Clover Varieties

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Question
Clovers are evolving and stands and yields are increasing, but it is very hard to get any of the latest and greatest clovers. Ag stores will only sell what they have and lots of times that is a low yield, low quality clover. Who sells WILL white clover? It will out produce Advantage, Durana, Alice, Patriot in yield and stand (in some testing), but good luck getting it. There are test clovers at least two or three years old that easily out produce the clovers listed but I can’t get access to them. I can get Durana — but it is priced about twice what it should be. What are a couple of cold tolerant white clovers? I have noticed some last much better or later into the winter and some deer will dig through snow to get to them. I have heard good things regarding Alice later into the winter. Increased stand reduces maintenance and herbicide costs, higher yields do the same and allow a little less area needed. This frees up land use for other things such a water holes, natural browse (forbs) or crops/hay. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Bill

Bill,

Yes, stores have difficulty stocking all the varieties of clovers. Some stores are more oriented toward forage, and will offer a greater variety than others. However, the tougher hurdle to cross is finding the variety or blend that matches your mission. No single variety of clover is going to:

1. Produce well in warm and cold season

2. Be palatable all year

3. Produce well on all sites

Crop varieties are selected for different traits, just like races of dogs. Yes, there will be some overlap of these traits between varieties, but in general, different varieties will perform better at different times of year, on different soil types, etc. There simply is no one variety that is best in all the categories you mentioned. To complicate this more, a single variety often performs differently from location to location, not to mention from drought to moist conditions. However, by selecting several varieties that grow well together, you can create a blend that meets most of your needs. I always prefer blends to a single variety when my mission is to provide quality deer forage throughout the year.

Growing Deer together,

Grant