Tips & advice please - eradicating clover from paddock

[Clare85]

I am currently researching how to get rid of clover from our field. We will have to split the field into two and do one half at a time. Any tips of advice re. products/methods/success stories welcome

TIA cookies and chocolate cake on offer

 

[JillA]

I have used Relay P (aka Pastoral) to get rid of a lot of mine at the same time as buttercups. Not sure which of the ones on that list you can still get TBH but most do some damage to clover

 

[Cobbytype]

Sheep are very good at getting rid of an abundance of clover. I had some on my paddock last year to graze it all down and there's a huge decrease in the self seeded clover this year.

 

[Tnavas]

Do remember thaat some clover is good for your paddock - it fixes Nitrogen which improves grass quality.

 

[MrsMozart]

Once clover is cleared, how does one encourage the grasss growth in its place, and how long should one keep the horses off that area?

Interested as ours are on ten acres, of which an increasing proportion is clover. Need to talk to the field owner, but would like some idea beforehand. Ta.

 

[JillA]

Once clover is cleared, how does one encourage the grasss growth in its place, and how long should one keep the horses off that area?

Interested as ours are on ten acres, of which an increasing proportion is clover. Need to talk to the field owner, but would like some idea beforehand. Ta.

My grass regenerated well of its own accord, once the clover and buttercups were no longer out competing it. Just don't over graze, keep horses off for the period specified for the chemical you are using.
Probably not a good time to spray now, the growth will be tailing off and the clover won't be growing actively enough to absorb the chemical into its system. leave it until early summer, when you can afford to close parts off for three weeks or so.

 

[MrsMozart]

My grass regenerated well of its own accord, once the clover and buttercups were no longer out competing it. Just don't over graze, keep horses off for the period specified for the chemical you are using.
Probably not a good time to spray now, the growth will be tailing off and the clover won't be growing actively enough to absorb the chemical into its system. leave it until early summer, when you can afford to close parts off for three weeks or so.

Thank you. I'll have a word now with the owner, to get it into his thought process for next year. Wil figure out how to split the field as due to its size and shape it's not the most straightforward to do. Plenty of time to plan though

 

[Dry Rot]

If your soil suits clover (mine does) I suspect it will be back again quick enough whatever you do.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

keep topping the clover and fertilise your grass. it worked for one place I was at anyway, wretched stuff-had an Exmoor that gorged on it and its like sugar coated lard for ponies.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Thrust is still available, and appears to be very effective against clover. I used Relay P before it was pulled from sale, to very good effect. It is only necessary to rest the pasture for the time stated in the table posted by JillA, so a max of 14 days.

The pasture seemed to regenerate and reseed itself without any fertilisers or muck being applied, it's in a much heathier state 18 months down the line from first treatment, and mine was absolutely riddled with clover, buttercups and plantains.

Pics from May 2015, a couple of days after the application of Relay P.

 

[JillA]

I'm not sure the exclusion periods on the table are accurate - I used Polo a while ago and the label says three weeks. I think it is best to rely on the label

 

[Clare85]

I have used Relay P (aka Pastoral) to get rid of a lot of mine at the same time as buttercups. Not sure which of the ones on that list you can still get TBH but most do some damage to clover

Thank you very much for this, I was reading about some of these earlier so will have a look in more detail

 

[Clare85]

Sheep are very good at getting rid of an abundance of clover. I had some on my paddock last year to graze it all down and there's a huge decrease in the self seeded clover this year.

Thank you we're on livery so not sure how well sheep would work, but will certainly bear it in mind.

 

[Clare85]

Do remember thaat some clover is good for your paddock - it fixes Nitrogen which improves grass quality.

Thank you we have just moved to a new yard and pony's field is absolutely chocca with clover. She has started head shaking and following advice on another thread a couple of days ago, we think that the clover may be triggering a reaction. We want to kill it all off and start again really.

 

[Clare85]

If your soil suits clover (mine does) I suspect it will be back again quick enough whatever you do.

This is my worry, but we shall give it a go regardless. Hopefully with careful management we can get it under control.

 

[Clare85]

keep topping the clover and fertilise your grass. it worked for one place I was at anyway, wretched stuff-had an Exmoor that gorged on it and its like sugar coated lard for ponies.

Thank you for the advice

 

[Clare85]

Thrust is still available, and appears to be very effective against clover. I used Relay P before it was pulled from sale, to very good effect. It is only necessary to rest the pasture for the time stated in the table posted by JillA, so a max of 14 days.

The pasture seemed to regenerate and reseed itself without any fertilisers or muck being applied, it's in a much heathier state 18 months down the line from first treatment, and mine was absolutely riddled with clover, buttercups and plantains.

Pics from May 2015, a couple of days after the application of Relay P.

Fab, thanks will have a look at Thrust

 

[Clare85]

I'm not sure the exclusion periods on the table are accurate - I used Polo a while ago and the label says three weeks. I think it is best to rely on the label

OK, thanks. Will def be following label instructions.

 

[eggs]

I used Pastoral for the buttercups and it really knocked back the clover.

 

[Tiddlypom]

This is the same pasture as I showed above, in pics taken today. It was treated by my contractor with Relay P in May 2015 and again with Thrust in May 2016. There are a few stubborn buttercups remaining, but the plantains and clover are virtually all gone. The grass is now thick and healthy looking for the time of year, with the competing weeds gone.

A hay crop was taken off it in July, and I am strip grazing it from now til Spring.

 

[JillA]

That's pretty much like mine - well worth the investment in getting rid of those weeds