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Scientific Name: Trifolium repens

Family: Faboaceae

Perennial Cold Season ( but can act as a reseeding annual in the lower south)

White Clover is found in temperate regions all over the world. Extreme cold spells, heat or drought are its only limiting factors. It can grow in wet soil areas with a low pH, however it does its best on well drained silt loam and clay soils with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. It cannot stand saline or high alkaline soils.

White Clover is a very important pasture legume. It can be planted in with a combination of grasses for horses, sheep or cattle. It is excellant since it has a high digestability rate and a high level of protein. White Clover grass mixtures can also be used for silage or high quality hay.

Preparing the soil it should provide a firm, weed-free seedbed. Fall plowing followed by moderate working of the surface soil in the spring will make a great seedbed. Spring seeding should be done early to allow 4 to 6 weeks of growth before the arrival of a dry season. If seed is sown in late summer, a similar time should be allowed before the first freeze . Under irrigated conditions, timing is not as crucial. Seed should be planted no deeper than inch following inoculation with a Rhizobium. Firming the soil after planting will aid in quicker establishment of the seedlings.

The biggest problem in managing white clover/grass pastures is maintaining the stand. Frequent defoliating of the clover during the period of maximum grass growth,encourages white clover by lowering grass competition. Mixed pastures should be used before the grass reaches its highest level of competition. Clipping or harvesting surplus forage will help maintain the clover and control the grass and weeds.

If pastures are grazed continuously, the height of forage should be maintained at 2 to 6 inches. Fall should allow adequate regrowth for rooting new stolons before the first freeze. Disappearance of white clover from pastures can be remedied by renovating one's pasture.

Bloat is often a problem for animals on pastures that contain a large amount of white clover. Methods of controlling bloat in mixed clover-grass pastures include supplementing pastures with grass hay. Bloat-preventative
materials, which prevent rumen foam production, may be added to drinking water or applied as a top dressing on grain supplements.

There are no herbicides for white clover at establishment. Then after establishment there is 2,4DB for broadleaf control. Poast may also be used.

REFERENCES:

aggieturf.tamu.edu/grasswee/broadlf/wclover.html

plantanswers.tamu.edu/turf/publications/weed10.html

overton.tamu.edu/clover/guide/whitetext.htm

Molecular Analysis of White Clover Population Structure in Grazed Swards during Two Growing Seasons. By: Gustine, David L.; Sanderson, Matt A.; Crop Science, Jul/Aug2001, Vol. 41 Issue 4, p1143-1150.

Heritability Estimates of Winter Hardiness in White Clover Based on Field and Laboratory Experiments. By: Rapp, K.; Junttila, O.; Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica: Section B, Soil & Plant Science, Dec2000, Vol. 50 Issue 3.