Sweet Clover - Yellow
Clover Specifications
Latin Name: Melilotus Officinalis
Season: Biennial
USDA Zones: 4 - 10
Environment: Full sun
Height: 48 inches
Bloom Color: Yellow
Yellow Sweet Clover (Melilotus Officinalis) - Biennial sweet clover thrives under a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. However, it will not tolerate acid soils. It is drought resistant, winter-hardy and productive throughout all 50 states. Sweet clover is native to Europe and Asia, but is found now all across the U.S. Sweet clover seeds were used 100 years ago as a forage crop and soil builder. Today it is also used as a wildlife cover crop and in production of honey.
Inoculated Seed - Our Yellow Sweet clover seed has been coated with an inoculant for better establishment. Nitrogen fixation is a one of the key values found in legumes and can only occur with the proper inoculation. Although many strains or Rhizobium may be present in the soil, all are not equally beneficial. With Nitro-Coat® each seed is inoculated with the correct Rhizobium strains and coated through a proven process that ensures a very high level of successful inoculation. A key to any successful establishment and early seed development is moisture. Nitro-Coat® is naturally water absorbent and helps attract soil moisture to the seed, getting your stand established quickly. This coating process which Outsidepride utilizes, assures that only the top-performing and crop-specific rhizobia will be applied to ensure your clovers reach maximum nodulation, stand establishment, and yield potential. With Nitro-Coat® each seed is inoculated with the correct Rhizobium strains and coated through a proven process that ensures a very high level of successful inoculation. The weight of the clover seeds will contain approximately 34% coating material that contains the inoculant and water holding material for better establishment and viability of the seed. There is no difference in the seeding rates between the coated and raw seed due to the increased germination and viability of the bulk clover seeds that are coated and inoculated. This coating material is not OMRI certified.
Abundant yellow blooms
Yellow Sweet Clover spreads by reseeding itself, and often forms colonies when soil is favorable. The sweet fragrance of the foliage is caused by coumarin.
Clover seed | yellow sweet
How to grow
How To Grow Sweet Yellow Clover From Seed: Clover will grow in partial shade, but prefers full sun. At time of seeding it is critical that seeds are kept moist as much as possible, optimally never drying out in between waterings. Clover seed planted deeper then 1/4 inch in the soil may not emerge; therefore, ensure the clover seed is spread on the surface or just lightly raked in to the soil.
Plant in spring when frost season is completely over and night time temperatures are staying in the 40's or warmer. You may plant clear up to late summer/early fall at least 6 weeks before a heavy freeze. In the south where snow and freezing temperatures are rare, you may plant all through the winter. If you plant when temperatures are warm, clover seeds will germinate in 7 - 15 days.
- Sowing Rate: 12 to 15 pounds per acre
- Average Germ Time: 7 - 15 days
- Give them plenty of water in dry weather
- Depth: No more than 1/4 inch
Flower Specifications
Sweet clover seeds are quite alkali tolerant and even like limestone soils. Because of its deep, heavy taproot and dense root system it opens subsoil and increases aeration. Root break down rapidly at maturity, adding organic matter to the soil. Sweet clover can be used for hay, silage, green manure or pasture. It is also one of the most valuable plants for honey production, often used solely for bee pasture.
- Height: 48 inches
- USDA Zones: 4 - 10
- Season: Biennial
- Environment: Full sun