Cover Crops for Vegetable Growers
Newsletter articles
Early summer
Mid and
late summer
Late summer
legumes
Early fall
Fall
Early spring
Cover crop information
Buckwheat
Annual
ryegrass
Oats
Wheat (includes
spelt, triticale)
Rye
Sudangrass
Reed Canarygrass
Arugula
Mustard, spring
Mustard, fall
Forage Radish
Forage
Turnips
Red
clover
Hairy Vetch
Field Peas
White
Clover
Medium
red clover Click to
download printable PDF file
Medium red clover is a short lived perennial used to supply nitrogen. Unlike other legumes, it fixes a lot of nitrogen even in high-nitrogen soils. It has shade tolerance so it can be overseeded into small grains and incorporated in May of the following year. Since red clover seedlings tend to be slow growing it benefits from a nurse crop. It forms tap roots and is useful for remediation of compacted soils.
Land
preparation
Medium red clover prefers cool weather conditions. This crop is well
adapted a wide range of soil types and conditions. Medium red clover
tolerates wet conditions better than vetch. It can be overseeded on
small grains and if the soil is not crusted.
Medium red clover can be overseeded in vegetable crops with no
additional preparation to the land.
Seeding
rate
Drill or broadcast at
10 lb/ac.
For a nurse crop, mix 2/3 annual ryegrass with 1/3 medium red clover, sow 20-25 lb/ac. After seeding roll the ground to improve seed-to-soil contact but not to break up soil aggregates.
Seeding
date
February – March for frost seeded
April – September
Clover can be seeded with turf grass or small grains.
Seed
sources
Local farm seed dealers, AgriCulver, Seedway, Lakeview Organic Grain.
Good varieties of
Medium red clover include Redland III, Cinnamon Plus, Bulldog. Do not
substitute
Mammoth red clover for cover crop use.
Maintenance
Mow medium red clover during the summer of the first year
.It can be seeded between established rows reducing soil compaction in
well traveled areas. Good weed suppression.
Control Blossoms by May, incorporate when flowering.
Tips
- Red clovers support aphid predators such as Ladybeetles, green lacewing larvae and hoverfly larvae.
- Purchase a good seed lot.
- To use as a nurse crop, seed with annual rye in June-July, buckwheat in August and Oats in September.
- Medium
red clover is also discussed in the articles on
late summer
legumes and early spring cover crops.
