Description

White Clover

White Clover is a low growing legume and has a shallow rooting system. Clover plants can ‘fix’ nitrogen from the air which is stored in small pink nodules on the roots. Nitrogen is released from the roots when the plant is dug into the soil providing nutrients for the next crop. The White Clover flower is highly attractive to bees and other pollinating insects.

Use as a Green Manure

White Clover is used as a Green Manure by recovering Nitrogen from the air and releasing this to be used in the next crop when dug into the ground. The plants should be cut down before the seed sets while the stems are still soft to allow quicker decomposition. The green plants should be dug into the soil to a depth of about 15cm.

Flowering

The flowers are very attractive to Bees and other beneficial insect pollinators.

Soil Types

Suits most soil types with a preference for Loams and Sandy soils. White Clover can tolerate poorly drained areas.

Sowing and Germination

The White Clover seeds can be sown late March to mid – September, onto bare ground that has been worked into a fine tilth. Sow thinly at 1.5 gms/sq metre by broadcasting evenly onto the soil where the clover is to grow. Lightly cover with no more than 5mm soil. The seeds can also be sown into an area where grass is established providing the grass has been thinned with a rake to expose a good area of bare soil. The seeds should germinate in 14-28 days given the correct climatic conditions of warmth and moisture. In dry periods the seed area may have to be watered until the seeds are established.