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upstate ny | We have been rotationally grazing our cows (crossbred dairy) for 20 years. In my experience in upstate NY, on loamy soils, frost seeding 2-3 pounds of red clover per acre has been highly effective in maintaining a good stand of clover. There have been times when I didn't get it done early enough (feb-early march), and I didn't see the results until the following year. Don't spread cheap seed, the little extra money is well worth it for the higher quality seed. I generally seed the pastures every other year, as red clover tends to not last more than two years, when intensively grazed. The most important thing is to keep the soil PH level up where clover likes it. With proper PH and healthy soils, we also get a large amount of wild (ladino) clover, which the cows graze and milk on better than the red. The grasses in the pastures also yield better when there is good clover growing with them. I wouldn't recommend seeding orchard grass or tall fescue into any pasture, as our cows will not graze it. | |
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Spreading red clover on pasture
