Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE => Topic started by: Pond Creek Farm on October 02, 2009, 10:33:40 pm
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Ok folks, decision time in the Ozarks. I have the fescue killed and burned ( it will come back, but has been knocked back). I have applied many tons of lime (about 4 per acre) and now am having clover drilled (both for bees and deer). Landino, Dutch, Durana? I wnat both clover for bees and deer but would prefer a low grower.
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This is Durana: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yLH1rb3h5RfLo7hefXQT5w?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/SWkCJlz7fq8OKhdSEz1hsQ?feat=directlink
I like it. I throw some 0-20-20 now and again on it and mow when any grass comes up. The deer and bees like it also.
...JP
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I went a head and bought both dutch and durana. They should be compatible. The Durana is pre-innoculated and coated in lime, so it should have a leg up. JP, how did you plant? Drill, broadcast on hard dirt? Seed be prep?
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Clover must be easy to plant. A farmer near me broadcasted 300 acres of Crimson clover with a crop duster plane.
Steve
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Clover must be easy to plant. a farmer near me broadcasted 300 acres of Crimson clover with a crop duster plane.
Steve
What a sight it must be to see these mountains of fields of clover, unimaginable beauty, and picture the end product for all the pollinators of our world. Have that most beautiful and awesome day, health. Cindi
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My friend with the Kubota did most of the work, bushhogged, disked, layed it down right before rain came, good timing, and we added lime also.
...JP
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Clover must be easy to plant. a farmer near me broadcasted 300 acres of Crimson clover with a crop duster plane.
Steve
What a sight it must be to see these mountains of fields of clover, unimaginable beauty, and picture the end product for all the pollinators of our world. Have that most beautiful and awesome day, health. Cindi
It was a beautiful sea of red!
Steve
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Ah Steve, beautiful picture. C.
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Several years ago I had a septic installation, as a result my whole backyard was denuded of plants. We were supposed to plant a lawn out there. In the eyes of any yard police, my backyard is a weed-infested mess. But you know what? The white clover came in by itself, all over. There are dandelions and plantains and all manner of other weeds, along with lots of crab grass, but the clover is such a great plant for the bees I think I'm not going to bother putting in a proper lawn. As the years go past the clover has spread, it really is a nice 'lawn' now!
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We are having such rain that drilling may be fruitless at this late date. I have the seed, but I may have to wait and frost seed the clover. My fields will look terrible through the winter as I have burned them down. I need to check with my farmer friends to see if it is too late to plant.
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I have planted dutch clover this last year and considering switching to Sweet Clover and Alfalfa. Any thoughts?
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May I put in my 2 cents? Clover is great but my bees LOVED my borage I planted and I bet the deer would love it too as it tasts like a cucumber. Just my 2 cents.
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Highlandsfreedom, smiling. Borage definitely is reminiscent of the scent of cucumber, but try one of the flowers to much on sometime. That is the most horrible taste, can only imagine that it tastes like a cod liver oil pill, not the outside, but the cod oil inside, ich, ich, ich....How can something that smells so nice when the leaves are crushed taste so awful when the flower is chewed. Try it, you might hate it or like it....have that most wonderful and awesomely beautiful and great day, health. Cindi
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In our area of Maryland the late summer, early fall works best to get a well established crop without so much competition. We try to stay chemical free for the health of the bees, turkeys, deer and other wildlife. Competition can be a problem when planting in the spring unless you have it sprayed with round-up. What is the size of the plot that you are planting ? I have had good luck with the Imperial Whitetail Clover. If mowed to keep the filth knocked down it has lasted up to 4 years without replanting. The deer keep the clover mowed pretty good by themselves.
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We used our borage leaves in our salads all summer but we didnt use the flowerws. Its like a furry cucumber. I was reading how the borage honey is extra special over the atlantic. http://www.manukahoneyusa.com/blue-borage-honey.htm (http://www.manukahoneyusa.com/blue-borage-honey.htm) I will have to try the flowers next year. :-D
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I don't think deer eat borage, I may be wrong, but I had it up in the garden in Maine, where there are hundred of deer all around (hoofprints in the garden are the proof!) and they didn't touch the borage - nor the datura. Left the potatoes alone, too! I think the 'fuzz' on the borage keeps them away. As for the blossom taste, I've never tasted that strong, nasty taste that Cindi experienced, but I've only had a few scattered in a salad, not alone.
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Ann, next summer, grab a borage blossom, stick it in your mouth and give it a good chew. Guaranteed you're gonna be spitting that thing out like a bee had stung your tongue. It tastes HORRIBLE, just like old fish oil, no clue why. The leaves are things of beauty, they smell like cucumber when touched or crushed and make a lovely addition to the salad, cooked is even good too. The flowers are beautiful to garnish things with, just don't each one alone, hee, hee, you'd regret it, but you gotta try it out, girl!!! Have that beautiful day, with beautiful health. Cindi
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Cindi, I can go out there tomorrow and try it, amazingly I've got blooming plants out there even through one very hard frost - the weather is so mild here. So, when I'm out gathering thyme and sage leaves for the stuffing tomorrow I'll sample a borage blossom and give you a report. ;)
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Isn't Borage very invasive?
Alfred
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Alfred, it self-sows vigorously, but I just pull the plants I don't want.
Cindi, I did take a taste, and I have to say, it wasn't offensive to me at all. It tasted like a borage blossom always tastes.
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Ann, you gutsy girl!!! Now, it may not taste like fish oil now that the summer's sun has waned. Dare ya to go out in the hot mid summer sun and take a yonk on it!!! Guaranteed it will taste like crap!!! But then, maybe things grow sweeter down where you live, smiling. I'll never taste it again. My borage is long gone, lots of seedlings that grew up to a partially grown plant, but that rain has done them in, until that first new sprout that will come up in April in the spring. Beautiful days, love to live, health. Cindi
Borage is only invasive, in that it self-seeds everywhere, that is not a problem, just get rid of what you don't want, makes for wonderful composting stuff, just like comfrey.....