White sweet clover

[bigbluetruck]

Not sure where this really belongs, but does anyone else have a ton of white sweet clover this year? It seems to be everywhere around here. Yellow is pretty common, they used to use it a lot as green manure back in the early 1900s, Dad says Grandpa talked about being able to hear the plow cut the roots when they plowed with horses.

Anyways, neither I or Dad ever remember having so much white sweet clover. By now the yellow is pretty much done, and its kinda hard on cattle eyes if it didn't get grazed off early, and cows wont touch it now. But the white is in full bloom yet.

 

[Mennoniteman]

I've never seen much white sweet clover around here, it's not something that many people plant and not much wild either. But it's been a good year for regular white clover, dutch and ladino growing everywhere.

 

[bigbluetruck]

I'm worried about pinkeye from all the yellow clover

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[Mennoniteman]

Pinkeye in what? Never heard that one.

 

[bigbluetruck]

Cattle, the yellow clover is dried up by now and when the cattle put their head down to eat if they get poked in the eye it's a place for pinkeye to get in, especially with the flies we've had.

Same thing happens with tall brome grass.

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[Mennoniteman]

Thanks, I'm learning new things here. It's these little details that separate the ranchers from the farmers.

 

[SwampCat]

We had very little yellow or white sweet clover this year. It was brought here from europe back in the 1800’s for bee pasture. It is also a great soil builder and the deer eat it pretty well also. It was a hot, dry spring here and that hurt. My bee hives made half as much honey as normal without the sweet clover.

 

[MattJK]

Prairie restoration folks rant about sweet clover being competitive with plantings. But I haven't found it to be invasive. I'd say I've got my usual mix of white and yellow sweet clover this year.

 

[SwampCat]

Prairie restoration folks rant about sweet clover being competitive with plantings. But I haven't found it to be invasive. I'd say I've got my usual mix of white and yellow sweet clover this year.

I havent noticed it being that competitive. It just seems to grow where nothing else will.

 

[bigbluetruck]

I havent noticed it being that competitive. It just seems to grow where nothing else will.

I can see it getting competitive, I think we get more of it every year in pastures that dont get grazed before it goes to seed, at least with the yellow

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[SwampCat]

I can see it getting competitive, I think we get more of it every year in pastures that dont get grazed before it goes to seed, at least with the yellow

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I am sure things like soil fertility, pH, moisture, and a host of other things make a difference. The sweet clover in my area grows best on newly disturbed sites and as other plants species become established, the sweet clovers disappear. I like sweet clover for my bee hives. The only way I can keep it is a light disking every other year. If I dont disk for four years - my clover peters out to nothing - on my ground. Besides pollinators, my deer eat it, bed in it and fawn in it. Rabbits eat it and use it for cover, as do a variety of songbirds. I guess being an invasive is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[bigbluetruck]

I am sure things like soil fertility, pH, moisture, and a host of other things make a difference. The sweet clover in my area grows best on newly disturbed sites and as other plants species become established, the sweet clovers disappear. I like sweet clover for my bee hives. The only way I can keep it is a light disking every other year. If I dont disk for four years - my clover peters out to nothing - on my ground. Besides pollinators, my deer eat it, bed in it and fawn in it. Rabbits eat it and use it for cover, as do a variety of songbirds. I guess being an invasive is in the eye of the beholder.

I dont mind it, just wish I could get it grazed off before it gets rank. I'm starting to like the white more because it flowers later and seems to get a little taller

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[SwampCat]

I dont mind it, just wish I could get it grazed off before it gets rank. I'm starting to like the white more because it flowers later and seems to get a little taller

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I actually like both for my purposes. Having both, I get about six or seven weeks of high quality nectar flow for the bees. Yes, the white does get larger and more rank, providing better cover - but probably not ideal in a cow pasture.

 

[bigbluetruck]

If I had yellow in my early pastures and white in my middle pastures and tall native grass in the late ones, life would be great lol