The plant genus clover (Trifolium) currently has over 245 varieties, 16 of which are cultivated in agriculture as fodder plants or as green manure. In common usage, other plants such as sorrel (genus Oxalis) are also counted as clover, although taxonomically they are only very distantly related to the genus Trifolium.

White clover is an excellent substitute for lawns

The most common types of clover in the garden

In the garden, different types of clover can spread by themselves or be selectively cultivated. While some gardeners deliberately grow clover instead of sod, others are struggling desperately to eradicate clover from the garden. The most common types of clover in European gardens are:

  • Meadow clover or red clover (Trofolium pratense)
  • White clover (Trifolium repens)
  • Sorrel (Oxalis corniculata)

Other well-known types of clover are:

  • Horn clover (Lotus corniculatus)
  • Persian clover (Trifolium resupinatum)
  • Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum)

Peculiarities of the meadow clover

Of all the clover varieties, the meadow clover is the most important fodder plant in terms of area under cultivation. The meadow clover, which is often cultivated as a fodder plant, is usually also referred to as red clover because of its red colored inflorescences. This type of clover is one of the oldest cultivated agricultural varieties in Europe, as meadow clover was cultivated in Flanders, Italy and Spain as early as the 16th century. Like the other varieties of agricultural clover, the meadow clover loves relatively cool, damp locations with rainy summers. This is due to the fact that these plants have a comparatively high water requirement. In addition, the red clover should be grown on rather heavy clay soil, locations with acidic soil material tolerate the meadow clover very poorly.

Characteristics of white clover

In contrast to red clover, the so-called white clover (Trifolium repens) forms creeping shoots that grow close to the ground and drive roots. Among the fodder legumes, white clover is the only plant that can withstand constant grazing and the stress on the turf caused by footsteps. Therefore, this type of clover is also particularly suitable as a lawn substitute. White clover is less sensitive to cold and drought phases than red clover. Also with regard to the soil conditions, the white clover is a little less demanding than the meadow clover.

Improve the soil with clover

The different varieties of clover used in agriculture improve the soil physically and chemically. On the one hand, the fine roots of the clover loosen the soil deeply and can thus prevent soil damage, for example through regular grain cultivation. On the other hand, the nodule bacteria on the clover roots also accumulate nitrogen in the soil, which is important for the growth of many plants. However, one should not overdo it with the cultivation of clover and between individual rounds of crop rotation of the clover one should keep cultivation breaks of three to four years for white clover and five to eight years for red clover.

When the clover in the lawn becomes a nuisance

Under certain circumstances it can happen that the clover in the lawn spreads undesirably. Fertilizing with horn shavings (€32.93) can help if clover is proliferating in the lawn: This promotes healthy grass growth without supplying the clover with additional phosphate (as contained in other fertilisers). In spring it can also be helpful to thoroughly remove the clover from the lawn with a scarifier. Then the bare spots should be supplied with fertilizer and the lawn should be overseed. In bad cases, chemical agents can also be used, which only have an effect on dicotyledonous clover and not on monocotyledonous grasses.

tips

The lucky clover (Oxalis tetraphylla), popular as a lucky gift on New Year's Eve, is particularly popular because of its four-leaf clover. It is mostly grown indoors due to its frost sensitivity, but can also be cultivated outdoors in pots during the summer. The small storage bulbs of the lucky clover are even edible.

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Herbs