Medium Red Clover is an extremely versatile clover. Food plotters have several different options when planting it that are all extremely beneficial to a food plot program.
It is a fast-growing clover that handles cold temperatures very well. When properly established you can expect to get multiple years from a red clover plot. It can also be frost seeded which is valuable if not added to a Fall planting the year before. It establishes easy and does better on a wider variety of soil compared to other clovers.
Our favorite use is to add Medium Red Clover to a Fall planted cereal grain mix. The grains will feed deer during the Fall and provide plenty of hunting opportunities. The following year the red clover will provide great forage for deer while suppressing weeds at the same time. As summer approaches you can decide to either let the clover go for another season or till/disc it under ahead of another Fall planting. Most years we terminate the clover and till it in ahead of a brassica planting at the end of July. This will help to improve your soil organic matter and as the clover slowly decomposes it releases nitrogen back into the soil that the brassicas can utilize. This basically provides “free fertilizer” and can help to reduce inputs on well managed soils.
Medium Red Clover is a very affordable food plot planting that can help you on so many levels.
Medium Red Clover can be frost seeded. It is easily established in the Spring with a planting of oats. We prefer a Fall planting with a strong cereal grain mix along with winter peas.
Planting rate is 12 pounds per acre in a stand alone plot or 8 pounds per acre in a mix.