Crimson Clover: Growing the Crop

by J. M. Westgate

Fig. 2.—A crimson-clover failure on ground too poor in humus.

Unless the conditions of soil and moisture are exactly right it is not an easy matter to establish a satisfactory stand of crimson clover, even in the sections where it is most extensively produced. ([Fig. 2.]) The lack of timely rains in late summer is responsible for most of the failures to obtain a satisfactory stand. The young seedlings are very easily killed by the hot sun or lack of moisture. On the other hand, if the seeding be delayed too long, as, for instance, in waiting for the proper conditions of soil moisture, the plants will be unable to make sufficient growth to withstand the winter. Briefly speaking, crimson clover should be seeded shallow on a moist, reasonably fertile, well-drained, well-settled seed bed. Inoculation in some form should be provided, especially when seeding it for the first time on any fields in sections comparatively new to this crop.

Crimson clover is not adapted to the white-clay lands in their present condition in some portions of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Such fields should be seeded to soy beans or cowpeas when a leguminous crop is desired for soil improvement or other purposes.[2] Crimson clover does not do well on rough, newly cleared land and it ordinarily requires the production of two or three crops or a special preparation by liming, manuring, and inoculating before such land presents conditions satisfactory for seeding. It is usually better to sow rye for a winter cover and cowpeas for a summer crop if a cover crop is thought to be needed. In any section where crimson clover has not been previously grown the first seeding should be on a small scale to determine whether or not it is a practicable crop for the locality in question.

[2] These white-clay soils are nearly always sour, deficient In humus, and poorly drained. If limed, subsoiled, drained, and supplied with humus, such soils are said to grow crimson clover satisfactorily.

PREPARATION OF THE SEED BED.

The seed bed for crimson clover should be firm, moist, well settled, and fine on top. Any efforts that may be expended to conserve the soil moisture previous to seeding are usually justified, especially if there be any lack of rainfall during the month previous or the month following seeding. Where the clover is seeded in an intertilled crop, such as corn, cotton, or tomatoes, the customary cultivation received by these crops is ordinarily sufficient for the needs of crimson clover. Where grain-stubble land is plowed in preparation for the clover a month or six weeks are ordinarily required for the soil to settle sufficiently to make a proper seed bed, since after plowing at least one soaking rain, which compacts the soil and fills it with moisture, is essential to the proper preparation of the seed bed for crimson clover. If the ground be disked, a much shorter time and less rain are required for the proper settling of the seed bed. The best method of retaining the moisture in the seed bed is to harrow or give shallow cultivation shortly after each rain. A fine soil mulch on the surface will largely prevent the soil just beneath the surface from losing its moisture through evaporation. Such surface tillage should, of course, be given before seeding the crimson clover.

FERTILIZERS FOR CRIMSON CLOVER.

Under the ordinary conditions of soil fertility the fertilizer applied to the preceding crop is sufficient for the needs of crimson clover. This is especially true where the clover follows such crops as potatoes or tomatoes, which are ordinarily heavily treated with fertilizers that are not entirely used up by these crops. It is important to realize, however, that crimson clover has a very short period of growth and that to make a vigorous growth it must have a good supply of plant food. On sandy soils where there has been no recent application of fertilizers it is often the practice to apply from 200 to 400 pounds of a mixture of equal parts of acid phosphate and kainite. On clay soils 300 or 400 pounds per acre of acid phosphate are ordinarily sufficient. If the soil be low in nitrates a light application of nitrate of soda will assist materially in giving the young clover plants a good start and winter which otherwise might have proved fatal to the stand. If the seeding has been delayed, as by waiting for suitable rains, an application of nitrate fertilizer will stimulate the young plants and enable them to make an increased growth before winter.