GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Growing Clover To Replenish The Soil

k-england
May 1
3 min read

Words and photographs by Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! May 2024.

Growing Clover to Replenish the Soil

The gardeners planted clover seeds all over a hillside above the deep end of the pool in March this year. Clover makes a wonderful cover crop after winter to replenish the soil. Now, as you can see from the photographs in this article; it has grown tall with beautiful red flowers. Bees love it, gathering nectar, and so do the birds and moths. I see birds duck down into the clover, perhaps grabbing a moth to eat or to take back to the nest for their babies? The clover has made a miniature ecosystem in the garden!

“Chances are you've heard of green manure before. Simply put, green manure is a live cover crop you grow with the intention of tilling it under before it dies. The benefit of using clover as a green manure is very high. Clover is high in nitrogen and will provide nutrients to your soil when tilled under.” -http://www.TheEalyHomestead.com

Hudson, a knowledgeable friend at Armstrong Nursery Del Mar remarked...

“The best time to till clover into the soil is just as it is starting to die. That is when the clover is richest in nutrients.”

I have never planted permanent plants on that hillside because I love planting fava beans in November and sunflowers and zinnias for the summer months. Because I decided to make a cover crop of clover, I will not be able to plant it until October or November. After tilling the clover into the soil, I need to wait at least a couple of months before planting again on the hillside. For those of you who have chickens, it is great food for chickens. You need to augment with some protein, but it is rich in protein. Some people put their chickens on the clover just before they want to till it into the soil, that way the chickens will aerate the soil and leave their droppings for extra fertilizer. People have also been adding clover to their lawns for the many benefits the clover affords. I am going to add it to my lawns also.

Pat Welsh in her daughter's beautiful garden.

The wisteria has mainly finished blooming but there’s still some purple in the trees and vines. The Japanese white wisteria that I bought is blooming. Mama, Pat Welsh, loves to come over and see the garden once a week. Mama celebrates another year around the sun on May 11, which is also Mother’s Day this year, she will be 96 years old. We are so lucky that she is relatively in good health and still takes a little walk up the street every day and picks up her mail.