Planting Clover

[Pond Creek Farm]

We have a power line easement that bisects our land.  It generally trends downhill to a creek and then flattens out in the valley.  The hill is not terribly steep, but does have many rocks.  The valley is bottom land black dirt (a rarity in the Ozarks).  Like many fields in this part of the country, fescue has been planted.  This stuff is worthless.  It does stop erosion, but it chokes out other, native plants and is useless to wildlife.  I am planning to overseed with several varieties of clover this fall.  The bees and the deer should love it.  My question is whether to due a burn down kill of all of the existing vegetation.  That is, spray it with round up and others followed by a burn and disking prior to planting.  In the bottom, no issues, but the hillside may create erosion and most definitely will produce rocks from disking.  Anyone have any experience with this?

[TwT]

usually when I plant clover in the fall I harrow (disk) up the grown pretty good and broadcast the clover seed, just have to make sure the clover has sprouted at lest 6 weeks before the first frost.

[doak]

First planting can be mixed with an annual, rye grass or some other.
This will help protect the clover and help check erosion till the clover gets a good hold.
The second season you can just scatter more clover seed with out tilling "over seeding".
Make sure you get a perinatal clover. I like the white dutch type.Once it gets a good start
and after it blooms for a while when there are many brown blooms you can clip it, but not too short and it will put out new blooms in a few days. Clip about every 3 to 4 weeks.
It starts blooming before the last frost and goes till the first frost.
Medium drought tolerant. Crimson is an annual so you don't want it. Although it is a good winter cover crop and can be tilled in after it blooms in the spring. gives the bees some early grazing and puts nitrogen in the soil. :)doak

[reinbeau]

I am seriously considering not putting a lawn in my back yard and letting the white clover win out there.  The yard is loaded right now with white blossoms and happy bees, during all this rain they didn't have to go far to get nectar, it's all over right in front of them for about 150'!  It spreads well, and we mow it every two or three weeks, and you're right, doak, it just keeps on blooming!

[Natalie]

Bill and I have been discussing the same thing, ya know I really just don't care about the pristine lawn but then I never have.
I have been slowly chipping away at it with flower gardens.
The white dutch clover took over the side of the yard near the driveway this year and we have just been letting it go.
Bill has only mowed it twice so far.
I was kind of concerned that the neighbors would be annoyed where its in the front but then I thought who cares, the rest of my yard is immaculate all the time so a little clover isn't going to matter.
The back yard I don't care how much clover takes over.