clover feild

[thomas9n]

planted cloverfeild lastweek,coming up good.rain coming tommorrow nite.wanted to dump lime on new clover,going to get hot around here next week with rain.i should have done this before planting,buy putting lime on aftrer clover is up will this hurrt anythig

 

[Charles Krammin]

I assume you are talking about "Red Clover" and not sweet, white dutch, alsike.
There are 3 types of lime. I would not apply "Quick or Hydro lime". It is so fine that it doesn't spread well and might coat leafs and harm them. Small amouts of "Pelletize lime" can be bought in bags and should not cause any problems. "Ag Lime" is for big jobs and usually with a custom spreader. It is crushed Limestone or "Dolmetic lime" Mmy last batch came in a 30 ton gravel train truck. Ag Lime is ground in different size granulars. Some fine for immediate neutralizing and some large for long time. This Ag Lime is the cheapest (about $35/ton and last the longest (About 7 years in most soils, longer in clay). I recommend you get a soil test of Ph, to apply the right amount to nutralize for specic crop needs.

Charles Krammin SW MI Ex farmer with BS degree and 60 year farming.

 

[thomas9n]

thanks charles,i put the pellet lime on my red clover this morning,my" ph" was low. got late start planting this year because of rain and had small window to plant,and was late getting soil sample.i didn't have to lime on last property and didn't know if it would hurt clover just coming out of the ground.

 

[Charles Krammin]

Tom,
I was lucky. I spread lime last fall before Chisel plow. I also had to wait until June 1 to get on field, because of heavy-constant rain in May. I disced twice with 6" ford lift disc on Ford 600 and dragged with 3 section drag on DC Case. I used OLE JD drill and coulter packer behind DC. Seed mixture was "Govt Conservation mix" of: Alfalfa, Timothy, orchard grass, and red top. I Plowed in "washouts" and hand broadcast "Tall Fescue" Rain after seeding, should make an excellent germination, but "Velvet leaf" (Button weed) also germinated good, which means bush hogging it before seed heads.
Thought I retired from farming.
Charles Krammin SW MI