White Clover (T. repens L.)

A type of Ladino clover
Popular clover for grazing mix grasses
Short-lived perennial
Reproduces with stolons
Relatively easy to establish
Small seeds and weak seedlings
Great bloat hazard in pure stands
Grows to 2 feet tall
Difficult to dry for hay in pure stands
Normally grows with grasses.
Can be grown in western Oklahoma with Old World Bluestem or bermudagrass
Cannot survive long severe droughts
3 to 4 lbs./acre is normally used to start a new stand
Grows well in pH range 5.8 to 7
Attracts fewer insect pests than alfalfa
Stand persistence and high forage production is encouraged by:

Rotational stocking including, close grazing for short periods.

Manage for clover rather than the associated grasses.

Soil pH near neutral.

Adequate soil fertility.

White clover, one of the most useful forage legumes in eastern Oklahoma, is generally used with grasses for pastures and hay. This perennial clover produces abundant growth during spring and early summer and can be stockpiled for winter grazing.

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1. Description: All types of white clover are leafy, with short, almost prostrate stems. They bear white flowers in spherical clusters that are on stems slightly longer than the leaf petioles. New plants develop vegetatively on stolons near the soil surface.

White clovers are classified into three fairly distinct types. Small types, normally less than 3 inches tall, are often found in lawns and other areas frequently mowed or grazed short. Large types, sometimes 2 feet tall, are the most productive and sometimes called "ladino" clover. Intermediate type white clovers, sometimes called "common" or "white dutch," have plant heights, leaf size, petiole size, flowering date, and growth habit midway between the others.

2. Establishment: White clovers are often sod seeded with 3 to 4 lbs. of seed per acre but can be established in fine firm prepared seedbeds. White clover requires good soil moisture and is not productive under droughty conditions. Production is best on fertile, well-drained soils where rainfall is abundant. White clover tolerates wet soils better than many other legumes. In wet sites, white clover survives summer droughts better than legumes that are intolerant of wet soils. Seed should be placed in contact with the soil and covered no more than 1/4 inch of soil.

3. Soil Fertility: Proper soil fertility and pH are critical for successful white clover stand establishment and persistence. Soils should be tested to determine the pH, phosphorus, and potassium levels. Fertilizer and lime should be applied if deficient.

White clover is most productive with a soil pH near 6.5 and adequate phosphorus and potassium. When these fertilizer elements are low or the soils are excessively acid, clover stands are unproductive and unreliable. Nitrogen levels as low as 15 lbs./acre are adequate for rapid seedling development. High levels of nitrogen (more than 30 lbs./acre) may stimulate grass growth, which competes with clover.

Soil pH, phosphorus, and potassium can be built up to acceptable levels over 3 to 5 years with annual surface applications. It is more efficient, however, from the stand point of building up the soil's production capacity, to apply and incorporate lime and phosphorus well before sowing. Soil amendments should always be applied based on soil test recommendations.

4. Yield Potential: White clover may produce more than 10 tons of dry matter per acre in favorable environments. White clover/bermudagrass pastures in eastern Oklahoma yield more than 5 tons of hay per acre without nitrogen fertilizer. Forage production during summer is dependent on summer rainfall.

5. Quality: Pure white clover can be more than 20% protein at early bloom; however, pure stands are difficult to cure as hay. Producers, however, can expect hay with 11-15% protein in mixed stands of clover and bermudagrass or fescue without nitrogen fertilization. Stocker gains of 2 lbs./day or more during spring is reasonable from well-managed grass/clover pastures. Mother cows with calves can remain in excellent condition on white clover pastures for more than 200 days per year with bermudagrass, tall fescue, and other perennial grasses.

6. Management: Although individual white clover plants live only a few years, stands remain productive for many years because of spread by stolons and natural reseeding. White clover is more tolerant of continuous stocking than many other forage legumes; however, large white clover persists best if hayed or rotationally stocked because repeated harvests before flowering will not produce enough seed for reseeding.

Animals should graze white clover mixed with grass fairly close to prevent competition for light as a limiting factor for white clover. However, frequent very short grazing (less than 2 inches) reduces reproduction by stolons.

White clovers are susceptible to several diseases; however, individual diseases seldom cause stand losses without simultaneous environmental stress. Likewise, insect pests are seldom severe enough to warrant chemical control. The combination of good soil fertility and competitive legume and grass species, grazed or hayed in a timely fashion, reduces the need for special weed control practices. Consequently, there is little for pesticides in well-managed white clover pastures.

7. Renovation: Once established and productive, white clover pastures seldom need special renovation practices. Reproduction and spread by stolons can fill in areas near vigorous plants but is not effective in filling in large areas. Allowing good seed production every 2 or 3 years and reducing canopy height by grazing and/or haying in September help prolong stand life. Broadcasting 1 or 2 lbs. of seed per acre in the fall may be necessary if natural reseeding does not effectively extend the life of a stand.

Stand persistence is encouraged primarily by managing pastures for clover rather than associated grasses. Soil pH near neutral and adequate soil fertility contribute to long- lived stands.

8. Harvesting: Grazing white clovers pastures between seedling emergence and early December can be detrimental to the clover. They are normally ready to graze in March or April, depending upon growing conditions during fall and late winter. While no single harvesting height is ideal, light grazing should begin when plants are 4 to 6 inches tall. One problem associated with initiating grazing late is that vigorous cool-season grasses shade white clover and reduce spread by stolons.

Continuous stocking of white clover can be profitable, but requires stocking rate adjustments. Too few animals leads to spot grazing, and too many animals reduces forage production and animal productivity. Few flowers develop for good seed production if grazing is continuous and heavy.

Rotational stocking provides assurance of efficiently utilizing forage and maintaining good stands year after year. White clover should be grazed with enough animals to remove all but 2 to 3 inches of growth, followed by 2 to 3 weeks of regrowth and regrazing. Sometime before mid summer, producers should defer grazing for 2 or 3 extra weeks to allow seed set. Pastures can be cut or grazed after that time, shattering much of the seed onto the soil.

Additional information on white clover

John Caddel, Forage Agronomist, 
Professor of Plant & Soil Sciences

john.caddel@okstate.edu