# dutch clover



## Walliebee (Nov 17, 2006)

Don't cut it back! It needs all that foliage to make food to grow stronger rhizomes and root systems.

It's still a little early in the season for it to flower, even where you are. Give it more time and you will get flowers.


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

It'll bloom this year for sure, I think its just early yet even for your area. I seeded dutch clover over my whole lawn (1/2 acre) in the fall, the following spring/summer it came up real thick and had tons of flowers. Even with having to cut my lawn every week and a half the flowers still kept coming in good. John


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## bradley39482 (May 26, 2010)

thanks ya'll 
was wondering about that, will leave till end of spring and first of summer, do ya'll know how low to cut in summer?


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

My dutch is growing throughout my lawn, so when I cut my lawn it gets cut. I would guess that about 3-3 1/2" is what my cut lawn is, I try to let it grow as long as I can before cutting so I get maximum flowers, I would like to let it grow longer but the neighbors would start wondering about me. You could probably let yours grow without cutting, but I think cutting it once in a while, maybe about 6" long, may stimulate increased flowering, but I'm no expert, just going on experience. John


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## bradley39482 (May 26, 2010)

jmgi said:


> My dutch is growing throughout my lawn, so when I cut my lawn it gets cut. I would guess that about 3-3 1/2" is what my cut lawn is, I try to let it grow as long as I can before cutting so I get maximum flowers, I would like to let it grow longer but the neighbors would start wondering about me. You could probably let yours grow without cutting, but I think cutting it once in a while, maybe about 6" long, may stimulate increased flowering, but I'm no expert, just going on experience. John


thanks john
i'm going to let it grow until it blooms, then i'll cut back, hopefully it will increase the blooms!


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

Hey Brad,

Give it some time and some rain. Lol. Like most nectar yielding plants, there are two flows... the first is the early blooms that are sporadic and mild... the next is the heavy growth that comes later in spring... let the leaves develop thick and tall and the plant will make plenty of food, then feel crowded by the clusters... that's when each plant begins to bloom like crazy in order to spread its genetics...


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## Almond Grower (May 25, 2005)

The entire floor of my orchard is Dutch clover. It starts blooming around the 1st of May here in central California and is producing lots of flowers in June. I have found clover to be the perfect ground cover for my almonds. It not only provides nectar for my bees but it also fixes nitrogen in the soil for the almonds. The wild white clover around here is resistant to Glyphosate (Roundup) but Rely and Simazine do a great job of controlling it. I end up with a strip of bare ground about 5 feet wide down the tree row with a lush growth of clover down the middle of the rows. 

To clean up the orchard floor for harvest I mow the clover then spray it with Rely herbicide to burn it down. Once sprayed it stays dormant until the following spring. The clover dries up leaving no woody residue which would get in the way of the almond harvest.


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## bradley39482 (May 26, 2010)

hey
thanks Robbert and almond, i appreciate all the feed back, when would be the time to cut back? can't let that rye grass get out of hand! i have one acre full of the dutch,mixed with the rye grass. be wise to cut back in june?


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## beeup (Apr 10, 2010)

I have 3.5 acre lot with a 5 ac open field next to me, is there anything I can broadcast sow with little or no soil preparation. I'm in Michigan.


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## DeeAnna (Nov 5, 2010)

Well, dutch clover would be an option, speaking totally off the cuff. It's tolerant of poor soil and doesn't mind somewhat wet conditions. But the optimum choice of ground cover depends on the soil and moisture conditions. On the average, is the field boggy, dry, compacted, heavy clay, rocky, sandy, fertile, unfertile, or ??? Will you mow or not? Do you own that 5 acre field or, if not, do you have permission for planting it? Oh, and I suppose you want flowers for bees too, hey? ;-) --DeeAnna


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

You could sow dutch clover in your yard in the grass. I bought one of those hand crank spreaders and walked all over my yard (1 acre) sowing seed one fall. It came up great the next spring and flowered like crazy. As for the 5 acre lot next to you, if it grows up with tall weeds, it will be hard to get dutch clover to grow and compete with the taller weeds, because dutch doesn't get that tall. Might be better off with a white or yellow sweet clover which gets alot taller and seed it early in the spring when the weeds are flattened down from the winter. John


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## slickbrightspear (Jan 9, 2009)

sweet clover needs neutral ph to come up very well. look into crimson clover but depending on how you work it you may have to sow yearly if you do not let it seed. I am able to order 50lbs bags for about 48 dollars but that is common seed.


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

Exactly right slick... crimson is far cheaper and works better in areas with tall foliage. We seed both each fall and then again in early early spring, when the ground is wet from the snow melting.


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## woodedareas (Sep 10, 2010)

I live in northern illinois and was wondering how early I can plant my white clover seeds. The ground is still frozen with light patches of snow. I believe the soil is prepared well enough to accept the seed. Is March too early for this area?


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

Sure is... get it done as soon as you can and you should be fine... the seeds will be fine in the freezes, and the melting snow will help with germination when the time comes.


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

Will the crimson clover come up and bloom this year if you planted it right now? John


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

It should. For your area, it should be early june before they bloom.


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## beeup (Apr 10, 2010)

Thanks for all the advise. The 5 acre lot next to me is not mine, it belongs to a charity that houses severe handicap persons. They mow about a half acre the rest is wild field. I was hoping to sow it "on the sly", since its not being mowed or cared for. What do you think?


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

They should be fine with it (especially since they don't use it)... the clover will help greatly with controlling weeds and hindering high growth... at the same time, it benefits the soil and provides for bees and butterflies... win/win situation.


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## mmclean (Sep 13, 2010)

You should ask first. 

It would be the right thing to do. 

And a man should do what is right.


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## beeup (Apr 10, 2010)

mmclean, is that a quote from Johnny Appleseed. Yes it would be better to be upfront.


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## sagittarius (Feb 17, 2004)

woodedareas said:


> I live in northern illinois and was wondering how early I can plant my white clover seeds. The ground is still frozen with light patches of snow. I believe the soil is prepared well enough to accept the seed. Is March too early for this area?


No, you can do what is called frost seeding. If you broad cast the seed now, he tiny clover seeds are worked into the soil by the freeze-thaw cycle of the top soil in the spring... in northern climates. White clover is cold tolerant, but won't take off until later in the year. 


jmgi said:


> Will the crimson clover come up and bloom this year if you planted it right now? John


Crimson clover is an annual, and will do better if you wait until the danger of frost is past. Crimson has a larger seed than dutch white clover and grows much faster.


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## woodedareas (Sep 10, 2010)

Well based on the advice from the forum I did broadcast seed and will wait until better weather to see the results. I also was told white clover does not flower until the 2nd year. Hope this advice is incorrect.


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

Don't worry, it will flower the first season... it gets better each season... but it will still flower the first year.


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

Where can I get crimson clover seed at a good price for a small quantity, like 5 lbs. John


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## rrussell6870 (May 14, 2009)

You can try your local cooperative or "feed and seed" store... crimson is not very expensive... ball is, but it covers a much larger area...


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## woodedareas (Sep 10, 2010)

Good news
thanks


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