Quote:
Originally Posted by General Schvantzkoph
Has anyone used white clover as living mulch? I've just planted white
dutch clover in my corn field on the theory that clover fixes nitrogen and
corn consumes vast quantities of nitrogen. Corn is much taller than clover
so I figure the clover won't compete for sun with the corn. The other
benefit is that the corn patch doesn't get mowed so the clover will be
able to flower which will attract bees and bees are great for all the
plants in the garden. I've been using clover on my lawn for a couple of
years which has worked out nicely as it's greened up the grass where the
clover and grass coexist and it grows in spots where grass doesn't do
well. However it doesn't get to flower much in the lawn because the lawn
gets mowed.
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Without knowing where you're located, I can't say for sure. But I can tell you of our experience with white clover in paths.
If seeded thickly, it will pretty much keep out other weeds. You will need to mow it or it will get a bit out of hand - mowing doesn't hurt it at all here in Minnesota. It works well under corn, but tends to want to creep into strawberries, but it can be hoed back without too much effort if you stay on top of it.
When you want to turn it under, it can be turned with a shovel. The only downside we've seen is that on a slope, after rain, it can be a bit slippery, expecially if not kept mowed. Also, if you have slug problems, they really like hanging out in a clover patch.
Another possibility for clover interseeded in corn is to use something like crimson clover, which will winter kill in our area (Zone 4 Minnesota). It is only hardy in zones warmer than here. Then you don't have any vegetation trying to sprout up after tilling in the spring.