It is difficult to find a more nutritious and reliable forage than clovers for deer food plots. Clovers come in many species and varieties and it shouldn't be difficult to find at least one or two that will work for your situation. As a group, the clovers have protein levels that range in the mid-20's to low 30's. Additionally, clovers are more digestible than cool-season grasses and they grow for a longer period of the year.
Major groups of clovers
The clover species are divided into two major groups, annual clovers and perennial clovers. The following is a discussion of the perennial clovers and a description of the most common species and varieties planted in deer food plots.
Perennial Clovers
Perennial clovers are a group of forages that last for multiple growing seasons before they die. The number of seasons you will get from a single planting of perennial clovers depends on the species you are planting and what region you are planting in.
Benefits of perennial clovers
Perennial clovers are the cornerstone to many successful food plot programs. They are most important to deer during spring through early summer. During this time, perennial clovers experience the bulk of their yearly growth and they contain their highest protein levels. As temperatures rise in the summer, perennial clovers slow their growth and many species go dormant (stop growing). As a result, clover quality declines at this time and deer use them only sparingly. When cool temperatures return in the fall, most perennial clovers will experience another short period of active growth. Deer will again feed on the clovers, but not as aggressively as they did in spring. Perennial clovers often do not attract deer to plots during the hunting season as well as some other forages will. Their biggest benefit to deer is as a high-protein spring food that is required by lactating does and for early antler development in bucks.
Suitable regions and planting dates
Perennial clovers are used throughout the county and as far north as southern Canada. Most species are intolerant of extreme heat or drought so they are less suitable for use in arid regions. Best growth for perennial clovers is usually achieved by planting them in the early fall. These clovers can however be frost-seeded in the spring. One technique for maintaining high-quality perennial clover plots is by overseeding existing clover plots in the fall or early spring.
Choose fine-stemmed clover varieties
When selecting perennial clovers, ask for varieties that are fine-stemmed and grow dense and short, rather than varieties that grow on tall, coarse stems. The tall, stemmy clovers are cattle feed and were developed so they could be collected easily by haying equipment. These long-stemmed clovers have a high fiber content and are less digestible to deer than fine-stemmed varieties.
Types of perennial clovers
Perennial clovers can be separated into three types: red clover, white clover, and alsike clover. The following is a short description of each type, and some common varieties often planted in deer food plots.
Red clover is actually an annual in the southern United States, but it will act as a short-lived (2-3 years) perennial in the north. It produces good quality forage and its growing season extends into the summer months , which is longer than the other perennial clovers. Red clover is best adapted for well-drained, loam or clay soils. It will tolerate soil pH as low as 5.5, but best growth occurs when pH is between 6.0 and 7.0. Red clover is moderately drought tolerant, will tolerate wetter soils than alfalfa, but is not as tolerant to wet conditions as white clover. Additionally, It is less tolerant of close grazing than white clover. Common varieties of red clover include Cherokee, Colenso, Kenland, Redland II, Redland III, and Redlandgraze.
White clover is a long-lived perennial in the north, and a short-lived perennial, or annual in the south. Best growth is achieved on well-drained, loam and clay soils with pH between 6.0 and 7.0.
White clover is available in small, intermediate and large varieties. The small varieties such as Dutch White are well-adapted to cold northern climates. They tend to produce small amounts of forage, but are able to survive even when grazed heavily. By comparison, larger varieties such as Ladino white clovers, are less tolerant of heavy grazing, but they can produce five-times as much forage as the smaller types. Some common varieties of Ladino white clover include Osceola, Tillman, Regal, Louisiana S-1, and California.
Alsike clover is a short-lived perennial. It is more tolerant of poorly drained and acidic soil conditions than the other clovers. It will tolerate flooding for up to six weeks. It will not tolerate drought. Alsike clover would be a good choice on plots with poorly drained soils or those that have pockets that are poorly drained. Two common varieties of alsike clover are Aurora and Dawn; both varieties are winter hardy.
Plant a mixture of clover varieties
When planting clovers it is best to plant a mixture of red and white varieties in the same plot. For example, plant a red clover and one or two varieties of Ladino white clover. Alsike clover would be a good addition to this mixture if your plot has low areas that tend to remain wet. Choose varieties that mature at different times and have different tolerances to drought and cold to help ensure the plot will provide deer with forage over a wide range of growing conditions.
Plant clovers with an annual grass or grain
Your clover plots should also be mixed with an annual grain such as wheat, rye, or oats, or with annual ryegrass. The grain/grass provides two important functions in deer food plots. First, it begins growing earlier in spring than the clovers, so it provides deer with a high-protein food source early in the year. Second, it grows taller and faster than the clovers and will function as a "nurse crop", by receiving the bulk of deer grazing pressure while your clovers are young and susceptible to grazing injury. As a general rule, avoid planting perennial cool-season grasses in clover plots because these grasses are aggressive and can out-compete clovers.
Add Chicory to your clover plots
Finally, to create an all-around great clover plot, consider adding forage chicory to your mixture of clovers and the grain or grass. Chicory is more tolerant of heat and drought than the clovers so it will continue producing high-quality forage throughout summer, a time when most clovers have declined in quality. (Click to read an article about chicory for deer food plots)
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