About Prairie Clover
Prairie clover is a legume, so it has the ability to sequester nitrogen from the atmosphere and add it to the soil for fertilizer. Plant the seeds in your perennial beds with other summer-blooming flowers such as monarda and butterfly milkweed.
When to Plant Clover Seeds
The ideal time to plant prairie clover is when springtime temps reach between 60°F to 85°F.
Where to Plant Clover Seeds
Prairie clover needs full sun exposure with well-draining soil, so choose your planting bed accordingly. Do not plant in heavy clay soils unless you amend the area with organic material. Fleshy taproots increase prairie clover’s ability to tolerate drought, but only once the plants are established.
How to Plant Clover Seeds
Prairie clover seeds have a hard shell, therefore scarifying the seeds is necessary. Rub them between sandpaper or soak the seeds in water overnight to loosen their shells and prepare them for germination. Clear the area of weeds, leaves, and debris so that your seeds can fall on bare soil. Press seeds down to ensure good seed-to-soil contact; they can tolerate being covered with soil up to a depth of half an inch. Water the area with a fine mist spray for moisture, making sure throughout the next few weeks that the soil never fully dries out. Under ideal circumstances, germination will occur after two to four weeks.
If starting indoors, sow seeds just below the soil’s surface in early spring and transplant them in July.
How to Care for Clover
Prairie clover reaches a height of three to four feet high, and you can expect blooms in midsummer. Once developed, prairie clover is a tough, low-maintenance garden plant that is an excellent source of nectar for pollinators. Leave the dried seed heads as a source of winter bird food.
