During the first year of clover excretion, the nitrogen fixed by the clover is not mineralized and is not available for grasses. Avoid the use of nitrogen fertilizers or poultry litter while the clover is established, as this promotes grass growth and increases competition. Light nitrogen applications (30-40 pounds per acre) should only be used when grass production (1) is urgently needed and (2) can be disposed of reliably and efficiently with grazing to avoid shading of clover seedlings. If nitrogen is added to these stands, pastures should be grazed in a controlled manner to prevent grasses from overtaking clover. Carry out grazing in such a way as to avoid or minimize clover injuries. If controlled grazing methods are not feasible, do not apply nitrogen during the operating year. Sufficient amounts of phosphate and potash, on the other hand, are needed for competitive and productive clover plants. It is important to perform a soil test and, if necessary, apply these nutrients for successful formation and persistence of clover. Clover lawns also provide an indirect service for our flower and vegetable gardens. Deer and rabbits prefer clover to their garden treasures.
Instead of sacrificing your favorite salaternte or hosta, plant a clover buffet to satisfy hungry collectors. You`ll enjoy watching deer, rabbits, and even turkeys while protecting your garden. White clover (Trifolium repens L.) is a perennial legume of Mediterranean origin. White clover has been used as fodder in North America since colonial times. Benjamin Franklin noticed its prevalence in cleared and disturbed lands as early as 1746. There are many reasons for the popularity of white clover among feed producers. Some of the most common reasons are listed below. After planting, water your clover seed every day for two weeks. This gives the seeds enough moisture to germinate and helps them get off to a good start in their new location.
Be sure to keep deer and other clover-eating animals away from the lawn. The two most commonly used varieties in lawns are Dutch white clover (or dwarf) (Trifolium repens) and more recently microcleus (Trifolium repens var. Pipolina, for example). Here`s what you need to know about these options: White clover seedlings can be extremely competitive with big plants of fescue and fruitgras, so establishment mixtures should be planted with caution. Due to the low habit of creeping growth of white clover, seedling grasses can be lost by “suffocation”. Pens may need to be grazed by lightning during establishment (allowing animals to have access to them for a short period of time to eliminate excessive growth) to minimize competition from clover. Delaying clover sowing until perennial grasses are well established is a preferred practice. Delay in the formation of clover makes it possible to control broadleaf weeds with herbicides, while the grass of the cool season is established. Clover is best suited when planted in loamy or sandy soils with a pH between 6 and 7. To find out the pH of your soil, use a soil test kit or pH meter.
If your soil is not in this desirable range, you can adjust the pH with lime (to make your soil more alkaline) or peat moss (to make your soil more acidic). There are several mixtures of clover. Each clover has its own specific characteristics. So choose the clover that best suits your wishes and plots. As a rule, red clover is suitable for cutting, white clover for grazing. Growth of clover seedlings should be preferred when planted in competitive established grasses such as tall fescue or Bermuda grass. Excessive competition from companion grass is probably the most common reason for the failure of clover establishment. Remember that during the establishment, grass is the enemy! Consider any practice of favoring clover seedlings and punishing existing grass (without killing it completely). Several management options are available to support clover production.
White clover is more tolerant of 2,4-D applications than other clover, but the effectiveness of these applications depends on weather conditions and the maturity of the weed species. Two pints of 2,4-D per acre injure the white clover, but in most cases it will recover. Clover is very sensitive to dicamba (Weedmaster, Banvel), picloram (Grazon P+D) and triclopapyr (Remedy), and these chemicals usually remove complete clover. If the clover content has fallen to 5-10 percent of the dry matter of the stock and the weed pressure is high, it is probably appropriate to kill the weeds and reseed the clover after the end of herbicide activity. White clover has several soil nutrient needs for satisfactory establishment and growth. Soil acidity affects the availability of several nutrients and reduces the survival of rhizobial bacteria needed for nitrogen fixation. The soil must be limed to a minimum pH of 6.0. Clover responds very well to potassium and phosphate, so sufficient amounts of these nutrients are crucial for establishment, persistence, and productivity. Below the optimal soil values, P and K are responsible for many clover failures in pastures. White clover works well on moist soils and is much more resistant to these soils than red clover.
White clover will also work well on lighter soils, but you should avoid planting in deep sand. Rates of white clover planting in an existing grass pasture should be 2 to 4 pounds per acre. White clover seeds are relatively small and 1 pound of seeds contains about 800,000 seeds. Therefore, the seedling rates of white clover appear to be low compared to other forage plants. Hay or silage mixtures that contain white clover should also contain red clover to increase the potential yield. White clover and red clover with one of the grasses listed in Table 2 should provide an excellent stock of hay or pasture. In addition to fixing nitrogen, a living clover mulch keeps the soil moist and cool. The lush green cover catches the sun, which helps lower soil temperatures and reduce evaporation. Unfortunately, honey bee populations are declining and scientists link this loss to the eradication of clover, dandelions and other flowering “weeds” from lawns across the country.
Planting clover in your lawn and landscape is one way to increase the honey bee population! You`ll also find many other native bee species visiting clover flowers, including bumblebees, which are also important pollinators. Sometimes white clover can become infected with viruses (Figure 8). Peanut cascade virus, alfalfa mosaic virus and clover yellow vein virus are all transmitted by insects such as aphids or thrips. Many of these viruses result in decreased stolon growth, decreased leaf yield, and decreased root growth and bone formation (Pederson, 1995). There are no controls and no real virus-resistant varieties. If clover stocks fail due to viruses, the only option is to sow again. Red clover and white clover can be stimulated to grow in different ways. Clover seeds are finer than grass seeds. For a good emergence, do not sow clover to a depth greater than 2 cm.
The optimal sowing depth for clover is 0.5-1 cm. After sowing, you can roll the soil with a Cambridge roller to promote optimal germination. Clover is one of the favorite foods of honey bees. If you ate honey, it was probably clover honey! The food supply for honey bees goes far beyond the production of natural sweeteners – feeding pollinators is crucial for plant production at any scale, from large farms to our own gardens. About one in three foods we eat depends on honey bees for pollination! This legume is a strong, easy-to-grow clover that produces large white flowers. White clover is perfect for use as a cover fruit. Perennial. (Trifolium repens). In addition to improving animal performance, a frequently mentioned benefit of including clover in pastures is nitrogen fixation. Earth`s atmosphere consists of about 80% nitrogen; However, this nitrogen is not present in a form that plants can use.