What clover will persist on low-lying salty ground that stays damp into summer?
Strawberry clover is the perennial clover for this job. It tolerates waterlogging and mild salinity, performs best on neutral to alkaline soils of pH 6 to 8, and suits loams to heavy soils in areas with 450 mm or more. It is deep rooted, persistent and tolerates heavy grazing, and it is most productive through spring and summer, after annual pastures have dried off.
It needs a soil pH of 6 or more and loams to heavy soils, so it won't suit acid sands.
Our irrigated pasture goes quiet in winter. Is there a white clover with better winter growth?
Yes, Haifa white clover is a winter-active variety, selected for medium leaf size, higher stolon density than large-leaved Ladino types, and good winter and early spring growth. It suits higher rainfall areas from 500 mm, or irrigation, on sands to heavy soils with pH from 5 (CaCl2).
Its summer production is limited compared with newer varieties, so we recommend sowing it at 2–4 kg/ha in a mix with more summer-active white clovers and a perennial or biennial ryegrass.
Why does white clover disappear when I sow it with annual ryegrass?
White clover generally can't compete with annual ryegrass, so it gets crowded out. Sow it with perennial or biennial ryegrass instead, and graze the pasture frequently so light reaches the clover, which helps it establish and spread.
Sowing depth matters too: white clover should go in no deeper than 1.5 cm. It also has little tolerance of summer moisture stress, so in WA it persists best under irrigation or where the soil stays moist through summer.
I need summer feed from a clover on heavier soils in a high rainfall district. What should I sow?
Red clover is the summer-active option. It's a late-flowering perennial with a strong tap root, some drought tolerance and good summer growth, and it suits loams to heavy soils in areas with at least 600 mm. It has high feed value and can be grazed or cut for hay or silage.
Sow 6–10 kg/ha, usually as part of a permanent pasture mix, and inoculate with Group B. Lenient grazing in the first year and rotational grazing afterwards help it persist.
Which perennial clover is safest to graze with breeding ewes?
Strawberry clover is the safest choice: it has low isoflavone content and carries no oestrogen risk for breeding stock. Red clover is different, because some varieties contain high levels of plant oestrogens that can reduce the fertility of stock grazing it around mating.
If red clover makes up a large part of a paddock, keep ewes off it around joining and talk to your vet or adviser. Strawberry clover can still cause bloat in cattle, so manage clover content for cattle too.
Will perennial clovers survive summer on a dryland farm in WA?
Mostly only where there's moisture through summer. White clover has little tolerance of summer moisture stress, so on dryland country Haifa white clover belongs on high rainfall sites or under irrigation. Strawberry clover is deep rooted and drought resistant, but it is suited to damp, low-lying ground on neutral to alkaline loams to heavy soils from 450 mm. Red clover's strong tap root gives it some drought tolerance, but it still needs 600 mm or more.
On drier, free-draining country, a hard-seeded annual legume is the better bet.
What's the difference between white, red and strawberry clover?
All three are perennial clovers, but they fill different roles. White clover is a low, stoloniferous clover for irrigated or high rainfall grazing pastures, and Haifa is our winter-active option. Red clover is a tap-rooted, summer-active clover for grazing, hay or silage on loams to heavy soils from 600 mm. Strawberry clover is the specialist for waterlogged, mildly saline, neutral to alkaline ground from 450 mm.
Sowing rates differ widely: strawberry clover 1–2 kg/ha alone, Haifa 2–4 kg/ha in a mix, and red clover 6–10 kg/ha.
What is the best way to sow white clover into a new pasture?
Sow white clover shallow, no deeper than 1.5 cm, into a clean, finely worked seedbed in autumn or spring, and roll for good seed-soil contact. Inoculate with Group B inoculant before sowing, especially where clover hasn't grown recently.
Haifa goes in at 2–4 kg/ha as part of a mix, usually with perennial or biennial ryegrass. Once seedlings are up, graze frequently so light reaches the young clover plants.
How much strawberry clover seed do I need per hectare?
Sow 1–2 kg/ha of strawberry clover on its own, or 0.25–0.5 kg/ha as part of a pasture mix. Use scarified seed inoculated with Group B inoculant, and sow in early autumn or spring.
Strawberry clover has low seedling vigour, so sow into a clean seedbed with little competition from established plants. Once it is established it is very persistent and tolerates heavy grazing, so the slow start pays off.
What grass should I sow with strawberry clover on wet, salty ground?
Pair it with a perennial grass that handles salt and waterlogging. Puccinellia and Tyrrell tall wheatgrass both tolerate salinity and waterlogging, and Amplify phalaris tolerates waterlogging and mild salinity on loams to heavy soils from 500 mm. Tall fescue and perennial ryegrass are also good companions for strawberry clover.
Add strawberry clover at 0.25–0.5 kg/ha in the mix. The grass provides bulk, and the clover adds high-protein feed and fixed nitrogen through spring and summer.
