutting) and i hate to disk it under in preparation for planting of alfalfa and clover. 

has anyone had success broadcasting the seed directly into an established nurse crop such as buckwheat?

i figured with the first frost the buckwheat would die and leave the new alfalfa and clover growth, not mention keeping the pressure off the newly planted crop.

time is short, i was planning to disk it under this weekend and plant my clover and alfalfa about 10-14 days after. 

any suggestions?


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## marty (Jan 17, 2000)

My dealing with alfalfa and clover is they take a year or so to get going well. My alfalfa is four years old and this year it has been doing super. I had luck with just tossing field rye around 1 sep last year right on the ground. It got up to about 5-6 feet this summer. I got it cut off when it was going to seed and now I have a nice new growth for this fall. 

The rye seems to be best after a few freezes so then you have the best of both worlds. A fellow that works for the DNR told me that they plant rye and buckwheat together for plots as the buckwheat protects the rye till frost. I'm going to toss in some rape with this combo too. Good luck......marty


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## sargent (Oct 1, 2001)

wait till the middle of august to disk under the buckwheat.

Then immediately, cultipak, spread your clover/alfalfa seed cultipak again.

Then, Do a rain dance.


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## jamie7117 (Aug 15, 2001)

OK, sarge. that's the plan.


i just kills me to disk that beautifully lush buckwheat under, after doing more than my share of rain dances already, LOL!

looks like i will have to pull out the moccasins (sp) again.


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## SalmonSlayer (Jan 18, 2000)

Jamie I too have a half acre plot of buckwheat that is ready to go to seed soon. I planted it early this spring and now it is looking beautiful! I am thinking I'll leave it to re-seed itself and then next fall do exactly what Sarge said. I am leaving it cuz the weeds are still present, but not nearly what they used to be. I'm hoping the buckwheat seeds itself come spring, and with any luck the weeds will be gone. I may do some spot treating with round-up this next few weeks to get the larger, heartier weeds out. I'm anxious to get the clover mix planted, but learned my lesson about weeds the hard way (and expensive way too). Now I'm wanting to make darn sure the weeds are gone first! Good luck, and let me know how you do!

ben


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## jamie7117 (Aug 15, 2001)

i read that when it is disked under, decomposing buckwheat releases a toxin that kills weeds. i hope i takes care of the relatively few remaining tall weeds, the rest of them have been shaded out or smothered by the buckwheat, it has done an admirable job to this point and am very glad i planted it.


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## sargent (Oct 1, 2001)

Salmon and Jamie,

Last year before I planted one of my clover/grass plots I spent the summer going around throughout the buckwheat spraying the brackenfern. While the buckwheat does an excellent job suppressing weeds brackenfern and a few other weeds can be quite persistent. With your perennial weeds (those that come up from roots every year) its very important to kill them in the summer and fall so they cant store food in their roots for next year. So there I was in the sweltering summer sun in my bug jacket to keep the deer flies off me spot spraying each and every bracken fern that made it through the buckwheat. Well that toil paid off! This year the brackenfern is only on the sidelines of that plot and any strays that do infiltrate are somewhat stunted and then they are promptly dispatched. I mowed the plot last week and we got some rain so its starting to green up again. You will always have some weeds in your plots what you want to do is make your target crop the dominant planting and the weeds that do survive are the ones that have to struggle. Salmon, having patience and letting the buckwheat build your soil, suppress weeds and still attract deer in the meantime will pay off. Also, if you disk your buckwheat in this fall it may sprout this fall and will winter kill. Dont disk it this fall. Wait till late May spread some more buckwheat seed along with some 12-12-12 and then lightly disk. You will then have one kick-a buckwheat plot that will grow thick all summer and then you will be ready to plant your clover next August. The buckwheat will set seed again and sprout along with your newly planted clover mix. Then it will act as a nurse crop for your clover protecting it from the munching deer and the late summer sun. Come late fall with the frosts the buckwheat dies and you will see (hopefully) a nice green carpet of clover. You may want to check your PH this fall and next spring too.

Good luck!


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## bishs (Aug 30, 2000)

Last summer I planted Buckwheat and left it through the winter. This year I disced it down in July. I bought more buckwheat seed to replant it a week later. When I came back much to my surprise the buckwheat seed from last year was coming in all over! I didn't bother replanting. The plot is lush and deep.


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## jamie7117 (Aug 15, 2001)

just did the same thing yesterday, i disced under the buckwheat and WOW! did the soil look great! then i planted 3 acres of imperial clover and 3 acres of alfa-rack, then it started to rain, the food plot gods were smiling down on me!LOL!

ps. the buckwheat had gone to seed and i expect most of it to fill in any empty spots until next year.


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## sargent (Oct 1, 2001)

Disked the buckwheat I had around some planted trees on Tues and packed the soil while a group of turkeys watched! Then I planted a mix of orchard grass and clover on Wed and packed the soil just in time for the most excellant rain on wed night.

Other plots are really greening up with all the rain! Yes!!!!


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