Honeybee (Apis mellifera) zones in on a clover blossom
Did you grow up with honey on the breakfast table? Chances are it was clover honey – that pale, creamy treat – you were spreading on your toast. White clover honey is considered the best quality honey and is actually the standard to which other honeys are compared.
Our honey bees have always given us good tasting wildflower honey, but this season I wanted to increase, if possible, the clover content in our honey harvest.
I decided to plant a lawn of White clover (Trifolium repens).
Reading online, I learned most landscape experts say this is a doubtful enterprise. Clover, they say, is best as a contributing species in a lawn mix. There is little encouragement for planting clover on its own. Still, I was determined to establish a clover lawn as an alternative to conventional grass turf. These grass mixes often contain a high percentage of Kentucky blue grass which demands lots of mowing (ugh) and water (oh-oh). Living on a well, running a lawn sprinkler is not an option for us. Good news? Clover is highly drought-tolerant.
This little plant has other fine qualities. It will grow even in poor soils and shade, and is a top choice for “living mulch”, according to Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Education (SARE). Clover nourishes itself by fixing nitrogen in the soil. This all-important nutrient is, in turn, available to nearby plants. With tough stems and a shallow, dense root mass, clover protects soil from erosion and suppresses weeds.
White clover – also called Dutch White, New Zealand White, Ladino – is lower growing than other clover types and it does well when mowed. Best of all, it thrives in cool, moist conditions (like the growing conditions we've had this summer).
Our honey bees have always given us good tasting wildflower honey, but this season I wanted to increase, if possible, the clover content in our honey harvest.
I decided to plant a lawn of White clover (Trifolium repens).
Reading online, I learned most landscape experts say this is a doubtful enterprise. Clover, they say, is best as a contributing species in a lawn mix. There is little encouragement for planting clover on its own. Still, I was determined to establish a clover lawn as an alternative to conventional grass turf. These grass mixes often contain a high percentage of Kentucky blue grass which demands lots of mowing (ugh) and water (oh-oh). Living on a well, running a lawn sprinkler is not an option for us. Good news? Clover is highly drought-tolerant.
This little plant has other fine qualities. It will grow even in poor soils and shade, and is a top choice for “living mulch”, according to Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Education (SARE). Clover nourishes itself by fixing nitrogen in the soil. This all-important nutrient is, in turn, available to nearby plants. With tough stems and a shallow, dense root mass, clover protects soil from erosion and suppresses weeds.
White clover – also called Dutch White, New Zealand White, Ladino – is lower growing than other clover types and it does well when mowed. Best of all, it thrives in cool, moist conditions (like the growing conditions we've had this summer).
 Removing poor weed-laden soil from the yard | I actually began this 'project' in 2011. After preparing the lawn with a layer of new topsoil, I seeded with white clover in late summer. Going into the fall, I got partial germination; come spring 2012, the clover continued to germinate and grow – albeit in patches – over the summer.  Load of new soil will support the clover lawn |
In the spring of this year (2013), I reseeded. Clover seed is tiny and spreads best when mixed with fine loam and sand. I got the best results by broadcasting this mixture by hand. I'd say, results indeed!
White clover lawn blooming, summer 2013
This season, our bees have had plenty of sweet clover blossoms to harvest. I've learned that "pollinated flowers soon wilt and lose their colour, so a field full of colourful, blooming flower heads is an indication of poor pollination" (pollinator.ca). Our clover blossoms did, in fact, turn brown.
August was exactly the time I expected to mow the clover. It has survived its first trim; the lush cuttings have made a nice contribution to the compost. And imagine only mowing once or twice a year! In coming years I expect I will need to reseed the lawn because clover does have a more patchy growth habit than other lawn species. Fortunately, white clover is readily available at farm or garden supply centres. Sweet!
August was exactly the time I expected to mow the clover. It has survived its first trim; the lush cuttings have made a nice contribution to the compost. And imagine only mowing once or twice a year! In coming years I expect I will need to reseed the lawn because clover does have a more patchy growth habit than other lawn species. Fortunately, white clover is readily available at farm or garden supply centres. Sweet!
Photo credit: All photos 'There Blooms a Garden'
Did you know? ...
The cooler times of year – spring and fall – are the best times to seed clover. Red clover (Trifolium pratense), white clover (T. repens), and alsike clover (T. hybridum) are the major species grown in Ontario.
