- The clover as green manure
- Combat clover in the lawn with fertilizer
- Properly fertilize clover grown in the garden
The topic of fertilizer can be interesting for clover from three different perspectives: After all, targeted fertilizer application not only influences the growth of clover positively or negatively, but the clover itself can also be used as a valuable green manure.
Clover not only brings luck, it can also be processed into fertilizer
The clover as green manure
In agriculture, clover is grown as a fodder crop, which also improves the soil at the same time. Red and white clover dig themselves into the ground with relatively finely branched roots, so that heavily compacted soil is loosened up well. The nodule bacteria sitting on the roots of the clover ensure an accumulation of nitrogen in the soil, so that the additional supply of artificially produced nitrogen fertilizers can be dispensed with. When clippings from perennial clover plants are not grown as animal feed, they can be incorporated into the soil.
Combat clover in the lawn with fertilizer
Since the clover can get its nitrogen from the air via nodule bacteria, as mentioned above, it survives much better than grass on nitrogen-poor soils. If the clover has already replaced the grass in large parts of your lawn, you can improve the growth of the lawn with a targeted supply of nitrogenous fertilizer after scarifying the clover. In the event of an unwanted clover infestation in the lawn, never use fertilizer mixtures with a high phosphate content, as this would encourage the clover to grow even more. Horn shavings (€32.93) usually do a good job when it comes to strengthening the grass at the expense of clover infestation.
Properly fertilize clover grown in the garden
For the targeted cultivation of clover in the garden, the following nutrient proportions and soil factors are particularly important:
- phosphate
- Kali
- soil moisture
- PH value
The soil should not be waterlogged for the clover, but should be sufficiently moist. In addition to a good supply of fertilizer containing phosphate and potash, the pH value of the soil is also crucial for healthy clover growth: For example, the pH value for the cultivation of red and white clover should be between 6.0 and 6.7. If symptoms of deficiency occur in clover, which is actually very frugal, it is usually more a question of damage caused by dry periods or after frosts.
tips
In the case of clover species, fertilization with nitrogen can only be considered as a start-up aid for newly sown stocks.