My goal is to establish clover to suppress weeds, and to plant corn in the clover. I figure that the corn will be tall
enough to get enough sun while the clover will cover the ground well enough to shade out any infant weeds.
I figure that after the corn has been harvested, that I can just mow the clover like the rest of the
lawn. Then, next year, I can again plant corn or other tall vegetables in the clover. At no time do I intend to till the clover under: I simply intend to mow it after the vegetables are finished.
To establish the stand of clover I intend to till the grass under, till a second time to make a good seed bed, broadcast the clover, and
water it in. The grass must be tilled to kill it because grass in my yard can grow 4 feet tall, and the young clover would never have a chance of competing with that! However my lawn (which is of
course mowed) has been a combination of grass and clover for the last 30 odd years, which means that clover
should thrive as long as the sun can reach it.
At any rate, I have no idea how much clover seed I should use for a patch of sweet corn that is about 20 feet by 20 feet. I did ask the extension service how much seed, but they just said to not try it because it would be hard to establish a stand of clover and because the clover would compete with the corn for nutrients and water.
Now, I expect to fertilize, especially at first, and I also intend to water. If anything my grass is healthier next to the patches of clover, and so I do not think that there will be too much competition! Corn is, after all, a grass.
Lastly, Masanobu
Fukuoka had clover in his rice fields, and he had excellent yields! So, I would still like to try this. If it works it works and if it doesn't then it doesn't.
The question remains: how much seed should I use? Because I really haven't a clue!
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