How to Grow Red Clover

Red clover makes great pasture and hay for livestock and provides good nutrition for wildlife as part of a food plot. As a cover crop, red clover fixes nitrogen into the soil, increasing the soil's quality without the use of chemical fertilizers. It also grows well in nearly any temperate climate.

Instructions

1. Know your soil. Red clover grows best in soils with fair to good drainage and, unlike alfalfa, can tolerate slightly acid soil. However, maximum yields are achieved in soils with a pH level of 6.0 to 6.5. At least moderate levels of phosphorous and potassium are also recommended. Have a soil test done to see if your soil is deficient in any way.

2. Inoculate your clover seed with the bacterium "Rhizobium trifolii," if it hasn't been inoculated. Red clover releases nitrogen into the soil through nodules on its root system. Inoculation with this bacterium helps these nodules to develop.

3. Seed your red clover alone or into an existing grass pasture such as fescue or timothy grass. Or plant as a companion crop with grains such as wheat, oats and barley. If growing a stand of pure clover, seed each acre with 10 to 12 pounds of seed. For seeding with a companion crop, use 6 to 8 pounds. Sow no deeper than a quarter inch, and ensure good soil to seed contact.

4. Seed during late winter or early spring if you live in the central or northern United States, or similarly seasonal area. In the south, you may seed in the autumn.

5. Maintain your clover. Red clover doesn't stand up well to close, continuous grazing, so graze your pasture rotationally.Establish a thick, healthy clover stand through proper seed dispersal and soil quality. Harvest red clover during the early bloom stage or sooner. Three cuttings can be made during the summer. This prevents the clover from reseeding itself, but it also allows for higher nutrient levels and helps prevent disease.

Resources

• List of reasons to plant clover