Paul Annear
Frost seeding clover can be a great strategy to establish perennials. Frost seeding is completed in late winter when the daytime temperatures are above freezing, and the nighttime temperatures dip below freezing temperatures. Thawing and freezing of the ground absorbs the tiny seeds and can produce a nice stand of clover.
But, in many regions of the U.S. we are past the time where frost seeding will be successful. If timed properly, the method I will lay out in this article can be more successful than frost seeding. If you think about it, your frost seeded clover will emerge from the soil at the same time as weeds and grasses – forcing you to spray herbicides more often. Not with my late spring planting method.
If you missed the 2025 frost seeding window, you can still establish a great no-till clover plot without having to spray as often as when you frost seed. All you really need is soil exposure, spray, a few small hand tools, and rain. Here’s how to create a late-Spring or early summer clover plot.
Summer Planting
It’s risky to establish a perennial plot in the middle of summer if you do not forecast and plant right before a rain. Drought risk is very real when attempting to establish perennials in early summer.
The safest way to establish a no-till plot of perennials like clover is to seed into what was an annual plot the previous fall. Seeding into a previous plot like brassicas will almost guarantee you still have exposed soil in late Spring, around 50-60% is optimal. Additionally, not tilling or disking the soil will ensure you retain soil moisture to create the optimal growing environment. Putting a nitrogen fixing legume like clover back into the ground will optimize soil health too.
In 2019, I planted a fall plot of brassicas bordering a hillside of timber. In June of 2020, I decided I would try a no-till clover plot in this location since it was getting late to plant, and I knew rain was coming. First, I hand-sprayed the location with Glyphosate (Roundup) since weeds were growing rapidly, but still only about 8-10 inches tall.
The weeds were not growing in very thick and I could tell one hot application of Glyposate would create a great mulch layer of dying weeds for the young emerging clover underneath. After spraying, I immediately seeded down clover that same day 5-6 hours before a rain.
Although I did spray and then seed down the lover, Glyphosate will NOT harm the seed if you were to change the order. Glyphosate will only kill actively growing plants. After I sprayed the weeds and sowed my clover seed, my plot received a steady rain which drove the seeds into the soil.
If you want to boost your plot further, put down a few bags of high potassium fertilizer before the rain as well. Ideally, you would do a soil test, but if you’re planting last minute like me, you probably didn’t do a soil test.
My experiment with no-till sowing clover in summer was a huge success, and I was left with a nearly weed-free stand of clover just a month later. Since I didn’t till the soil, dormant weed seeds weren’t brought to the surface to compete with the emerging clovers I seeded. As the weeds and dying grasses laid over from the Glyphosate application, it shaded the ground just enough to create a cool, moist environment for the clover to explode. Additionally, this location was shaded from about 5pm and later. I find deer like to enter the shaded portions of fields first.
I air on the side of planting a blend of at least four different clovers so that at least a few varieties can withstand the summer heat and other conditions you cannot predict. This method of ‘spray and pray’ works great with no only clovers, but chicory or alfalfa as well. Although it is a prolific grower, alfalfa requires some mowing and baling throughout summer so be sure to read up or ask a farmer on some best practices for alfalfa.
Fall Planting
Tilling and planting a perennial plot during the autumn months can be done, but depending on your region of the country, you won’t likely end up with a lush field of clover within a month. Clover takes time to establish, so if you plant using the no-till method outlined earlier, you’ll want to incorporate more robust, annual clovers such as berseem or balansa clover.
During fall months, moisture is usually on the rise so establishing a fall blend of perennials intermixed with some annuals can work, provided you receive rain. Once spring arrives, you will be left with a stand of perennials.
Wrapping Up
While frost seeding receives all the attention, summer and fall planting of perennial seeds should be recognized as viable options too. Timing seems to be everything with planting food plots, regardless of your method. Plan carefully and you can create a beautiful stand of perennials with a little effort.
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