Trifolium repens | White Clover | Green Manure

A common sight in wild meadows, this fast-growing clover has rich green leaflets, often with a creamy white band at their base. For many months from spring to autumn, clusters of near-white flowers appear in profusion and these are very attractive to bees and other pollinating insects. This is one to avoid if you want a pristine lawn (it can become invasive), but it is perfect if you want to create low-growing ground cover in record time. White clover can also be grown as a green manure crop and dug into the soil before the plants start to flower. Growing instructions: Sow seeds into a prepared tilth by broadcasting them across the soil at approximately 1.5g per sq. metre and rake them into the surface. In the year of digging in (which can be anything from 2-5 years), cut down before flowering when the stems are nice and soft to more easily incorporate into the soil. Turn over or cultivate into the top 15cms (6'') and leave to break down for a minimum period of three weeks prior to sowing or planting of the main crop. Alternatively, leave on the surface as a green mulch where worms will recycle the organic matter and help to aerate the soil. Sow: March to August Flowering: April to September