Mowing the Red Clover to Get Rid of Weed Seeds

About 5 weeks ago I mowed the oats, which had been underseeded with medium red clover, so that sun would get down to the clover.  Some of the weeds which had made it through the oats were cut off, but many survived. I mowed these fields, using the Deere 520 Flail Mower, again today, cutting them about 6" tall.

There were a lot of lambs quarters, a few pigweed, and an occasional giant ragweed. The idea is to cut off the seed head before those seeds are viable. This reduces the number of seeds in the fields "seed bank", making future cash crops easier to cultivate.

These fields, approximately, 90 acres, are in the first of two years of transition to USDA Certified Organic. The clover is thick and well established. It should overwinter and return stronger next spring, fixing nitrogen throughout the summer. In late summer (of 2020), I'll probably disc harrow the dying clover into the soil and plant a "tillage radish", which itself will winterkill.  The following spring (2021) these fields will be planted to organic corn.

 

Right before I drilled the oats/clover this past spring, I threw about 30 lbs of "bird seed grade" sunflowers, a handful at a time, along a 200 yard stretch of the easement (aka private access road) that goes through one of our fields. A lot of them germinated - I love looking out and seeing all of them!