Happy St. Patrick’s Day! A good day to think about clover cover crops… Here’s a mix of oats and crimson clover seeded at MOFGA on Aug. 20 and later killed after a hard frost, leaving thick roots and mats of leafy mulch to hold the soil. The mix can also be sown in spring - or in August and September between corn and bean rows, etc. Crimson Clover, Trifolium incarnatum, grows rapidly in cool weather. It’s a good choice for an orchard cover crop, because it is shade tolerant, germinates quickly, and its thick growth provides good weed control. Its stunning crimson flower spikes on 18-inch plants provide nectar for bees and make good cut flowers. It’s more disease resistant than other annual clovers, will grow on most well-drained soils and is easy to mow. Seed 90 pounds of oats per acre or 3 to 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet, and 9 to 40 pounds of crimson clover per acre or 1/2-2 pounds per 1,000 square feet.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 12:34:19 +0000
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