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gardening for beginners

Starting White Clover

Mac Johnson

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Location: Prairie Coteau South Dakota

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posted 6 hours ago

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I've had pretty low success with getting white clover started in locations. Once established, it's great but it always seems to be overtaken before it really develops roots. I've only tried by direct sowing seeds so far. I was thinking of digging up some of the stuff growing wild around my property and starting small patches that way. Has anyone tried this approach? Would I cut it similar to sod for best effect? If planted in virgin dirt, how big of clover chunks should I plant with the hope of it overtaking the surrounding barren ground? Power to the fixers

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Joao Winckler

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posted 6 hours ago

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Timing makes a big difference. I've had way better luck sowing in early spring when the soil is still cool and moist, before everything else gets going. Sowing into competition basically never works for me.

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Joylynn Hardesty

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Location: Due to winter mortality, I stubbornly state, zone 7a Tennessee

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posted 4 hours ago

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Transplanting like sod makes sense to me, but I have not tried it.

The best seeding results I have had, was solarizing an area for several weeks in late summer. Just as the fall thunderstorms were due to arrive, I pulled up the tarp and seeded. Clover got a good start, overwintered and come spring, exploded in growth. Here, spring planted clover is too tender to stand up to soggy ground and my abuse.

I do suspect that you have very different weather patterns there.

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Mac Johnson

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Location: Prairie Coteau South Dakota

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posted 3 hours ago

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I'm going to try both of these approaches as well as sod transplanting. If I remember, next spring/summer I can tell you which worked best

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Jackson Bradley

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Location: Zone 8A

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posted 3 hours ago

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Joao Winckler wrote:Timing makes a big difference. I've had way better luck sowing in early spring when the soil is still cool and moist, before everything else gets going. Sowing into competition basically never works for me.

+ 1 on the timing. Mid to late winter works best here and allows the clover to beat everything else that grows later in spring.

Yes on transplanting and cutting it like sod. I have done that with great success anytime of year. You may need to water a little if it is going to be dry.

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