Alsike clover

[jmgi]

Would like to plant a large patch of alsike clover on my property for my bees this spring. I understand it will bloom from seed the first year planted. My concern is that I have a large deer population around and they may eat it all up before it can do the bees any good. I know that deer love alfalfa, so I'm thinking that clovers may attract them also. Anybody have experience with deer problems and clover plantings. Thanks.

[farmdon]

Deer are always shopping for food sources. The deer around me love my clover and I get opportunities to harvest my one deer per year based upon this.
That being said, you have to understand what is around you for alternatives. If there is a corn field within a half mile, or maybe acorns falling, my guess is that they will feed there. If you are surrounded by scrub grass, then your clover is king.
The short answer is if there is any other good feed around you, ........ then the deer in normal population size will probably take their share and leave most of it.

[Camp9]

They love alsike clover, but the time of year that it bloosoms they might be off eating something else. If your the only food source around they'll be on it, but if there is somethig else around you might be ok.

Camp

[brooksbeefarm]

Would like to plant a large patch of alsike clover on my property for my bees this spring. I understand it will bloom from seed the first year planted. My concern is that I have a large deer population around and they may eat it all up before it can do the bees any good. I know that deer love alfalfa, so I'm thinking that clovers may attract them also. Anybody have experience with deer problems and clover plantings. Thanks.

We put alsike, ladino and dutch clover out for food plots.If we put it out in the spring,they usally don't bother it till fall,but turkey is a different story,they love it to.We always have a good clover bloom anyway.They have other things to eat in the summer and seem to leave the ciover for fall dessert:D.Jack

[Michael Palmer]

We put alsike, ladino and dutch clover out for food plots.

I would do the same, especially the White Dutch. In my area, Alsike blooms only once. If it's cut, or browsed, it doesn't re-bloom. White Dutch, on the other hand, will re-bloom all summer long. Also, the vegetative growth of WD is less, so it blooms again almost right away, and the bees do work second blooms of WD.

[brooksbeefarm]

On my truck farm,I have one acre of blackberries,with the row's planted 10 ft. apart.I planted dutch clover between the row's 3 yrs. ago and still have a good stand, although the crabgrass is working on it now. I mow it 3 to 4 times a year and I have blooms from early summer to frost. There is one thing you have watch out for though.when picking the blackberries, you might get a bee up your pantleg,not saying that happened to me though.:D Jack

[Camp9]

That's good to know Jack, we grow raspberries in our truck farm and was planing to seed it between the rows this spring. I was also going to try it in the orchard and vineyard as well.

Camp