October is usually one of our driest months. Up until two days ago, we'd only gotten half an inch of rainfall so far during the month. When I saw that Saturday and Sunday we had chances of precipitation, I set my plan into action. That plan involved seeding around the beehives and garden in the side yard with Crimson Clover. Why? I think the honeybees will enjoy it this Spring. I know the cows will enjoy it, too. Finally, it sets nitrogen in the soil, so it will be growing its own fertilizer, one might say.
Our local feed store sells it priced at $3 per pound. I'm not working up the soil. I'm just broadcasting the seed by hand. To do this, you want to make sure the seeds make contact with the ground. It's still a little risky, but I ventured to spend $6 for 2 lbs of seed. If it doesn't germinate, I'm out of $6.
The Crimson Clover seed looks like it has a treatment on it. I read that it takes between 1 - 3 weeks for the seed to germinate.
I simply grabbed a handful and scattered the seed like the Sower who went out to sow. There's nothing precise or scientific in how I'm seeding. If you look closely, you can see the grey seed below contrasted against the soil.
I made sure that I primarily planted in two main areas - the area in front of the hives and behind the hives. I'm envisioning a sea of crimson clover covering the landscape. Won't that be pretty?
We also seeded Crimson Clover by the garden in the side yard. After broadcasting the seed we got 6/10s of an inch of rain and the very next day, 7/10s. Today, I got out there and sprayed the whole area down with water.
Looking forward to seeing if this was a worthwhile endeavor. We'll keep you posted.
No comments:
Post a Comment