When to sow clover? A detailed guide to balcony growing methods

Clover, also known as white clover, white trefoil, or Dutch clover, has three leaves, and some mutated varieties have four or even five leaves. Clover is a very common ornamental ground cover in gardens, and is often seen in courtyards, along roads, and in parks. Because of its small, delicate appearance and distinctive leaf shape, it is loved by many people. When to sow clover? What are the balcony growing methods?

I. Morphological characteristics of clover

Clover has a short main root and well-developed lateral roots, with root nodules that fix nitrogen. The creeping stems are 30-60 cm long, solid and smooth, and can root at each node, sprouting new shoots that grow into new creeping stems, making it highly invasive. With proper management, it can continue growing for more than 7 years. It has palmately trifoliolate compound leaves with slender petioles, and the leaf surface has a white "V"-shaped marking. It has fairly good shade tolerance and can grow normally in an environment with 30% light transmittance.

After clover forms a turf, it has fairly well-developed lateral roots and creeping stems, giving it a strong competitive advantage over other weeds. Clover blooms early and has a long flowering period, and its leaf shape is attractive, so after forming a turf it can achieve a good landscape effect. It prefers a warm and humid climate, with an optimum growth temperature of 15-25°C, and a suitable annual precipitation for growth of 600-850 mm. Clover likes light and is fairly shade-tolerant and cold-tolerant, but it is very sensitive to drought; under prolonged drought weather with temperatures above 38°C, the stems and leaves wither and may even die. It is not demanding about soil and has strong acid tolerance, able to grow even in soil with a pH of 4.5, and it can grow in many regions of our country.

II. When to sow clover?

Clover can be sown in spring or autumn. In spring, sow in late March; in autumn, sow in mid-September. In the south, autumn sowing is predominant, while in the north, spring sowing is predominant. It can also be sown in summer, but after sowing the topsoil must be kept moist or covered with mulch for shade. The sowing rate for clover is suitably 8-10 grams per sq m. Each gram of clover has 1400-2000 seeds. Theoretically, 1 seed per square centimeter of soil is enough to meet the need for turf formation, but the actual sowing rate is greater than the theoretical sowing rate.

III. Balcony growing methods for clover

1. Soil requirements

It is not demanding about soil and can adapt to various soil types, growing well in slightly acidic soil. Because the seeds are tiny, the soil in the flowerpot needs to be leveled and worked into fine soil.

2. Sowing

Time: The best sowing time for clover is spring and autumn. For spring sowing, sow from late March to late April, once the temperature has steadily stayed above 15°C. Autumn sowing generally starts from mid-to-late September.

Before sowing clover, the seeds need to be soaked. For every 1 kg of seeds, add 1.5 kg of water, plus 1 g of ammonium molybdate, and soak for 12 hours. Then mix 5-10 kg of calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer with 5-10 kg of fine soil or yellow sand, and sow after mixing evenly. Seedlings can be seen about 3 days after sowing.

Sowing method:

First put soil into a cup until about 70% full, then place about 20 seeds in it, cover with soil and water. Water once a day to keep the soil moist. When the seedlings first emerge, do not spray them with a watering can, and do not expose them to strong sunlight; just place them indoors with plenty of sunlight.

3. Temperature

Clover likes warmth and environmental conditions of sunny, well-drained, and humid climate. The suitable growth temperature is 19-24°C. It has strong moisture tolerance and can withstand waterlogging for more than 1 month, and it is shade-tolerant.

4. Fertilizing

Clover belongs to the legume family and has its own nitrogen-fixing ability, but during the seedling stage the rhizobia have not yet formed, so a small amount of nitrogen fertilizer should be supplemented to help strengthen the seedlings, and adding phosphorus and potassium fertilizers has a very good yield-increasing effect. Once clover has grown larger, only phosphorus and potassium fertilizers need to be supplemented.

5. Pests and diseases

Clover has few diseases, but if it is not harvested in time, brown patch disease and powdery mildew sometimes occur. You can first cut and use it, then control them with Bordeaux mixture, lime sulfur mixture, or carbendazim.