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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Mar 17, 2014 11:56:06 GMT -5
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Post by flowerweaver on Mar 17, 2014 12:54:38 GMT -5
OK, it's the BBCode in Flickr that I must insert into the code panel, it has nothing to do with using the insert image button on the forum and then inserting the code into that. Here's what the NZ clover looks like after almost two months. I know in the other photo the soil looks dry, but this field has been wet enough to birth slime molds.  Church field clover w by flowerweaver, on Flickr |
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Post by richardw on Mar 17, 2014 13:40:15 GMT -5
You were probably damaging goji roots Richard and stimulating suckering. Must say, a ground cover of white clover looks good. Do you ever mow it? The hoeing would have only been as deep as a 1cm ,cant imagine the roots been that close to the surface.I thought it may have had something to do with the clovers root competing with the goji roots. No i never mow it,but i must dig out the odd clump of Cocksfoot grass thats there otherwise it will take over. |
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Post by richardw on Mar 17, 2014 14:17:22 GMT -5
looking at the photo that Joseph posted i would say just give it time,certainly looks healthy enough.
Water will be key for you in getting it established,i know if i didn't deep water my goji orchard at least once every 10 days or so it wouldn't look no where near as good as it does
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Post by raymondo on Mar 17, 2014 15:57:52 GMT -5
Not good flowerweaver. Two months growth! Is there something that the clover doesn't like. Wrong pH maybe? Grasping at straws here.
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Post by flowerweaver on Mar 17, 2014 17:16:46 GMT -5
Could pH be the issue? What is the pH of your soil Richard? Our soil is alkaline, 7.5 in that field. We have lowered the pH in other fields to 6.5 by applying a diluted vinegar solution over the years. I'm too afraid to apply it to the clover since they are so small, might burn them up.
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Post by richardw on Mar 17, 2014 22:03:10 GMT -5
The PH here is 6.5
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Post by steev on Mar 17, 2014 22:51:27 GMT -5
Sulfur? Prolly not as "caustic" as vinegar and longer lasting.
Perhaps the poor babies would rather be growing toward the South Pole.
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Post by oxbowfarm on Mar 18, 2014 6:53:42 GMT -5
White clover is technically a perennial, and it clearly has some kind of an issue with your situation. If all you are looking for is a winter annual cover crop then there are a couple other clovers that might be worth trying. The first one that comes immediately to mind would be crimson clover Trifolium incarnatum.
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Post by flowerweaver on Mar 18, 2014 12:10:44 GMT -5
Steve, we add sulfur, rock phosphate, wood ash, composted manure, compost tea and molasses too. However, we really started seeing a difference once we started applying the weak vinegar solution. My thought was you can amend the soil, but if the water is still alkaline you are losing ground.
Thanks, Tim. I did not realize white clover was perennial. I'm going to leave what I can for the bees in between furrows as a living mulch.
I tried crimson clover in another field about five years ago and it didn't do any better. I thought that problem was lack of inoculant, but since this had inoculant, it's something else. Really odd that clover has an issue with our situation, when there are so many native legumes and we have no trouble with other leguminous cover crops (Austrian field pea, vetches)or growing beans of any type.
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Post by oxbowfarm on Mar 18, 2014 17:18:36 GMT -5
Why not use the peas? Like an oat-pea cover?
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Post by jondear on Mar 18, 2014 18:04:49 GMT -5
Couple of thoughts.
Wood ash is alkaline so that's working against you and the sulfur.
Planting date is close to the shortest day of the year. Clover might need longer daylight hours to get established. I personally think with time, and longer days, it will fill in. It may be a good thing not to have to make furrows in a heavy sod.
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Post by steev on Mar 18, 2014 20:51:48 GMT -5
Some clovers like to be sheltered by a nurse crop.
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Post by flowerweaver on Mar 31, 2014 6:40:16 GMT -5
Ox, I had an oat-pea-vetch cover in another plot that performed quite well. It just got turned under and the soil tilth looked much improved. I think this will be the way to go in the future. I have another with a California medic mix that is also performing well. The NZ clover is still healthy and miniature, showing no further signs of growth even though temps are ranging 70-90's now. Just tilled the corn furrows through it so soon it will have its nurse crop steev.
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Post by MikeH on Mar 31, 2014 9:52:10 GMT -5
Ox, I had an oat-pea-vetch cover in another plot that performed quite well. It just got turned under and the soil tilth looked much improved. I think this will be the way to go in the future. I have another with a California medic mix that is also performing well. The NZ clover is still healthy and miniature, showing no further signs of growth even though temps are ranging 70-90's now. Just tilled the corn furrows through it so soon it will have its nurse crop steev. Th soil in this video comes from rotation cover cropping in a no till system. The soil he's holding at 3:22 is beautiful. I'll bet it smells as good as it looks. |
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