Sweet Clover

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Cover crops can be planted in spring, summer or fall! Remember that ¼ to ⅓ of your growing area should be planted to green manure cover crops every year. This ensures your soil stays healthy and productive.

Seeds will store for at least 1 to 2 years.

Description

Sweet clover is an excellent soil-builder and conditioner that adds nutrients through nitrogen fixation and scavenging from lower depths. Its extremely deep penetrating taproots can extend down to 5 feet, helping to break up hard-packed soils allowing increased water infiltration and improved growing conditions for following crops.  

The plants can grow successfully on marginal soil, making them ideal for soil remediation or improving areas that have been degraded. The flowers also provide large amounts of food for pollinators and beneficial insects. 

Sweet Clover often comes in a mix of plants producing both yellow and white blooms. Growing a combination of both allows for a broader range of benefits than using only one. Sweet Yellow Clover is more drought-tolerant and has more biomass, while Sweet White Clover has more extensive roots which makes it a better soil conditioner. Each variety also starts blooming at a different time, allowing for a longer period of flowering to feed pollinators.

It is best to grow Sweet Clover as a biennial allowing it to establish itself in the first season and regrow in the second season. When used as green manure, it should be tilled when 6" to 8" tall in the second season. If being used as food for pollinators, it should be mowed or tilled after flowering but before seeds develop in the second season. If self-seeding is desired, the plants can be left until fall and then mowed or tilled. 

Non-GEO

250g covers 1000 sq. ft
1 kg covers 4000 sq. ft

FOR PLANTING PURPOSES ONLY. Seed should not be used as food or feed.

Can be used with EcoTea Seed Inoculant for increased nutrient efficiency, improved root development and higher disease resistance.   

Quick Guide

• Latin Name: Melilotus officinalis
• Hardiness: Biennial Zone 2 
• Growth Rate: Slow
• Germination: 7-10 days
• Planting Dates: Mar 10-Jun 15, Aug 15-Oct 15 (6-8 weeks prior to 1st frost) 
• Seeding Rate: 250-500g per 1000 sq. ft (11-22kg per acre)
• Max Planting Depth: 0.25” - 0.5" or broadcast and tamp to 0.25” deep
• Growth Habit:   Upright plant 12-36” 1st year. Grows up to 7 ft in 2nd season.
• Benefits: Adds nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil, deep penetrating roots loosen soil, food for pollinators 
• Sun Exposure: Full Sun
• Usual Seed Life: 10+ years
• Cover Crop Management: Can mow at the end of 1st season. Till or mow during the 2nd year at 8" tall or just after blooming. Allow plants to develop seeds if self-seeding is desired.  
  

Highest Quality Standards

Our cover crop seed comes from high-quality stock and is tested for germination. We've selected the best varieties available to maximize each species' potential.