White clover is a herbaceous, creeping and perennial plant whose leaves are long and petiolate. They include three leaflets or even four (four-leaf clover). This plant blooms between April and September and attracts bees, bumblebees and other pollinating insects. She is the symbol of luck or Ireland. It is no longer considered a weed, but it enters our ecological gardens with pride thanks to its many qualities: honey, medicinal, edible, decorative, it can also be used as a replacement for grass.
When to sow white clover?
Clover sown preferably in March or April, but also in September.
Which varieties to choose?
There are many varieties of white clover:
White clover or Trifolium repens
It is the type species, its leaflets are grouped by 3 or 4 and they have a clear spot in the middle. Its flowers oscillate between the white hue and a pink hue. This species is perfect for use in ecological lawns or green manures.
The Purpurascens Quadrifolium
This is also known as four leaf clover since the percentage of leaves with 4 leaflets is important. These are dark brown, heart-shaped and bordered by a green border. These flowers have a hue ranging from white to green. It is perfect for a "black" garden.
The Dragon's Blood Cover
Its leaves are made up of a variegated light green and cream-colored theme with blood red markings. Its flowers appear in early summer in the form of small white pompons. If its growth is a little longer than the typical white clover, it makes very pretty carpets. However, it must be folded a lot in August to renew the foliage.
What to do before sowing white clover?
Before sowing white clover, it is essential to dig up and remove all weeds and roots. This will prevent your seedlings from being invaded, especially at the beginning of cultivation, by weeds. If the soil is really dry, water before sowing.
White clover is quite demanding and needs phosphorus and potash. It is necessary to bring 120 grams of potash per 100 m² and 60 grams of phosphorus per 100 m².
How to sow it?
White clover is always sown in the ground and on the fly. You can possibly use the practice of false seeding.
If you want to make a mixed lawn : Add 300 grams of clover every 100 m² per 1,000 to 1,200 grams per 100 m² of turf mix.
If you want to sow it in the garden to make a green manureyou will associate with your white clover a grass. If it is in autumn, opt for forage rye and in the spring, for ryegrass. The dosage is then 200 grams per hectare in pure seedling and 100 grams per hectare in mixed seedlings.
If you want to sow colorful varieties, do it on small plots.
Where to plant white clover?
As white clover has superficial roots, it is preferable that the parcel be wet, because it does not support the drought, that is why it likes more often in the oceanic climates.
It likes drained soils and prefers a pH between 5 and 6.5 so acidic soils.
How to maintain it?
White clover grows in spring as soon as the sun is present. It is a plant that appreciates light and heat, which is why its growth may be late. It is fairly resistant to the heat of summer, even if they are strong enough, it keeps its beautiful deep green color even when the soil is very dry. It is also resistant to trampling.
In the fall, you can mow the white clover you planted in the spring. You can perfectly use it then in mulching. At the end of the following winter, you will destroy the green manure. Autumn sowing will also be destroyed by the end of the following winter.
You must mow your lawn as soon as it reaches between 5 and 6 cm in height. Be aware though that white clover when wet is hard to mow.
As for horticultural varieties, they do not intersect.
How to water white clover?
It is necessary to water the white clover when it does not rain regularly, because it appreciates the humidity. It is therefore necessary to monitor perfectly the ground which must not be too dry, be careful when the heat is very high. You will water it with your garden hose in fine rain.
Harvest white clover: when and how?
The plant can be picked during the second year after being sown.
It can be used in different ways as we have seen. It is perfect in salad. You cut it then being careful not to damage it. It then regrows very quickly thanks to the vivacity of its creeping stems. So you can cut it as often as you like.
This plant can also be used as fodder for animals. It is rich in proteins, minerals and trace elements that animals appreciate. It has regulating and diuretic effects because of its very good digestibility. However, be careful when the plant is in bloom, because it contains cyanides that can significantly harm their health if they absorb large quantities.
White clover diseases and what to do?
White clover is particularly resistant to pests and diseases, so it has almost no enemies. However, we must pay attention to attacks of slugs and snails that can occur at the beginning of cultivation. In this case, it is best to simply pick them up and move them away.
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