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White Clover
Description
White or ladino clover is a long-lived perennial that spreads by creeping above ground stems or stolons that root at the nodes. It is a large leaf clover, very high in protein, vitamins, and minerals. Addition of white clover to pastures will increase daily dry matter intake in livestock. Ladino clover is a good producer of high quality feed and is utilized extensively as a soil building crop. It is an excellent legume to use in combination with other legumes and grasses. Ladino also produces large amounts of nitrogen, which in turn feeds the grass sward within the pasture.
Management
Ladino is primarily a pasture-type clover. Ladino clover planted with perennial grasses should be grazed or mowed frequently (2 or 3 times per summer) with the final mowing in late August. Fertilizer should be applied throughout the year. To manage the bloat risk associated with ladino clovers, manage your pasture swards with no more than a 10% stand of clover. Do not over-graze the grasses below 4 inches for this increases the clover concentration.
Establishment
White clover will thrive on soils with a pH of 5.5 or higher. Both white and ladino clover need adequate phosphorus and potassium for establishment, persistence and growth. White clover is especially responsive to cool, moist conditions. It grows best between 50°F and 85°F. Because of its shallow root system, it is not adapted to shallow, droughty soils. Ladinos can be broadcasted, frost-seeded, or drilled into soil. Seed depth should not exceed 0.25 inch.
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Red Clover
Description
Red clover is a legume that is widely grown throughout the United States as a hay or forage crop. Red clover does better than alfalfa in areas with low soil pH or fertility and poor soil drainage. Improved red clovers are fast-starting, highly productive and more persistent than older common types. Improved red clovers will persist between 3 and 4 years. Red clovers can be used in haying or grazing systems. In side-by-side trials, red clovers have had higher RFQs (more digestibility) than alfalfa in fermented or dried forages and approximately twice the level of bypass protein.
Management
Red clover production during the second year is generally higher than during either the first or third years. The weather influences red clover growth much more than deeper-rooted alfalfa. If summer rainfall is good, clover may be cut about every 35 to 40 days. Growth should be removed after “freeze-down.” Leaving the growth on a field during fall and winter can kill the stand. Red clover stands that are one year old or older should be cut three or four times in a season. Harvesting in drought conditions will also thin stands.
Establishment
Red clover can be sown by itself or in mixtures with small grains, sorghum-sudans, alfalfa, and/or cool-season grasses. Planting depth should be 0.25 to 0.50 inch. Red clover can also be established by frost-seeding (broadcasting on frozen or snow-covered ground). Red clover requires soil pH to be 6.0 or higher. Red clover is responsive to phosphorus and potassium. Apply to soil testing recommendations.
If you think red clover is a poor man’s alfalfa, you should think again. The King of Legumes can add much to the Queen of Legumes (alfalfa). Adding premium red clovers to alfalfa stands boosts both the quality and the yield.
Quality
New improved varieties of red clover are 9 to 10 percentage points higher in digestible neutral detergent fiber (NDFd) than alfalfa. Premium red clover added to alfalfa will improve the fermentation of the haylage, thereby allowing you to extract more nutrients from the alfalfa.
The next project for the GMO folks is to make alfalfa more like clover in terms of the bypass protein level. And, of course, the second step after Roundup Ready™ was to try to make alfalfa more digestible (like clover). So far, these efforts have been much more about marketing than documented increased milk per acre. The goal of increased bypass protein and increased digestibility can be reached easily by simply including premium clover in your hay seeding.
Maintaining quality in delayed harvest situations has also been a big topic in the alfalfa world. Guess what? The University of Wisconsin has data showing that in delayed harvest, red clover still beat alfalfa on digestibility.
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Effective February 1, 2022. Prices subject to change without notice
MIXING FEES UP TO 2000 lbs.-$.10LB, 2000 LBS OR MORE $.07 LB.
Split Bag Charges Apply to all Custom Mixes.
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