Clover, Red (Trifolium pratense) seed, inoculated, organic
$3.95 – $350.00
Family: Legume (Fabaceae)
Hardy to Zones 5 to 10
(Red Clover) Medium red Clover is a lush, nitrogen-fixing biennial, taprooted cover crop native to temperate Europe and Asia. Broadcast seed on newly tilled ground in spring, summer or fall. Clovers are the best choice for forcing out unwanted weed species. Their activity is three-fold (just like their leaves): they loosen the subsoil with their roots, fix atmospheric N in the soil with their root nodules, and offer tea by way of their bright red flowers that occur in the second year of growth. Traditional usage (TWM): Blood cleansing. In warm winter areas the seed may be sown in the fall for an overwintering cover, or in cold winter areas it may be sown in the spring or in the summer. Germ time 3 to 7 days. Fixes 140 lbs nitrogen per acre. Seed is treated with rhizobium inoculant in order to spur nodulation.
Packet contains 500 seeds.
Sow 1 lb per 2,000 square feet, 10 lbs per acre. Certified Organically Grown
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Question
Tim –
How much more difficult is it to plant red clover in the summer months than in fall or spring?
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Richo Cech –
it is not hard
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Question
Tim –
I read somewhere that if you plant clover and you notice some seeds on the soil surface that it is not going to harm the seed or the germination any is there any truth to this?
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Richo Cech –
surface-sown seed will germinate unless allowed to dry out
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Naz –
What’s it good for health wise ?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Naz, Red clover makes a great tea. you can find out much more about its uses in herbal medicine by reading “making plant medicine.” Richo
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Question
Tim –
I still have some red clover seed leftover from last year and was wondering if it was still good enough to plant?
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Richo Cech –
Yes, this seed remains viable for years.
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Question
Clara (verified owner) –
Hello! I’m in hardiness zone 6b-7a in Pennsylvania. I’d love to try growing clover as a cover crop that I can interplant with annuals and vegetables throughout the season. Do you know if this clover would be too competitive? If I want to turn it under by had will that prove difficult? Does it tend to take over? Thank you!
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Richo Cech –
Hi Clara,
Red Clover tends to work best when interplanted with perennials like fruit trees and/or as an overwintering covercrop that is planted by itself and is turned under in the spring, usually by mechanical means. The improvement in soil tilth, depth, fertility can be quite noticeable when this is done. The cover crops that work best around annuals and vegetables are either ryegrass or buckwheat. Ryegrass works best in aisles and can be mowed, covers the soil and doesn’t take over. Buckwheat makes fast biomass and lots of blossoms, very easy to turn under by hand, keeps the soil soft and fertile, attracts beneficials. As always in gardening, it makes sense to start small and experiment–plants act differently depending on sun, soil, water, zone and the temperament of the gardener. You’ll gravitate towards what works best for you.
Richo
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Clara (verified owner) –
Hello Richo, thanks so much for your reply. Would Crimson Clover be a possibility for interplanting with annuals or vegetables? I’m excited about the nitrogen fixing properties. But the rye and buckwheat sound great as well. Thanks again!
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Richo Cech –
yes, good point, i myself do this every year, planting it between the rows of corn when the corn is about knee-high. it feeds the corn, holds in the moisture and i never need to weed again once it takes over between the rows. i suppose you could do this with other veggies.
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Question
Liz –
Hello! I have a 3,000 sq. ft. shady area in the woods, zone 5, plenty of deer, chipmunks, raccoons, mice, etc. Neighbors recently built a house and we used the clay soil that was dug out to level out this area. Would this red clover seed work to get some growth? Would it help to dump some compost on top of the clay first? The Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine sent me here, so thank you!
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Mayche Cech –
Hi Liz, Hmmm. There might not be enough sun to get red clover going. Some herbs that work well in this situation are: self heal, bugle, plantain, comfrey. Yes, compost is a good idea–compost cures clay–rake in as deeply as possible. For a cover crop you might try annual ryegrass and daikon. Richo
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Question
Jaime Goodman –
I read in a garden book that BERSEEM clover is a recommended cover crop. I am wondering if I could substitute red clover instead so I can use it for medicine. I want to try a milpa garden (3 Sisters) this year and I am thinking of using red clover in that garden. Do you think that I need to inoculate your red clover seed or is it already inoculated? And if I do inoculate it, is it still safe to use as medicine? Thank you for any advice or help!
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Richo Cech –
Hello Jaime, Berseem is an annual white clover that is not medicinally interchangeable with red clover. Our medium red clover is recommended instead, both as a perennial cover crop and medicinal herb. Our red clover is inoculated with a harmless rhizobium to assist in germination and nodulation. It is a good idea to inoculate clover seed in this manner and does not negatively affect the end product (red clover blossoms, forage, n-fixation, crowding out weeds, water conservation, soil stabalization, etc.) Richo
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Question
Amanda –
Hi, I’m looking for a late summer-July thru Frost, nectar producing crop that I can plant for my bees. Rocky ground, old pasture, no more horses. Some shade, mostly sun. Suggestions? I’m in Western WA. I think zone 8. thanks! I’m considering a mixture of some sort for diversity.
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Richo Cech –
Easiest answer: Buckwheat. r
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Renee Green –
What is the most valuable clover medicinally for zone 4? Is it the one called red (but seems to be pink flowers), the leaves having a “white chevron”?
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Richo Cech –
hello renee, mammoth red clover has light pink flowers and the medium red clover where you left this question has darker flowers–that is why we offer the medium red, not the mammoth. Medium red clover is the best choice. richo
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Amy –
Looking for a multi-use companion crop to hemp zone 4a. Red clover seems to hit all the right notes but unsure about the growing zone for this variety. Would this variety do well? Better suggestions?
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Richo Cech –
Hello Amy, Basically its hard to overwinter red clover in a zone 4 and you can plant it as an annual companion plant if you like. Another option would be crimson clover which is also grown as an annual, or annual ryegrass, which would be lovely. Richo
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Richo Cech –
Hi Amy, It’s a P.S.! I’ve been thinking about this and would recommend Buckwheat as a summer covercrop and Cilantro (Corriandrum sativum) as a summer companion plant. Richo
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Question
Tim Child –
Sorry to bother you i think you must be very busy with the current events going on in the nation but i have a question about a issue. I have moved my garden to the back of the field on my parents land where my dad use to have his garden. The ground in that area is very hard but i managed to get it broke up and get some manure compost mixed in where we planted some garden plants. In the fall after everything dies i plan to plant some cover crops to help loosen the hard ground and was wondering which one of the three cover crops you would recommend? Mammoth red clover, Medium red clover, or biodrill radish?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Tim,
Things are settling down around here. I can see why you might want to use radish, that can help break up hardpan. Red clover is good, too, any kind. Fior fall planting we usually use oats and peas, which is like growing compost in situ. Richo
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Eileen McCabe –
Hello! How tall does the red clover Trifolium pratense grow? I am looking for options to replace grass in my front yard orchard, ideally a variety of color, but no taller than about 8 inches. Suggestions?
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Richo Cech –
Hello Eileen,
The shortest clover is white subclover and it is OK for yards but watch out for bare feet and bees. The red clover flowers to about waist high and can be mowed. Check my blogs for the “herbal groundcover” info.
Richo
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Question
Tim Child –
What cover crop would you recommend for perennial grass that seems to be very difficult or even impossible to get rid of?
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Richo Cech –
When this happens here we deep mulch with weed-seed-free straw (rice straw is best) and allow the worms to come up from underneath and eat all the grass and grass roots, which they do very nicely. Then, we plant red clover which is the best choice for forcing out weeds, n fixation and breaking up hardpan. r
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Question
Tim –
What clover is best used as a living mulch in zone 7 sometimes a zone 6 if the winter is severe enough?
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Admin Richo Cech –
Hi Tim,
Red clover is very good and survives the winter down to zone 5. You might also try any of the white subclovers. We don’t carry them, though.
r
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Debra –
I live in AK, zone 4. Am looking for ground cover or plants to take over areas that have thick buttercups. Could you please suggest ? Thank you
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Richo Cech –
Hi Debra, Buttercups (we call them “ranuncs”) are very hard to displace. Probably the fastest covercrop I know of that forces out or shades out weeds is buckwheat. You might also try fenugreek. Richo
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Question
Maxime Leblond –
How much seeds is in a packet? I stumbled on this page looking for bulk organic cover crops. I need to cover few acres. Do you offer large volume?
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Admin Richo Cech –
Normally we do have this in larger quantity, but for now by the packet only. Packet contains 500 seeds.
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Admin Richo Cech –
The plant is powerfully effective for loosening poor, rocky or clay soils and for fixing atmospheric nitrogen in its roots and thus feeding crop plants after being turned under. One time we planted red clover in half our field and left the other half in perennial grasses. When the tractor guy plowed through the field he commented that the machinery dug inches deeper into the clover side–and that was after only 3 months of growth. Feed the soil and the soil will feed you…
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Saralyn Bellmer –
Do you prefer the medium red to the mammoth for use as an herb?
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Admin Richo Cech –
Hello Saralyn, No, they are equally applicable.
richo
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Malia –
Hi, I am looking for some organic micro clover seeds to replace my grassy yet bindweed filled backyard. It’s an old farm property. Do you know where I can buy some? I’ve looked around and seen much organic seed.
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Admin Richo Cech –
These folks seem to have it. https://www.whygoodnature.com/microclover
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Rachael Lieck Bryce –
Hello Richo! I am looking at this clover as a cover crop to plant beneath my stone fruit orchard. I am in Virginia in Zone 7a and will have cows, horses and goats – I wanted to make sure this was a good choice! Thank you!
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Richo Cech –
Hi Rachael, Red clover is excellent in orchards as I can attest because I’ve had it growing in my orchards for 30 years or more from a single planting. Red clover is associated with good health and high milk yields for ruminants including cows and goats. There is some concern over clovers and horses, mainly when they eat alsike clover (which red clover is not) or moldy clover hay. I think it is important to give the horses a mixed pasture, not a clover monocrop, and then it should be fine for them to ingest red clover. Basically what I see is that a healthy pasture equates to healthy horses and planting red clover is a great way to improve the health of your pasture.
Richo
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