Sunday, January 8, 2012

Red Clover

The next seven days in North Alabama are to be wet, wet and more wet:  http://www.waff.com/weather.  If I can manage it between rain showers, I'm sowing red clover seed in my pasture/garden area. Clover is critical to fix nitrogen back into the soil after vegetables take it out; you can also fix nitrogen back into the soil by planting peas.  Clover is a good food source for bees.

City dwelling people feel red clover is a weed.  If one defines a weed as a plant growing in an unwanted area, say a city lawn, then that is correct - it is a weed if it is growing in a lawn of zoysia grass.  However, clover is one of the most important plants known to man.  It is a much maligned plant in recent years; however, there is an old American saying that "a man who plants clover is a king".  Without clover our soil would fail to grow healthy food for us.  All mankind would suffer.  It is an easy cover crop to grow here in the South and it is a favorite food of foraging animals like deer and cow.

Additionally, red clover is a medicinal plant for humans.  Read this article at the University of Maryland web site regarding Red Clover as alternative medicine.  If nothing else I hope you try growing some clover just for the fun of it.  It is an easy plant to grow and the clover flower while small is still very pretty.

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