The old timers around here talk about frost seeding back in the day. I decided to give it a try a couple weeks ago on a plot that had triticale last fall...cast some white and red clover seed. Temperatures here have been above and below numerous times as needed for said procedure. Not sure what to expect, but its not over half acre and if it doesnt take ill just chalk it up to experience. Curious if others still try frost seeding their food plots?

I have with success when I used a drag or harrow and could run across it to get some seed cover. I guess you could say it wasn't a true test of frost seeding but it worked pretty darn good. I have broad casted with a spreader then harrowed in a few times back and forth did a great job. I had an old ranch homestead house pushed in last year and I did the same thing. The alfalfa is as thick as hair on a dog last fall and starting to green up on the crown a few days ago.

The ground was froze but not hard as a rock when I did mine. Did it several times through the years. When I just broad casted it and walked away not to good of luck then.

Used to do a lot of oats, just broadcast and disk them in.

Ive done that too, but im referring to casting seed while snow is still on the ground and letting the freeze/thaw cycles in spring pull the seed into the ground. Thats what we refer as frost seeding in these parts....

Never understood that. The seed will just lay there until the soil temp raises so it can germinate. If any of it rots or is eaten then there are that many seed less that can sprout. Wait until first of april. It will come up faster and have a better chance at making it. If you are working it in that's not what old timers around here called frost seeding. They threw it on top of the snow or the ground when it froze. All i saw was every bird in the country eating it when on the snow.

According to the old timers, it wont just lay there. The multiple freeze/thaw cycles in early spring pull the seed down and allow it to germinate when the temps rise. Must be something to it or it wouldn't have been done to the extent it was. It apparently also allowed for seeding areas, such as lightly forested areas that equipment couldnt access, to be seeded with forage crops. It also allowed traditional wetter areas, where equipment would not be able to work until much later than other areas, to be seeded and have traditional germination times.

To get a good take on the seed you HAVE to be ready for that hard frost the very first thing in the morning. Right at first light if you walk on the ground and can hear and feel the ground sort of cracking, heaving, that's the time to get the seed down. Not after morning coffee or breakfast. For best results walk the field broadcasting the seed in front of you. I used a 4 wheeler just once broadcasting the seed behind it. The tires pushed the little ground cracks down and once the seed started coming up I could see right where the tire tracks were as there was very little seed growth in the tracks. For even better results wait till later in the day once the surface moisture has dried up the go over it with a cultipacker or roller.

Like I said, my experience with frost seeding is I never had a good stand. Maybe 20% at best and when I helped it out with just a little soil cover or compaction the results were very good. Like one posted a roller after the cracking of soil has happened after a few day of the frost thaw event has happened then roll it it made a huge difference for success. Just my experience.

Did it once on an eaten down horse pasture, broadcast red clover early when we still had frosts, darn stuff came in thick....read that red clover takes better but any clover will work...

I've had success using frost seeding to over-seed an existing clover plot. It works for seeds like clover that only need good soil contact and not some level of soil cover. Put it out and let the snow melt and rain work it down to the soil so the freeze/thaw cycle can work it in a bit.

Try to put it on before a storm. It'll help push it in.

so up here I've done it a few time always works great ,we put it on when there is snow on the ground , the seed will work its way to the ground, and the ground starts to warm up under the snow, most times when the snow melts there's a green carpet under, you can do the same thing by putting the seed in the freezer for a week or so,

its all I do.
However I'm seeding native grasses and forbs.
Many of these require stratification.
I prefer to seed in the late fall/early winter.
Can seed on top of snow too.

It does several things, it maximizes seed contact with soil for better germination.
Freeze/thaw cycles "messages" the seed into the soil.
It stratifies the seed if its required.
Reduces potential damage or loss of viability of seeds during storage.
Always best to seed as soon as seeds are mature.

That makes sense with oats here it’s just froze on top no snow, the only time I’ve heard of using snow was some people did it with radishes in a garden sometimes worked sometimes didn’t.

Ive had great luck frost seeding into existing clover stands to fill in the thin spots. I normally plant my clover in late summer early fall with a wheat or oat nurse crop. My typical time to frost seed is early March in WV with the freeze/thaw and the ground is still soft as well. Doesn't take much to cover clover seed due to its size. Not sure that I would do a larger seed as it would become bird and turkey feed in my area.

One of my best "no till" clover plots was frost seeded into a fall planted turnip patch that looked like hogs had rooted it up by early march. I frost seeded clover into two spent turnip plots this year hoping for the same result.

Yeah it pretty much just lays there whether on top of the ground or sunken in until the soil temp gets right. But you must understand the origin of the practice. Back when "old timers" did it for most that was the only way to sow seed. Very few had the equipment to tear up the ground surface to get soil contact. Tell you what you do. IF you have access to a disc frost seed have of an area and disc up the other. Sow the disc part 2nd week in april. Of course the frost part has to be done lot earlier. Post pics of the stand of grass/ clover.
I'm not saying it doesn't work. Just saying if you work the ground up the seed has a better chance to sprout and get a start...