A neat and well-groomed lawn in a personal plot is the dream of many. But in order for the lawn to become a source of pride for its owner, you need to invest a lot of time, effort and finances, which, unfortunately, not everyone has at their disposal. Untimely and poor grass care will negate all previously expended efforts and will lead to the lawn losing its decorative and attractive appearance.
A clover lawn is an ideal option for those who cannot devote part of their time to mowing the lawn every day. In this article we will talk in detail about clover, its advantages and disadvantages, as well as the features of caring for it.
What is clover
This is a perennial herbaceous plant of the legume family with emerald green leaves and small spherical inflorescences. Clover tends to grow throughout the area in the form of a continuous dense carpet, no more than 10 cm high. It quickly strengthens its roots in the soil, filling all the free areas on the site.
In our latitudes there are about 70 different types of trefoil, the most common of which are considered to be the following varieties:
- creeping;
- gray-blue;
- yellow;
- Khadeni;
- brandegas.
Sometimes in landscape design they use a specially bred variety of clover called “Barbanian” - this is a hybrid plant with white and pink flowers. If you are unable to find its seeds on sale, you can plant ordinary creeping trefoil.
Benefits of clover as a lawn grass
White clover for the lawn is considered the most successful among other types, since after cutting it there are no bare stems left on the lawn. The area covered with a fluffy green carpet of shamrocks looks quite beautiful, and the plant itself has a number of advantages:
- it is unpretentious, so it feels great in any changeable climate;
- the type of soil for clover is not particularly important; it does not require frequent watering and fertilizing;
- the land on which this crop grows is actively supplied with nitrogen;
- trefoil is a honey plant, if trimmed infrequently, it attracts bees and other pollinating insects;
- Clover for the lawn is also good because it grows quite quickly, turning into a dense carpet and covering all the bald spots on the site;
- it is resistant to trampling and has the ability to recover in a short time;
- its flowering period lasts quite a long time - from May to mid-autumn;
- With proper care, a clover lawn can not be updated for 7-8 years.
Disadvantages of Trefoil Lawn
- the need for constant trimming and removal of dead inflorescences;
- in places where clover grows, soil moisture is always high, which leads to the proliferation of snails and slugs;
- this grass is prone to infection by various fungal diseases;
- clover can quickly grow beyond the lawn and become a weed in neighboring beds, which, moreover, is quite difficult to remove.
Planting clover
To create a beautiful and neat shamrock lawn, we recommend following some rules:
- Clover can be planted starting in mid-spring, at a time when the air temperature reaches +13-15°C.
- For 1 m² of lawn area there should be approximately 20 g of seeds.
- Before sowing, the soil should be dug well, cleared of weeds and debris, leveled and slightly compacted.
- Remember that shamrock saturates the soil with nitrogen, so do not overdo it with fertilizers. If you add too much of them, excessive weed growth may occur.
- It is best to buy clover seeds for the lawn at a gardening store, where they are presented in a large assortment.
- Grass should be sown along and across the lawn - this way the green carpet will look more uniform. After planting, the seeds should be sprinkled with a 1 cm thick layer of soil and the soil should be compacted slightly. If sowing occurs during the hot season, enrich the soil with peat, which will retain moisture for a long time.
- A variety called “Rivendell” is perfect for a decorative lawn. It does not grow higher than 10 cm, has bright leaves and a large number of inflorescences.
- If desired, clover seeds can be combined with other plants, for example, with cereals. In this case, the remaining crops will require additional feeding, otherwise the trefoil will choke them.
- Clover blooms in the second year after planting; this period lasts from May to July. The lawn is then mowed and the clover goes through another flowering phase from August to October.
- If this crop is not provided with the necessary care, the trefoil begins to fall out in places, forming bald spots. Over time, empty spaces on the lawn become overgrown with weeds and all its decorative properties are lost.
- It is better to trim clover using a garden trimmer. In this case, it resumes faster and produces a large number of inflorescences.
You can see the white clover lawn in the photo:
Clover Lawn Care
The lawn sown with this plant must be constantly maintained in a neat and beautiful form; for this, take into account some subtleties:
- Trefoil is unpretentious to the soil; it feels good on dry sandy or clay soil, without requiring frequent and abundant watering.
- Clover is sun-loving and does not feel comfortable in the shade, so do not plant tall shrubs or dense grasses near it.
- Too much soil and air moisture in places where trefoil grows inhibits the plant, slows down its development and impairs flowering.
- When sowing clover, it is better to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizers or not apply them to the ground at all. When purchasing complex fertilizers, also make sure that they do not contain components of the nitrogen group; instead, it is better to use fertilizers based on potassium and phosphorus.
- If you decide to make a combined lawn, take into account that the proportion of clover seeds in the grass mixture should not be more than 6-7%.
- Regular mowing is the key to a beautiful shamrock lawn. It is believed that it is best to cut the plant at a height of 3-4 cm from ground level.
You can learn a little more about how to sow clover from the video:
Editor Lawn and soil 22794
A clover lawn is a godsend for large areas. In places where yesterday weeds were rampant and bare earth looked inhospitably, a soft, lush carpet will bloom. Many gardeners, when talking about clover, prefer to replace the concept of lawn with lawn or meadow.
The perennial grass belongs to the legume family. It looks very cute thanks to the small pompom flowers against the background of emerald patterned leaves. In the stage of an adult developed plant, it quickly spreads and covers the entire available area. More than 300 varieties are known. For home plantings, choose one low-growing species.
The second name is trefoil. This definition in Latin means the presence of three leaves. Finding four leaves was considered a happy omen. However, varieties have now been bred in which all leaves are quadruple. The main purpose of the crop is food for herbivores. Contains a lot of nutrients. It is grown and harvested in agriculture.
Main types
About 20 varieties are used in landscape design. They differ in height, color and decorative value. Used to create a flowering carpet on lawns and lawns. They look good among the stones of an alpine hill and rockery.
To avoid disappointment, you need to know in detail about the variety you are going to purchase.
meadow clover
Common wild species. The flowers are pink or reddish. Spreads across meadows, fields, mountains. Unpretentious and tenacious.
White clover (creeping)
The perennial plant is a creeping species. Spreads along the ground, stem length up to 40 cm. Leaves are round, triple. Tolerates trampling, frost, and drought. Blooms with white balls. A white clover lawn rises 10 cm from the ground, but in the wild it can grow up to 30.
Variety Atropurpurea
Artificially bred decorative appearance. The leaves are dark purple. The edge seems to be outlined with a green pencil. Loves sunny places. It is under the influence of bright light that it acquires its color. In the shade it will turn green and lose its originality. Leaves of three and four blades.
Variety Purpurascens
Designed for decorative flower beds. Four-leaved. Brown-red paint seemed to flow on each leaf, leaving the edges and veins a rich green. Quickly takes over the entire surrounding space.
Variety Good Luck
Interesting color of four leaves. In the center there is a brown spot with jagged edges and light brown streaks. Most of the leaf is green with light green veins.
Blooms with pink and white balls. In terms of vitality, it is superior to the meadow variety. Unpretentious to high soil acidity. Loves moisture. The period of active flowering is from early summer to autumn. There are three leaves per stem.
Red clover
This is a bush up to 60 cm tall. The inflorescences are elongated, large, crimson-red. The leaves are large, three-fingered. It begins to bloom continuously from the beginning of July. It spreads better by seeds. When you try to divide the bush, a fifth of it takes root. Wild species are protected by law.
Conditions for a flowering carpet
Since wild shamrock is very tenacious, its cultivated brothers do not require special conditions.
Soil with neutral or weak acidity is preferable. Reacts well to fertilizers. Enriches the soil after cereals. It spreads better over loamy and sandy soil.
The sun is always a priority. In shaded places, it is more susceptible to fungus and gets sick.
The plant really needs moisture. It is the combination of sun and humidity that promote flowering, propagation, and restoration. However, excess attracts slugs and snails. The roots begin to rot.
Weeds must be removed at the beginning of the lawn colonization. In the second year, the shamrock will get rid of itself, leaving them no chance. If clover is left out of control, it will itself become a fast-spreading weed.
Reproduction. Seeds must be collected from biennial plants. Choose large, dry heads. Dry them in a shaded place for a week, then you can put them away for storage. Sow to a depth of 3 cm.
Fertilizers
Shamrock is a very nutritious plant and loves to be treated the same way. Before you sow it, you need to think about fertilizers:
- organic fertilizers (manure) are applied only in the fall for digging;
- fertilizer with a phosphorus-potassium composition is added to the clover lawn; further, no more than once every two months;
- on podzolic soils it is necessary to spray the green mass at the beginning of flowering with boron fertilizers;
- All fertilizers with nitrogen additives should be excluded; Clover itself accumulates nitrogen and cannot tolerate its overdose.
Completely unnecessary: calcium nitrate, ammonium nitrate; sodium nitrate; ammonium chloride.
Sowing
The best time is the end of summer. The plant will take root and grow well before frost. The soil is completely cleared of weeds. Fertilizers are applied as necessary. Then it is carefully compacted. Seeds are scattered like lawn grass. Embedded in the soil up to three centimeters.
Combination with other plants
On the ground, the shamrock behaves aggressively. He is an invader of new territories. If you plan to combine its sowing with other plants, then you need to stimulate their growth with mineral fertilizers.
Looks great under bushes and trees. When planting different varieties in a flower garden, it is better to isolate them with a small border.
A haircut
Often, after mowing, a clover lawn is disappointing with dry stems and uneven color, but after a couple of days the appearance is restored. Unattractiveness is characteristic of the pink shamrock. The cropped white look looks like a neat green rug.
No careful care required. For cutting, it is better to use a trimmer or a gasoline lawn mower. The cover is too dense for the lawnmower. The result is wavy and ugly.
The white variety needs to be cut once every half month. For wild-looking meadows, treatment twice a season is sufficient. You should get rid of 4 cm of the top layer.
Bloom
Lawn clover reveals its beauty in its second year. Fluffy pom-poms will appear in friendly rows from late spring and throughout the summer. Then, it is recommended to mow the first wave. September, October the second wave of flowering will begin.
Why is it worth decorating your area with cute lambs?
The most important advantage is the beauty and freshness of a soft carpet. But there are also advantages:
- soil fertility increases; it is saturated with nitrogen;
- proximity to the crop strengthens the resistance of neighboring plants to diseases; especially favorable for cereals;
- bright juicy greenery pleases the eye until late autumn;
- lawn maintenance costs are minimal;
- quickly restores a thick and dense cover after mowing;
- resistant to trampling;
- performs well where ordinary lawn grass does not grow;
- Mown shamrock works great as mulch.
What kind of trouble can clover cause?
It is imperative to consider the disadvantages of trefoil carpets:
- fading brown heads must be removed periodically;
- after rain, the lawn takes a long time to dry out due to its dense structure;
- high air humidity makes the surface slippery; especially dangerous on slopes;
- the plant crawls to other flower beds and new territories; it is difficult to get rid of it;
- due to the tight closure of the leaves, the layer at the roots is constantly wet; fungal infections spread quickly;
- nitrogen-containing nodules attract harmful insects, click beetles;
- fragrant flowers delight not only people, but also bees; there are always enough of them over the flowering carpet; It is advisable to plant the crop in the garden, then there will be enough insects for pollination;
- if you cut with a lawn mower, you will have to clean it often; it is filled with juicy greens.
A lawn of blooming, lush grass is just what you need for those who like to enjoy greenery without getting overtired. Little effort. The result is long-lasting, bright and impressive.
In folk medicine, clover is sung for its healing properties, beekeepers respect it for its honey production, and clover is also an excellent replacement for the usual lawn seeds. This is what we will talk about today.
To understand why owners of their personal plots love clover lawns so much, let’s consider all the advantages of such clearings. Although it would be fair to consider the shortcomings. But everything is in order!
Perennial clover - main characteristics
Clover is a perennial (less often annual) plant that belongs to the legume family. In our area, clover is found in white, pink, yellow, burgundy and red. Has a middle name - trefoil. There are many legends associated with the shape and number of leaves on the stem.
This plant is quite unpretentious in choosing soil. Trefoil can grow both on black soil and on sand. Definitely a sun-loving plant, but does not require frequent watering. It calmly tolerates frosty winters and easily restores areas that still could not cope with the cold.
Clover lawn Color selection
If you are wondering what color to choose, then clover for the lawn looks better with white blooms. Although there are also white-red mixtures. The clover carpet looks very delicate and beautiful, but I would like to immediately warn you that it will bloom only a year after planting. But don't be upset. Such a dwarf hairy butterfly is worth waiting for, especially since next and all subsequent years the clover will bloom twice a year: from late spring to late summer, and from late summer to mid-autumn.
Both white and pink clover look good There are many types of clover (only about seventy species grow in the CIS): African clover, Egyptian clover, excellent clover, creeping clover, and many others. But for planting a lawn, low-growing trefoil is used, which blooms white. Why didn't you like the rest of your relatives? And it’s very simple: after you cut the white shamrock, there will be no unsightly stems left on the lawn.
The name “short” speaks for itself, so it is not surprising that some owners of lawn areas prefer not to cut them at all. Although there are still a couple of recommendations in this regard: cut your hair no lower than 4 cm and no higher than 12 cm.
If it is assumed that the lawn will not only be admired, but also actively used, then trefoil seeds are sometimes added to the traditional lawn seed mixture. Therefore, it becomes much softer to fall from children's swings and slides.
Microclover
I would like to say a few more words about decorative microclover. This is a revolution in the scientific world of biology, because microclover is the same color in winter and summer - yes, it does not change its green coat even in cold weather. It is also not afraid of low mowing and drought. Decorative microclover has dense enough roots that bald spots, even if they form, quickly heal.
Microclover These are perhaps the main features of clover. Let's see how to arrange a clover lawn according to all the rules.
Creating a clover lawn and caring for it
Well, first you need to understand the seeds. You can find them in any garden store, as well as from grannies who stand in spontaneous markets. In general, the choice of places and the range of planting material is wide. Before purchasing, I just want to remind you of the main features of different types of trefoil:
- White trefoil - a representative of this type of clover does not require frequent cutting, because it spreads more along the ground than reaches up and is itself a low-growing species.
- Pink shamrock and its red-colored relatives grow tall and require frequent trimming.
Have you ever thought that in nature, plants and all living things get along just fine without humans? Everything grows and bears fruit year after year. Don't worry too much about clover either. This is still not a skillfully bred plant species, who can get sick from any oblique ray of sunlight.
It was not for nothing that mongrels (Belka and Strelka) flew into space, and not purebred dogs - they would not have been able to cope with the aggressive environment of space. What is this for? Don’t worry too much about what kind of planting and care clover needs - if you follow all the recommendations, then you will definitely succeed.
Planting clover
Clover will take root in the area no matter what season of the year (except winter, of course) it is planted. Ungerminated seeds cope with heat and drought better than you think. As for frosts, try to sow clover a month and a half before they start.
Prepare the soil before planting In the spring, begin preparing the soil for sowing shamrocks. After the soil has warmed up well, carefully level the area for sowing. Get rid of weeds, debris, large stones and roll the area.
Mix purchased trefoil seeds with sand and scatter evenly over the planting area. Place a small one-centimeter layer of peat and soil on top of the seeds. You can calculate the number of seeds using the formula 1-2.5 kg/1 hundred square meters.
But no matter how hardy the clover seeds are, it is better to moisten the soil before sowing. Or be patient and let the rain do everything on its own.
A newly sown area requires good watering. Use a hose with a sprayer for this procedure so that the pressure does not damage the top layer of the future clover lawn.
Expect the appearance of the first sprouts within 14 days 
The main requirement for caring for a clover lawn is watering, and then only during seed germination. Trefoil does not need fertilizers, because It itself serves as sederat - a green fertilizer that has a good effect on soil fertility.
As we already wrote, The clover lawn doesn’t really need mowing, especially since it is very important for us to give the clover the opportunity to bloom and self-sow. Use a trimmer to cut your hair.
Here's everything you need to know about how to care for your shamrock lawn.
How to get rid of clover
Now discuss the situation when clover is not needed on the lawn at all. This can happen for several reasons: someone in your household is allergic to it, you are worried about bees, or you just want to remove clover from your lawn.
If we are just talking about clover shoots on your neat lawn, then pull it out by the roots (just do not mow the lawn before this, so as not to encourage the sowing of seeds) and fertilize the soil with nitrogen fertilizer, which will slow down the growth of shamrocks, but on the contrary will have a positive effect on lawn grass. And then make sure that no new shoots appear.
Also, in such a fight, all means will be good. Sprinkle ammonium nitrate on the area attacked by clover. After 1.5 months, you will of course be sad to see bald spots on your lawn, but the clover will go away completely.
How to remove clover from the lawn (video)
Clover lawn - what are the pros and cons
If you are thinking about sowing an original lawn in your yard, then feel free to choose shamrock for this purpose, because it has a lot of advantages:
- Clover lawn is the most unusual lawn choice. Dense clover goes well with flower beds, rose gardens, fountains and rock gardens. It looks advantageous both on wide, spacious lawns and on separate small clearings;
- Forms a lush, deep green soft carpet of grass;
- Due to the dense root system, it does not allow weeds to develop;
- If the area for the lawn is hilly, then feel free to sow the selected hill with clover - clover strengthens such areas;
- Can be done without cutting or regular watering;
- It supplies nitrogen to the soil and thus serves not only as a decoration for the site, but also as a fertilizer for the soil;
- Successfully tolerates trampling;
- Cheap planting material;
- A favorite treat for bees. But this point can also be considered a disadvantage if you are worried about your children;
- Trefoil is highly decorative. Well, judge for yourself: how much more elegant the rounded leaves look on a lawn meadow.
But there are no fairy tales, so this miracle plant also has its disadvantages:
- After the flowers have faded, the lawn looks very unattractive. If you do not remove dried inflorescences, then you will not fully enjoy the clover lawn;
- It grows very quickly and, like a pirate, will over time crush all other lawn crops (if you sow clover in a complex);
- The surface is quite slippery due to the wet turf, so you need to be careful with outdoor games so as not to slip.
Clover in the country (video)
Clover- an excellent honey plant, but it is sown for several other reasons. It forms a thick, beautiful ground cover; recognized as a good forage crop for farm animals; is a green manure that enriches the soil of a personal plot with nitrogen and organic matter. The agricultural technology for growing this plant is not particularly complicated: timely watering and loosening are sufficient.
You will need
- - The soil;
- - Seeds;
- - Fertilizers;
- - Water;
- - Shovel;
- - Watering can.
Instructions
- Prepare the ground. Clover is a rather unpretentious plant, but it grows better in sunny areas and produces a real “carpet” of greenery and flowers in loose soils filled with organic matter. It is better to apply fertilizers with autumn digging at the rate of 4-5 kg of rotted manure for each sq.m. plots. Along with manure, it makes sense to add 6-7 g of double superphosphate and 3-5 g of potassium fertilizers. In the spring, before green shoots grow, it will be possible to add 4-5 g of urea by scattering granules on the surface of the earth.
- Choose a warm autumn day to sow clover. It is highly desirable that the air temperature no longer rises above 15 degrees Celsius, otherwise there is a risk that the plant will begin to grow and die from frost. Due to the fact that the seeds are quite small, it is recommended to mix them with clean river sand in a ratio of 1:3 and sow them in grooves drawn at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other. If desired, you can sow clover randomly, but in this case the seed consumption will increase.
- Feed with liquid manure. This should be done in the spring, when the thermometer does not drop below 5-7 degrees Celsius and the young shoots of clover begin to grow. To prepare the fertilizer, dilute 15 kg of mullein in 30 liters of water, cover with plastic wrap, tie to prevent access of oxygen, and leave for a week. After some time, remove the film, mix the fertilizer, dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:5 and feed the young clover shoots.
- Spray the plot with Intavir solution or treat it with another pest repellent when the clover begins to bud. To keep the pinkish-red flowers and emerald greens pleasing you for as long as possible, feed the clover with wood ash. It contains potassium, magnesium and many other useful substances that promote better vegetation and also protect clover flowers from diseases.
How to use clover as a lawn
Clover is good to use as a lawn in areas that have poorly drained soil, in shaded areas and if you want to have a well-groomed, beautiful lawn without spending a lot of effort.
Clover will keep weeds out of your lawn. He won't need a haircut. A clover lawn looks no worse than a classic one. Different varieties of clover are used for lawns. The most common are Pink Clover and Creeping Clover (white). White is low-growing, similar in characteristics to a ground cover. Sowing a lawn from clover When deciding to plant a lawn from clover, you must first purchase seeds. This is done in the spring. A clover lawn can be planted earlier than a regular lawn, as soon as the ground has thawed after winter and frosts have stopped at night. Clover is a hardy plant. It can adapt to different regions and weather conditions. It tolerates frost well and germinates every year for three years, without requiring new reseeding. Before planting, you need to level the area with a rake. But you don’t have to try as hard as you would with planting a regular grass lawn. Clover will mask all unevenness in the soil. Then the clover seeds must be soaked for an hour in water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate, dried and mixed in half with dry sand or garden soil. The quantity required is about 100 g of seeds per 1 m² of future lawn. Seeds mixed with sand are evenly distributed over the lawn area. It is better to sow in several directions - along, then across or diagonally. The crops are covered with a one-centimeter layer of soil on top. There is no need for fertile soil or peat for the top layer - clover will grow in any soil. The soil becomes slightly compacted (there is also no need to roll the entire area, just trample on the sown area, placing a sheet of plywood under your feet). Care After compacting the soil, the crops should be watered with very light rain so that the soil is not washed away and the seeds are not washed away. Try to plant when rain is not forecast for at least the next couple of days. You need to water the lawn daily, trying to keep the soil moist at all times and not allowing it to dry out for a week. In two weeks, sprouts will appear. This is when your new clover lawn has begun to form. Clover is quite drought-resistant - a mature lawn can be watered no more than once a week in the summer. There is no need to fertilize a clover lawn - the plant contains enough nitrogen to not only grow and turn green safely, but also to saturate the soil with useful substances. The disadvantage of a lawn is that it is not resistant to trampling. To maintain the appearance of a beautiful green lawn, it is necessary to lay paths in the lawn. After three years, the lawn will have to be seeded again using the method described above.
When to sow red clover in spring or fall
Lyokha @
Clover should only be sown in spring. It is very good in the garden or lawn. In the garden it is better to use beans or seed peas. In a garden with bushes and trees, there is no need to mow or dig it up at all. Let it grow, sow and multiply. Red clover reproduces only by seeds. Digging does not multiply it, but suppresses it. To improve the soil, it must grow in the garden for at least 3-4 years. Better - more. Then the effect is higher. In general, sodding in the garden is a very good technique. It improves the structure of the soil, allows the roots of perennial grasses to penetrate deeper and deeper every year, allows the soil to breathe, improves fruiting, reduces the number of pests, eliminates the frequency of fruiting and makes the crop more uniform over the years. If the grass is too tall for your liking, you can periodically mow it on the paths and near the bushes, raking the corn to the base of the bushes. It's a great fertilizer and a great mulch, just don't dig it into the soil.
Who knows how to plant clover?
Tatiana Fedorova
It depends on what kind of clover is planted and why. We sowed clover to cover the grain crops. That is, grain is sown at the same time, and clover (forage, not lawn) or a mixture of clover and timothy is sown immediately in the same field. Seedlings of grain crops grow quickly, while shading weak seedlings of grasses. Then, after harvesting the main crop for grain or green fodder, it begins to develop as a cover crop. And next year there will be wonderful clover in this field.
And if clover is for the lawn, see Olga Golenko’s answer.
Grandfather Pikhto
by scattering method
Kostenko Sergey
clover is sown to a depth of 1-2 cm. The most acceptable way at home (in a personal plot) is to manually sow on the surface of loosened soil and mix the seeds with the ground (for example, with a rake), followed by soil compaction and watering (fine sprinkling)
Ivan Vasiliev
Are you talking about street clover? Just search for “plant clover”, “plant clover”, “clover cultivation”. You will find a lot of interesting things.
Nataly Sitko
According to morphological and biological characteristics, red clover is divided into two main types: late-ripening, or single-cut (Trifolium pratense serotinum), and early-ripening, or double-cut (Trifolium pratense praecox). Late-ripening clover is a winter-type plant, more winter-hardy and longer-living than early-ripening clover, which has spring development. Early ripening clover, when sown early in spring without cover in the southern regions, produces seeds in the first year of life. It is sown in the southwestern part of the clover growing zone and in many western regions of Russia; late ripening - in the northern, northeastern and many central and northwestern regions, as well as in Siberia.
Clover is demanding of moisture, but cannot tolerate excess. It grows best on slightly acidic or neutral soils (pH 5.5-7). Responsive to organic and organo-mineral fertilizers for cover or previous crops. In field crop rotations, clover is sown in pure form and in a mixture with cereals and other leguminous grasses. Seeding rates for pure sowing are 14-16 kg, mixed with timothy - 13-15 kg of K. and 3-6 kg of timothy per 1 ha.
Yuzefa Fedorov
Sow seeds in spring.
**ALGA**
To be honest, there seems to be nothing to ask. She fluffed up the soil, carefully scattered it by the handful, lightly raked it and watered it. And then there is no translation. Good luck! It grows very nicely, is undemanding and runs great on clover.
When to sow red clover? Is it possible in winter or is it better in spring?
Sofia Guseva
Try in early spring after the last snow, the seeds will go into the ground with it.
Anatoly
In winter - is it snowing or something?
Olga
Wait until spring
Elena Orlova
It was possible now (two weeks earlier) and it sprouts normally in the spring, now wait until spring
Clover, popularly called trefoil, belongs to perennial plants of the legume family. The plant is presented in the form of three leaves of emerald color with a small spherical flower. If you adhere to the correct technology for planting it, and also care for it afterwards, then a blooming lawn will delight you every year with an even and soft carpet. To do everything correctly, consider: how to plant white clover for a lawn? Simple tips and some nuances from experts will allow you to get a green carpet as a result of the work done.
Advantages and disadvantages
- the suppressive property will lead to the death of other flowers;
- rapid growth in all directions (clover is dominant);
- moisture retention leads to slipperiness - you should walk on it carefully.
Planting technology
As already mentioned, a tenacious plant does not require weeding or fertilizing. But, if you want to get an even and beautiful thick carpet, you should consider several recommendations. So, among the preparatory work, the location should be correctly determined. The best option is a sunny lawn or partial shade. Seeds are purchased at a specialized store for gardeners and gardeners: about 300 grains are needed per 1 m2. It is recommended to plant in spring or early summer.
- As in the case of a regular lawn, in order for the seeds to take root well and quickly, you should remove the top layer of soil (up to 5 cm) and level the area.
- Fast germination will be ensured by simple soaking for 1 hour before direct sowing. You can also mix the seeds with a small part of the soil and then scatter them evenly over the area.
- To prevent birds from pecking the grains, a thin layer of soil (about 1 cm) is poured on top.
- For watering, it is recommended to use a sprinkler nozzle, as strong pressure will wash away the white clover seeds or drown them. Soil moisture should be maintained for 7-10 days. The possibility of walking on the lawn is excluded. After 15 days, shoots should appear.
Important! Clover grows well in areas where cereals were previously grown.
Care
The unpretentiousness of the plant reduces all the conditions for caring for it. So, the basis includes only watering. Prolonged drought can negatively impact the growth of a white clover lawn. At the same time, severe waterlogging will also be disastrous. Experienced gardeners recommend watering once a week, provided that there has been no rain during these days.
You can trim the clover as desired - as the plant grows. In this case, it is recommended to use a trimmer, after which the lawn will quickly recover and bloom profusely. Carefully monitor the growth of the lawn; it is better to limit it, as it will be difficult to remove white clover.
Important! Trefoil easily tolerates sudden changes in temperature, but in case of high heat levels, additional watering should be carried out.
Video: white clover instead of lawn grass
Growing clover
Biological features.
Clover belongs to the genus Trifolium L., which has about 300 annual and perennial species, distributed mainly in temperate regions of Europe, Asia and North America. There are up to 70 wild species of clover in the CIS. Most of them are bush plants with a well-developed tap root system. Three types of clover are common in cultivation: red clover (Tr. pratense L.), pink clover (Tr. hybridum L.) and white clover (Tr. repens L.). Incarnatum clover (Tr. incarnatum L.) and shabdar clover (Tr. resupinatum) have some distribution.
Red clover. The most common type both in the CIS and in foreign countries. This is a perennial herbaceous plant with a tap root that penetrates the soil to a depth of 1.5-2 m. The clover root has the property of contracting and drawing the root collar into the ground, which increases the plant's resistance to drought and low temperatures. The stem is round, with 6-9 internodes, branched, 50 - 70 cm high, and in some cases up to 150 cm. Under favorable growing conditions, clover bushes well. On one plant the number of stems reaches 20-30, and sometimes more.
The leaves are compound, trifoliate. The flowers are red-violet, collected in inflorescences - the head. Each head contains 30-70 flowers. Clover is cross-pollinated with the help of bees, bumblebees and other insects. The fruit is one or two achenes and a bean. The seeds are round-ovoid, smooth, shiny. Weight of 1000 seeds is 1.5-2 g.
There are several subspecies of red clover in the CIS, among which two are the most common: single-cut northern clover and double-cut early-ripening southern clover. In addition to these extreme types, many plants of an intermediate type are found in clover crops. For example, in the Baltic republics and Belarus, the crops are northern double-cut clover.
Single-cut clover differs from double-cut clover in having a taller stem, greater bushiness and branching of the stem, and a larger number of internodes (usually 7-9 versus 5-7 for double-cut clover). In the first year of life, it forms a rosette pressed to the ground and usually does not bloom. In the second year, as a rule, it produces one cutting. Single-cut clover blooms 10-15 days later than double-cut clover. After mowing it grows back slowly. Under favorable growing conditions, it is used for two years. It is characterized by increased winter hardiness.
Double-cut clover has a less developed stem, but blooms earlier. In the second year of life, it produces two cuttings for hay, or the first for hay, and the second for seeds. It is used for one year because it is less winter-hardy than single-cut. However, it is less demanding on moisture and tolerates high temperatures better. In Ukraine, mainly double-cut clover is grown.
Clover red- plant of moderately humid climate. It produces high yields in areas with annual precipitation of 450-500 mm or more. It grows well in areas with high soil water levels, but not closer than 50 cm to the surface. Red clover is not very demanding when it comes to heat. Its seeds germinate at a temperature of 2-3 °C. Plants that are well rooted can withstand frosts down to -20 ° C or more, even in snowless winters. Red clover has increased moisture requirements. The optimal soil moisture for its normal development is within 70-80% of the total moisture capacity. Transpiration coefficient 500-600.
Clover is more demanding of nutrients than grain crops, especially phosphorus and potassium. It, like other legumes, assimilates atmospheric nitrogen with the help of nodule bacteria. The best soils for it are podzolized and heavy chernozems, dark gray and gray forest soils with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction of the soil solution (pH - 7). On podzolic acidic soils it gives high yields only with liming.
Pink clover (hybrid, Swedish) differs from red clover in its smaller growth and pink heads that sit on long legs. The plant is well leafed. The fruit is a one- and two-seeded bean, the seeds are regular heart-shaped, green with a marbled speckled pattern.
Pink clover is less demanding on soils than red clover; it grows well in acidic soils and heavy clay soils. Under favorable conditions, the crop can grow in one place for 7-8 years. After using crops for seeds, the plants almost completely die off. It is characterized by high cold resistance.
The species has two ecological forms - with a hollow stem (grows in damp places) and with a stem filled with a core (a form adapted to drier areas). Sow pink clover on peat soils and lowlands.
Clover white- a perennial crop with a creeping stem. The root system is located in the upper horizons of the soil, mainly at a depth of up to 30-35 cm. The stem is branched, takes root at the nodes. Flowering shoots are erect, flowers are white. Beans contain 3 - 4 seeds. The seeds are small, variegated, regular heart-shaped. White clover is sown mainly in forage crop rotations, in areas intended for grazing.
Clover grows slowly in the year of sowing and does not produce a full harvest, so it is sown under the cover of winter or spring grain crops. The best cover crop for clover in Ukraine is barley. If clover is grown under the cover of winter crops, it is better to sow it under winter wheat. Since clover is sown under the cover of grain crops, cultivating the soil for grain crops is also cultivating for clover.
Lime increases clover's resistance to freezing, so acidic soils are limed.
To obtain high yields of hay and seeds, clover is fed in the second and subsequent years of use: the first time in the spring, the second time after the second mowing. When feeding, 30-40 kg of active substances phosphorus and potassium are added per hectare. Fertilizers are incorporated into the soil using harrows.
Sow clover with well-cleaned and sorted seeds with a germination rate of at least 90%. It is especially carefully cleaned of dodder seeds (using special machines).
Clover seed material is heterogeneous. It sometimes contains up to 50 percent or more of the so-called “stone” seed, which has a very hard shell and does not fall off even in conditions of sufficient soil moisture for 2-3 years; Before sowing clover seeds, they are ground using graters or special machines - scarifiers. At the same time, the hard shells on it are destroyed, and it germinates more quickly.
To increase the yield of clover, the seeds are treated with nitragine before sowing. 2-3 weeks before this, it is treated with granosan (150-200 g per 1 centner of seeds).
Clover is sown with grain grass or grain seeders along with a cover crop. In this process, cover crop seeds are mixed with clover seeds. To prevent grass seeds from settling in the seeder box, the seeds of the cover crop, if it is non-vernalized, are slightly moistened before sowing and mixed well with the grass seeds.
If clover is grown under the cover of winter crops, then it is sown in the spring, before harrowing the winter crops, with disc seeders across the rows. The clover seeding rate is from 14 to 16 kg/ha. Seeds are planted at a depth of 2-3 cm, and when sown with grain seeders, no deeper than 4-5 cm.
Care of clover crops begins after mowing the cover crop. After 2-3 days, piles of straw and flooring are removed from the field, and the clover under them is damped off. The cleared field is harrowed in 1-2 tracks with heavy harrows to loosen the soil surface and retain moisture.
If clover, after harvesting the cover crop, manages to form a large vegetative mass by autumn, then 3-4 weeks before frost it is mowed at a height of 14-15 cm to prevent damping off.
In the second and subsequent years of use, clover is harrowed in the spring and after each slope, and weeded from weeds. Particular attention should be paid to the fight against dodder.
When growing clover for seeds, bees are taken to its crops during flowering at the rate of at least 1-2 bee colonies per hectare.
To obtain high-quality hay, clover is mowed at the beginning of flowering. Delay in mowing leads to the fact that many leaves fall off, the hay becomes coarser and its nutritional value decreases. Mow clover for hay at a height of 5-8 cm.
When drying clover hay, make sure that it does not dry out. To do this, the mown grass is dried in the mowing for 2-4 hours, then raked into windrows, and after 1-2 days they are formed into small shocks. When the hay in the stack dries to a moisture content of 15-16%, it is skimmed.
The second cutting of clover is left for the seeds; It is better to collect it using converted harvesters when 90% of the heads turn brown. In addition to clover seeds, the combine hopper receives a lot (25-70%) of unthreshed beans with leaves and chopped stems. This mixture (the so-called pijina) is quite wet; it is immediately dried and threshed (wiped) on clover graters. After wiping, the seeds are cleaned and sorted using conventional grain cleaning machines. Store seeds at a moisture content of no higher than 13-14%.
The harvest of clover seeds is 1.5-3 or more centners per hectare.
Clover is very common in Russia. Entire pastures and meadows were sown with clover to be used as animal feed. But there are many decorative types of clover, which are planted on lawns, lawns, alpine hills and rockeries.
In Latin, clover is called Trifolium - “shamrock”. And occasionally, a leaf with four blades found in trefoil clover species is considered a symbol of good luck. However, there are types of clover in which all leaves are quadruple. The clover leaf is the emblem and national symbol of Ireland, and in Russia it is considered a symbol of the Trinity.
On our site this crop grows wild. Our rabbit loves clover, but not only rabbits benefit from this plant. The soil receives nitrogen from it, which is accumulated in nodules on clover roots by special bacteria.
Clover belongs to the legume family, its flowers are small, in the form of a round fluffy head of yellow, pink, white, and red flowers.
Planting clover
Clover grows in the wild wherever possible, from this we conclude that it is very easy to care for and tenacious. However, if you want an even and healthy clover carpet, it is better to choose the most suitable location and prepare it for planting.Clover can grow both in the shade and in the sun, but provided there is sufficient moisture, since it is very dependent on moisture. Loves slightly acidic and neutral soil, rich in fertilizers. Grows well after cereal predecessors. Deep plowing or digging, and removal of weeds are required before planting.
Clover propagates by seeds, which are sown to a depth of about 3 cm. It is recommended to collect seeds from plants of the second year; they are more mature and tenacious.
Clover care
Clover care will come down to loosening the soil, removing weeds, and fertilizing with fertilizers.Watering for clover is extremely important. All species are dependent on watering and need it. Meadow clover is very sensitive to overflow, which is negative for it. Pink is ok with iridescence and can grow on soils with close groundwater. White does not react to iridescence as much as meadow, but it is also not as neutral to it as pink. But underwatering is unfavorable for all types of clover
Now let's look at fertilizers:
1. In the fall, manure is applied for digging (in the fields it is applied as a winter cover crop). Applying organic fertilizers in the fall, and not just before planting in the spring, has a positive effect on the harvest.
2. Before planting, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are added to the soil.
3. In the case of podzolic soils, boron fertilizers are also applied, spraying the plants at the beginning of flowering.
If you want to collect clover seeds, several large, browned heads are selected, cleared of excess husks, dried for a week in a dry, warm place without direct sunlight, after which the seeds are placed in a box for storage until planting.
Types and varieties of clover
There are about 300 types of clover. In our country, the most popular and most commonly found is red clover,it has been living with us for about 200 years and with its help many new varieties have been obtained. This species is used everywhere to feed livestock. It inhabits not only meadows and fields, but also mountainous areas.
Red clover (Trifolium praténse)
White clover, also known as creeping clover (Trifolium repens)
A perennial plant about 40 cm in height with a low creeping stem, trifoliate, round leaves. It grows wild in pastures and meadows; when planted in a garden plot or fields, it is often used in a mixture with different types of clover and wheat. Very tenacious, endures everything: trampling, frost. The disadvantage of this species is the rapid growth and clogging of some plants in the flower garden.
What are green manures?
Every gardener knows that the most important condition for soil fertility is the application of fertilizers.
There are a wide variety of fertilizers and methods for applying them.
One of the easiest and least expensive ways to improve the soil is to grow green manure on the plot. Many plants are suitable for growing in this capacity, but they have common qualities:
- rapid decomposition in soil;
- rapid germination of seeds and growth of green mass.
Green manure is planted either on the area that is free in the current season, or after harvesting the main crop. Then there are two options: the grown plants are buried in the ground before winter or early in the spring.
If planting is planned in this area next year, it is better to plow it in the fall.
In addition to the fact that green manure fertilizes the soil, it also makes its structure loose and breathable. Regular use of green manure will help improve the structure of even the heaviest soil.
Important! If you use a large amount of freshly cut green mass on the site, the soil may begin to oxidize. It would be better if you lightly dry the cut grass in the sun before using it.
Clover. Description
Red clover is a perennial plant belonging to the legume family. The stems reach a height of 20 to 90 cm, often lodging. The leaves are small, oval-shaped, no more than 1.5 cm long.
The flower is an inflorescence of long tubular flowers. The inflorescence is oval in shape, up to 10 cm long and up to 3.5 cm wide. The color is dark pink. The first flowers bloom in early summer, mass flowering occurs in July. Seed ripening begins in August.
Red clover. Economic use
The main use of clover is to grow fodder for livestock farms. In ornamental gardening it is used as decoration to create Moorish lawns.
It is also used as a green fertilizer, grown as green manure and then incorporated into the soil.
Using clover as green manure
Despite the fact that the harvest weight of red clover is less than that of lupine, it is popular as green manure, no less, and perhaps even more.
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Clover as a lawn
Like all members of the legume family, clover develops thickenings on its roots that accumulate nitrogen from the environment and then release it to the soil.
As the green mass of clover decomposes, it enriches the soil with mineral and organic fertilizers and contributes to the formation of a layer of humus.
The best variety of clover for use as green manure is red; varieties with white and pink flowers have the listed beneficial qualities to a lesser extent.
One of the beneficial properties of red clover compared to other green manure plants is the ability to convert difficult-to-digest phosphorus compounds into easily accessible ones.
The root system of red clover helps loosen the soil, improves its mechanical composition, and makes it more moisture- and breathable.
In addition to the fact that clover plantings fertilize the soil, they also improve its health, since they activate the vital activity of beneficial soil microorganisms.
Planting red clover
This plant can be sown for several months or several years. It reaches its peak yield in the second year of cultivation.
If planting is done for only one season, then the soil should be well loosened and cleared of weeds, since young plantings do not compete well with weeds.
You can plant seeds starting in early spring, as soon as the snow melts, and by the time the main crop is planted, the clover will have already grown a sufficient mass of greenery, which needs to be mowed 15-20 days before planting.
If you plant clover seeds during the summer, you need to regularly moisten the soil, since this plant is very moisture-loving. But, despite this, this green manure will not grow in flooded and swampy areas.
Red clover is harvested for use as green manure when the plant reaches an average height of 10 cm.
The planting rate is 2 grams per 1 sq.m., that is, only 200 grams of seeds are needed for 1 hundred square meters. Since the seeds are very small, it is recommended to mix them thoroughly with well-sifted dry sand in a ratio of 1:3, clover seeds and sand, respectively.
With good moisture, the seeds will produce the first sprouts within 3 days in the spring and after a week in the summer with sufficient moisture.
If clover is grown for only one season, then it is advisable to remove it before the seeds begin to form, since it gives good self-sowing, which will sprout next year.
Interesting fact! Bees cannot pollinate red clover because their short proboscis cannot reach the pollen. Bumblebees pollinate the inflorescences of this flower.
Making fertilizer from green mass
Despite the fact that many people simply plant green manure into the soil or plow it under, it would be more correct to mow them and prepare fertilizer from this green mass.
The roots remaining in the soil will also serve as an excellent fertilizer for the soil, and will not cause any inconvenience if planting cultivated vegetables is planned in the same season.
The cut mass can be disposed of in different ways. You can put it in a compost heap along with other plant debris, or you can create a separate heap in which compost formation will be faster. Another way to use mowed green manure is to mulch plantings, which will help keep the soil under the plants moist and, as it decomposes, will also fertilize the soil with nitrogen.
Mulching with clover
You can also prepare liquid green fertilizer using the same recipe as it is prepared, for example from nettles.
Pros of Using Red Clover for Fertilizer
The popularity of red clover can be explained by the following factors:
- fertilizing the soil with a sufficient amount of nitrogen, which allows you to abandon the use of nitrates;
- clover's good ability to improve the mechanical and biological composition of the soil;
- low cost and low seed consumption per 1 sq.m.
Conclusion
Clover is one of the most effective green manure crops. In addition, unlike lupine, which leaves behind hard stems after the first year of life, red clover can be grown in one place for several years, during which the beneficial effect of planting on the soil will only increase, and during this time it will be possible to collect from two harvests of green mass per year.
Lupine
This plant can be used to sow areas left fallow so that they are not overgrown with weeds and the mechanical composition of the soil does not deteriorate. Planting clover will prevent all of this. Not to mention the fact that an area sown with clover, being in the midst of flowering, serves as an excellent decoration.
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