"Bill" wrote in message
...
In article
,
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote:

"George.com" wrote in message
...
Does anyone here maintain a permanent living mulch/cover crop on a vege
garden. If so, what do you use.

I am looking for a permanent living mulch that would broadly fit the
following parameters

I am looking for something that would do ok on raised garden beds
roughly
1.5 m wide and 3-4 m long and 200-300 mm high.

ideally a nitrogen fixer
smething that does not grow too high or too quickly
something that does not grow dense mat across the garden
something that will survive a few winter frosts and dry summers
something that I can cut back but which will slowly works its was back
to
health
something that will last a few years

I have thought of various clovers. In my lawn I have Dutch/New Zealand
white clover which is ok but does run quite wild and is quite thick. A
mate
suggested maybe red clover. I have investigated both, red clover is
edging
ahead as it has a shorter life than white. This will be useful if I
want
to terminate my trial

Do a google on "clever clover". IIRC, a chap from CSIRO had found a
particular form of clover that he was using in a way that you describe -
can't remember the details now, but I do remeber it was a particular type
of
clover but not one one I recognised as a commercially grown grazing form.
Diggers at Dromana, Vic used to sell the seeds.

http://www2b.abc.net.au/gardening/newposts/000/topic233464.shtm


cheers cobbers. "Clever Clover" seems to be a breed of subterranean clover.
I have located a source in NZ and am doing some research on it. It may be
the way to go, dies back in summer apparently & grows through winter. Can't
get the aussie stuff shipped over.

rob