# Questions about regular sweet clover



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

I think any time in the early part of the summer is fine, even later in the summer is possible but it typically gets dryer and hotter later. The key component is having enough moisture to get it properly established then having just enough moisture to maintain it through the fall. If it is in a heavily grazed pasture it will suffer as well.


----------



## Jon11 (Mar 29, 2011)

Thanks Jim, do you know anything about how well it comes back year after year?


----------



## Beregondo (Jun 21, 2011)

I've not grown sweet clover myself, but I know many sow it in the late fall / very early spring and let the frost heave cover it. Here is a USDA PDF publication I have found very useful in growing many other plants (as cover crops/ green manures) It has a fairly comprehensive section on clovers of all kinds:
www.sare.org/publications/covercrops/covercrops.pdf


----------



## spunky (Nov 14, 2006)

I am on my 3rd yr of sweet yellow in my barnyard ( heavy gray clay) after intial sowing in August , had plenty of rain that year , it has come back fine on its own . I prefer the white dutch though , because I believe when it is dry ( like now in my area) the florets hold the nectar alot longer than yellow JMHO


----------



## candlaman (Nov 17, 2007)

If you plant sweet clover, I would suggest you mix white blossom sweet and yellow blossom sweet about 50-50. The white blossom is about 2 weeks later to bloom than the yellow giving you nearly twice the bloom time. At least that is what I do and it seems to give a much extended time for the ladies to do their thing.


----------



## Yucca Patrol (Mar 31, 2012)

I recently read that white dutch clover will continue to bloom each year after the year you planted it. 

Due to dog traffic and my general dislike of lawns, I spread five pounds of white dutch clover around my back yard this spring. Now all the bare patches are pleasingly covered with a nice carpet of clover. I've found a seed company that sells a flowering lawn mix of various small clovers and other low growing flowering ground covers that I will be planting next year. I love the idea of a low maintenance lawn that will look great and feed my bees.


----------



## Dave Burrup (Jul 22, 2008)

We grow white dutch clover, sainfoin, alfalfa, and sweet clover for bee pasture. All have some problems. White dutch dies out after about 4 years if you do not let it seed itself. We harvested some of ours for rabbit hay. So know I am replannting some of it. Our sweet clover is like a weed. It comes back very well. The only time I have had problems with it coming back is when the blooming crop is so thick that it shades out the first year plants. I have a patch of sainfoin that I am afraid the sweet clover is going to out compete it. Many consider sweet clover a weed, and definately do not like to see it planted. In our alkalin soils I think once the seed is there it will always be there. Changing crops on the ground would require planting a crop that will with stand broad leaf herbicides, or roundup.
Dave


----------



## Keth Comollo (Nov 4, 2011)

Ok, I claim complete ignorance on this. I direct sowed 25 lbs of yellow sweet clover this spring. It has sprouted and is growing fine. 
This plant is a biennial so I do not expect blooms this year. 

My question is if the clover I planted this year will bloom in the third year from it reseeding itself next fall?? OR do I need to plant again next spring to insure every year has blooming. 

Call me stupid but someone please enlighten me.


----------



## Slow Modem (Oct 6, 2011)

Is there a good source for these seeds at a reasonable price?


----------



## Ozone (May 24, 2011)

Ok, I claim complete ignorance on this. I direct sowed 25 lbs of yellow sweet clover this spring. It has sprouted and is growing fine.
This plant is a biennial so I do not expect blooms this year.

My question is if the clover I planted this year will bloom in the third year from it reseeding itself next fall?? OR do I need to plant again next spring to insure every year has blooming.

Call me stupid but someone please enlighten me.



That is a good question, by all means not 'stupid'.


----------



## Dave Burrup (Jul 22, 2008)

In theory you would need to plant the sweet clover for two consecutive years, but if you plant heavy the first year and the seed is fresh, there will be enough dormant seed for a good crop of seedlings the second year. To be on the safe side plant it two years in a row.
Dave


----------



## Jon11 (Mar 29, 2011)

Slow Modem, 

I think someone sells it at a good price in the for sale section here on beesource. Otherwise most farms co-ops can order it for you, or you can order some from Walter Kelly.


----------



## Keth Comollo (Nov 4, 2011)

Thanks Dave!

If you want to buy it get it from Camp9. He is a member here and sells it for an amazing price and the seed is very clean!!


----------



## KDM (Jul 12, 2007)

I work the soil in July early & again later in the month to cut down on the weeds. Then i plant the first part of Augest. It blooms the next year. Then when the bloom is gone i start over again. In my experince if you let it reseed itself it will be a spotty crop, the seed can lay dormant for up to 30 years. Your area may be different.


----------



## Yucca Patrol (Mar 31, 2012)

Slow Modem said:


> Is there a good source for these seeds at a reasonable price?


I bought 5 pounds of White Dutch Clover to spread in my back yard and a wild meadow area behind it from Universal Seed in Birmingham Alabama. It was coated seed and cost about $2.50 per pound. I don't know if they ship since I just went there and picked it up. I believe they had other kinds of clover seed too.


----------



## Krayberry (Apr 12, 2012)

Yucca Patrol said:


> It was coated seed


Do you know what the seed is coated with? You might want to make sure it is not an insecticide coating, or -even worse- a systemic one. I am sure you follow the neonicotinoids controversy...


----------



## ChickenChaser (Jun 6, 2009)

Clover seeds are usually coated with an innoculant (light blue color?) to help with germination. Also, many other seeds are coated with a fungicide (red/orange color). Both are bee-safe.


----------



## Yucca Patrol (Mar 31, 2012)

Yes, these seeds were coated with an innoculant that contains the necessary nitrogen fixing bacteria that clover needs for it's root system. It looked to me like a sort of chalk or clay. The coating was sort of light purple colored if I recall correctly


----------



## Keth Comollo (Nov 4, 2011)

Camp9 sells it for about $1 a pound and the seed is very clean. I had no problems with it sprouting and it is looking good. Next year will be beautiful.


----------

