# Does clover need to be inoculated?



## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

if I remember(been many years) it will come up just fine, the inoculation allows it to produce more nitrogen, if memory serves me correctly, else I'm sure someone else will remember correctly.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

Wildbranch your memory serves you!

Legumes such as peas, beans, vetches, alfalfa, clovers, etc., are notable in the plant world for their ability to “fix” nitrogen. This important function allows these plants to convert nitrogen from the gaseous form found in the air, which is unusable by crops, into a plant-usable form, which allows both the legumes and subsequent crops to harvest this nitrogen for plant growth. Some legumes are capable of fixing up to 300 lbs of nitrogen per acre, others fix between 50-200 lb/acre. Species and variety selection, plant population, soil type and fertility, water availability and growing periods all affect the vigor and nitrogen fixation ability of legumes. Legumes fix nitrogen due to the relationship that exists between legume plants and a group of soil bacteria commonly known as rhizobacteria or rhizobium. This symbiotic relationship allows the bacteria to live on the roots of the legume plant, consuming carbohydrates from the plant and providing the plant with nitrogen that the bacteria convert into plant-usable form. Without these beneficial bacteria, legumes cannot fix nitrogen! Most soils do not contain very many, if any, of these bacteria. In order to insure good nitrogen fixation by the legume, so it is necessary to inoculate the legume with the proper strains of bacteria prior to planting the seeds. This simple, low-cost process returns benefits many times higher than the costs.

With that said I may add that many seeds purchased at farm supply stores are inoculated by the manufacturer. In a word, for your purposes I would not be overly concerned.


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## rv10flyer (Feb 25, 2015)

I grow about 6 acres in various clovers...yellow and white sweet, crimson, white dutch, ladino and alsike and buckwheat. Soil testing is helpful. pH should be 6+, lime at least 6 mo before. Our soil runs around 5.2-5.7 before liming, due to large amount of oak forest. Phosphorus and potassium may be needed too.


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## heaflaw (Feb 26, 2007)

Tenbears,

I have been told that if the soil has had clover in it in the past, the bacteria will already be present and the seed will not need inoculant. Is this true?


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## AR1 (Feb 5, 2017)

heaflaw said:


> Tenbears,
> 
> I have been told that if the soil has had clover in it in the past, the bacteria will already be present and the seed will not need inoculant. Is this true?


Generally yes. Depends of course on how many years ago, as the bacteria will decline over time, and I have no idea how long that would be. On the farm, we innoculated alfalfa every time we planted, even though it probably didn't need it. It was cheap insurance.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

The soil will contain rhizobacteria in fair quantities for several seasons unless clover some other nitrogen fixing crop has occupied the field. Then the quantities will usually be very good. The rhizobacteria depends on the plant as much as the plant depends on the bacteria to fix nitrogen. 
It also depends on your geographic region as some areas naturally have better conditions for the bacteria. and what other crops have been in the fields during rotation. 

It is always advisable to have a soil test when planting But it is never too late for one either. a sampling from about 6" down from random locations around the field can be sent to your local extension office for around $8.00 and is a worthwhile investment. When filling out the accompanying paperwork be sure to accurately describe the crop and they will return you information on fertilizer and line requirements for your specific crop. When applying pelletized fertilizer inoculant can be added to the fertilizer it does not take much and although not the ideal application method it will salt the soil so the bacteria can develop.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Most clover seed is pre-innoculated, and the label should say so. But if it is not fresh, the innoculant may be weak.

The soil may have the organisms present already if there is another similar nitrogen-fixing plant, such as a vetch.

But adding an innoculant is not harmful if you're worried about it.

I second the idea of testing your soil. If it is deficient, you'll save a lot of wasted time trying to get something to grow that just can't make it in your soil. I've reported several times here that we never could get clover to thrive at our mountain place until we got the soil tested. Our soil turned out to be almost totally depleted in phosphorus and potassium, both of which are needed for clover, and it was nearly a pH point too acid for clover to thrive. Lime and a K-P fertilizer fixed it, and also controlled our rampant crown vetch (which did thrive in the acid soil).


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