How long will clover seed last?

[Curtis B]

I bought about 1K worth of grass seed for the pasture this year, and I picked the perfect year since we are in a drought in my area. The only seed that hasn't gone down (and wasted) is clover, due to my seeder breaking. I just saw that they are calling for May to be very dry, just like April. How long will it last if I wait to put it down until they are actually calling for decent rain (fall, or maybe next spring I hope). Or, should I just put it down and hope for rain.

[ksfarmer]

Curtis, I have planted clover seed that was 10 years old and got a good stand. I'm sure the germination percentage goes down a little each year, but, I think clover and other hard seed like alfalfa will last many years.
I am like you, dry , dry, dry. Sure wish some of those folks east of us could share some of their rain.

[Curtis B]

Thanks, I'll hold on to it for a season. I just wish the weather folks would quit teasing. We had a about 20 days last month they called for rain, and I think it rained twice. I'm setting at about 1.5 inches since June.

[VaFarmer]

keep dry and you can store it for a couple of years, I but it in plastic 5 gal bugets with snap on lids and store it under a bench in cool spot away from sunlight. Early fall plantings has worked for me.

[am1too]

Us lucky OKies in my part of the state got 3" this last week. At least the trees quite fighting over the dogs.:banana02:

[Joey Wahoo]

I've had some for a few years now and I use it to sow cover crops on gardens sometimes. It comes up, but in my experience the germination rate goes way down over time. But I didn't store it as carefully as suggested here.

[ai731]

Originally Posted by ksfarmer

Curtis, I have planted clover seed that was 10 years old and got a good stand. I'm sure the germination percentage goes down a little each year, but, I think clover and other hard seed like alfalfa will last many years.

Glad to hear it - I have some 2-year-old clover seed that I was hoping I could use to re-seed a patch where the old chicken run was, before our birds were 100% free-range.

Originally Posted by ksfarmer

I am like you, dry , dry, dry. Sure wish some of those folks east of us could share some of their rain.

I would love to send you some of our rain! We finally got the drier, uphill half of the garden tilled over the weekend, and I managed to get 2 rows of onions planted this morning before it started to pour again

[oregon woodsmok]

My best luck with pasture seeding is in the late fall. That's when the local seed company recommends planting clover, too. The seed will put the roots down and then doesn't show any leaves until spring. I get a good stand of grass that way.

[Curtis B]

Originally Posted by oregon woodsmok

My best luck with pasture seeding is in the late fall. That's when the local seed company recommends planting clover, too. The seed will put the roots down and then doesn't show any leaves until spring. I get a good stand of grass that way.

I tried that year before last. It actually rained just as I finished up, and a bit more for two days. Then, none till late spring. I have bad luck when seeding. I have been thinking of trying to find a used cultipacker(sp), broadcasting has been rough, never enough moisture to get it down, and trying to get it in the ground through frost seeding hasn't worked either.

[sunflower-n-ks]

I am no expert but I hear that sowing it on top of snow and letting it go into the ground with the snow melt works. I think they said the late winter snow, if there is any. Any one try that?