Trifolium pratense Short-lived perennial legume. Up to 24". Red clover for underseeding or grazing. While we highly recommend Freedom Red Clover for hay plantings, this variety-not-stated clover is suitable for pastures, underseeding and cover-cropping.
As pasture: The easiest legume to establish in undisturbed grass sod. Vigorous and high-yielding. More drought-tolerant than white clover. Seed with grass early in the season at 8-10#/acre on bare ground, or 10-12#/acre in undisturbed sod. ②
As cover crop: Efficient fixer of nitrogen. Seed early at 15–20#/acre alone, 8–10#/acre mixed with wheat, ½#/1000 sq ft. Suitable for vegetable fields that will be taken out of production for a full season, and a great companion crop for the taller varieties of spring wheat—seed along with the wheat, and leave the clover in place at harvest. In late fall, either mow close to the ground, or chisel plow and seed Tillage Radish.
Seed coated with Surestand Hydrogreen, an OMRI-Listed® coating. Click here for OMRI certificate.
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The Trifolium genus is home to more than 300 species, and most are native to the northern hemisphere. Clover is versatile, performs well in Maine’s cool humid climate and acidic soils, fixes atmospheric nitrogen, and attracts pollinators. The taller red clovers are better hay plants, with a more erect habit and greater biomass, and they dry more easily. Red clover blossoms, fresh or dried, make one of our favorite teas. White clovers perform better in pastures and lawns, as they tolerate close mowing (or nibbling) and heavy traffic.
No matter what kind of clover you choose, be sure to plant plenty to increase your chances of finding those lucky four-lobed specimens: a survey of approximately 7 million clovers found that 1 in 5,000 clover leaves exhibit this trait!
Clover may be planted from late winter through early fall. Seedlings are slow to establish and will benefit from a nurse crop of oats. If annual weeds come up with your clover, all is not lost: keep the plot regularly mowed and by midseason the clover will have outcompeted the weeds.
Some of our clovers are pre-inoculated and clay-coated with an OMRI-approved coating, but for best results with all clovers, we recommend using Alfalfa/Clover Inoculant.
This item is certified organic