White clover in new reseed

morphy87

I reseeded some ground last Autumn, I still have to give it a post emergency spray, it has clover in it, the first time that we have sowed some clover in grass, I’m just wondering when it comes to fertilizer what would be the best to use on it? I usually spread some nitrogen after moving cattle, would you still spread nitrogen on this or does the clover cut out the need for nitrogen?

endainoz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058333981/white-clover-in-new-reseed

Post emergence spray would need to be clover friendly, most of them aren't as far as I know. Fert wouldn't be much friendly for clover either because the grass will grow on from it and probably crowd it out. For nitrogen fixing from the clover to work, the conditions in the soil would have to be right.

Theres a handy test to see if the clover is fixing nitrogen, if you dig up a bit of clover and shake the soil off the nodules in the roots, you can cut the small nodules open and if they're a pale pink colour, that means nitrogen is being fixed.

morphy87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121708303#Comment_121708303

I had a rep walking it before Christmas and he has a spray that is suitable for clover, I hope to spray it in a month, I’m doing a soil test in the next week or two

roosterman71

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121708917#Comment_121708917

Would ya believe him?

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121708917#Comment_121708917

Clover doesn't really grow until may so I just put the usual amount of N out in march and then leave it to the clover to supply N for the rest of the year.

I don't think there's any herbicide that doesn't kill clover, maybe there's a new one this year

morphy87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121708941#Comment_121708941

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121708987#Comment_121708987

well we are dealing with the man 20 years so I would trust him, I know someone that used the same mix and they got there post emergency spray out last autumn and they are using this mix for a few years, I don’t have any weeds in it just some chickweed but it’s really flying it

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121709805#Comment_121709805

I’m not an agronomist and there are definitely plenty of lads on here far more knowledgeable than me on the subject but one thing I’ve learned over the years is there is nothing to kill chickweed that won’t kill clover. Chickweed is the worst of all weeds to have in a reseed.

There is one spray that can be used and won’t kill the clover but it’s only certified for tillage in Ireland and not certified for grassland. What you do with that information is up to yourself and your agronomist I suppose.

morphy87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121709877#Comment_121709877

I know very little on the matter myself but I just done a quick search and I see germinal seeds have a spray that kills chickweed but doesn’t harm clover,if there was no weeds could I get away without spraying and would tight grazing eliminate the chickweed, maybe it’s not too bad, I must get my rep to walk it again

wrangler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121709805#Comment_121709805

I know nothing about it, I never had to spray new reseeds as I have sheep and they seemed to look after the weed s, even docks, but the advice at discussion groups is to spray the weeds and spread clover seed the next year while the sward is open. When chicken weed starts to grow it takes over and will destroy your silage as well.

Clover probably wasn't up in autumn after sowing and so you'd get away with spraying then

morphy87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121710257#Comment_121710257

I’m not sure myself but both my rep and the man I bought the seeds off said that getting rid of the chickweed shouldn’t be a problem, just everything was done right up to now so I would like to keep it that way to get the best results

kk.man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121710257#Comment_121710257

Plus 1 same experience here.