Red Clover Plots

Red clover trades white clover's longevity for speed and forgiveness: it establishes faster, grows taller (more tonnage), tolerates poorer and wetter soils, costs less per pound, and burns out in about two years - which makes it ideal for rotations, freshly cleared ground, and 'I want deer food THIS year' impatience.

Why deer love it

Same high-protein legume nutrition (20-28%) with more bulk per acre; deer graze it as readily and turkeys nest and bug in it.

When & how to plant

Frost-seed in late winter or drill/broadcast in spring; germination is quick and seedlings assertive - it out-races weeds better than white clover. Same shallow-seed rule.

Soil & pH

More tolerant than white: pH 5.8+ workable (6.0-6.8 ideal), handles heavier and damper ground; still lime toward neutral for best stands.

Maintenance

Mow once or twice; expect the stand to peak year one-two then fade - plan the rotation (red clover → brassicas → grain → back) that keeps a property's plots cycling.

When it draws best

Spring through fall like all clovers; year-one stands often out-draw year-one white clover simply on establishment speed.

What makes a plot fail

• Expecting 5-year persistence (it's a 2-year tool)
• Skipping lime on marginal soil
• Not exploiting its rotation value: it fixes nitrogen the NEXT crop uses free