Creeping white clover, planting and care. White creeping clover - description, cultivation, care and use
Latin name
Trifolium repens
Folk names
White Clover, Dutch Clover, White Clover
Description
Perennial herbaceous plant with a shortened main stem and long, branched, creeping, axillary shoots. The leaves are compound, trifoliate, with obovate, finely serrated leaflets, for the most part with a horseshoe-shaped light spot in the middle; stipules are large, lanceolate, membranous, pointed. The flowers are small, white or slightly pinkish, moth-type, collected in fragrant spherical heads on long peduncles, sitting in the axils of small lanceolate bracts. The fruit is a linear, dehiscent, multi-seeded bean. Flowering from May to October.
Spreading
Everywhere in meadows, wastelands, near houses, preferring moderately moist soils.
Part used
Flower heads and grass (stems, leaves, flower heads). Creeping clover flowers contain glycosides trifolin and isotrifolin, fatty and essential oil, ascorbic acid. Xanthine, hypoxanthine and adenine were found in the leaves and stems of the plant.
Collection and preparation
Flower heads and grass (stems, leaves, flower heads) are harvested during the flowering period.
Application
In scientific medicine, preparations of creeping clover are not used
IN folk medicine the plant is known as a tonic, tonic, analgesic, wound-healing and antitoxic agent. Water infusion from flower heads, as well as a tincture of the plant, is popularly used for pulmonary tuberculosis, suffocation, colds and female diseases, hernias, poisoning, gout
In a number of regions of the Caucasus, an infusion of creeping clover herb is prescribed to women before and after childbirth for the prevention and treatment of postpartum inflammatory diseases of the uterus. Externally, the infusion is used as a wound healing agent.
Recipes
infusion:
1 tablespoon of herbs or flower heads is poured with a glass of boiling water, left for an hour in a sealed container and filtered
Application: 1/4 cup 4 times a day 20 minutes before meals.
White clover, or creeping clover, is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the genus clover from the legume family. This species is found in temperate regions, particularly in North Africa, in Asia, Europe and Transcaucasia. This plant was naturalized in the southern regions of the African continent, in the tropics of Asia, New Zealand and Australia, in the territory of Northern and South America. In the CIS countries, white clover grows in the European part of Russia, in Eastern and Western Siberia, in the Caucasus, Kamchatka and the Far East. This species is common in meadows and fields, and is also found near reservoirs and along roads, in pastures, near residential buildings. It is considered a weed because it infests crops.
This species develops well on different soils, is not picky about their composition. It is a light-loving and moisture-loving plant. Characteristic feature type is frost resistance.
Structure
White clover refers to perennial herbs. The root system is fibrous with branched lateral roots and a shortened main root.
Creeping bare stems of clover spread along the ground and produce many branches. Stems can take root at nodes. The leaves are attached to the stems by means of long petioles (up to 30 cm). Each leaf is tripartite with broadly ovate leaflets.
The flowers form an inflorescence - a spherical head up to 2 cm in diameter. Flowering stems are usually longer than leaf petioles. After flowering ends, the flower stalks bend downward, and the young flowering stems remain directed upward. In the head, flowers bloom sequentially from the periphery to the center. The corolla of the flowers is white or pinkish in color and turns brown after flowering. Flower heads exude subtle pleasant aroma. Each flower has 10 stamens, with only one free, the rest grow together with their threads to form a tube. Areas with a supply of nectar are located around the ovary at the very bottom of the corolla. The flowering period is observed from late spring to late autumn.
The fruit of white clover is an oblong, flattened bean. It contains 3-4 kidney-shaped seeds yellow color. Seeds ripen in June-July.
Application
Creeping clover is generally recognized as an excellent forage pasture crop. These plants are well eaten by any livestock. On cultivated pastures they are sown in combination with cereal crops. White clover grows back quickly after being trampled and grazed by animals. 
It should be noted that this representative of the clover genus has the ability to improve the structure of the soil cover due to the vital activity of nodule bacteria in the clover root system, which absorb atmospheric nitrogen.
These plants are the best honey plants in central and northern Europe. With dense growth of these herbs, honey productivity can be up to 100 kg of honey per 1 ha. Honey is white in color and has a pleasant aroma.
White clover is used in landscape design How lawn grass, in particular the Rivendell variety.
The flowers are white, sometimes with a yellowish, pinkish or greenish tint, turning brown and sloping downward after flowering. The heads are axillary, on peduncles longer than the leaves, spherical, about 2 cm in diameter, loose. Leaves with long (up to 30 cm) ascending petioles. The leaves are obovate, notched at the apex, with fine teeth along the edges. The stipules are large, membranous, pointed, pale, with lilac veins. Height 5-20 cm. Stem (main) shortened, 1-4 cm long; stems (or rather axillary shoots) are bare, prostrate, ascending at the top, branched, 10-30 cm long, rooting at the lower nodes, often hollow. The tap root is branched. The fruit is a linear bean with 3-4 seeds. Flowering and fruiting time: Blooms from May to late autumn; the seeds ripen from June-July. always in stock and on affordable price you can purchase from APK " ".
White clover grows in upland and floodplain meadows, in pastures and pastures, along the banks of rivers and streams, along roadsides, near housing, in wastelands and as a weed in crops. Moisture-loving and light-loving winter-hardy plant, grows well on soils of different fertility, with environmental reactions ranging from acidic to alkaline. Distributed almost everywhere in Europe and Asia; As an alien and introduced plant, it is known in many countries with temperate climates. In Russia, white clover is widespread throughout the European part, the North Caucasus, and Siberia. Common throughout Central Russia.
White clover is an excellent forage pasture plant, resistant to trampling and soil compaction, growing well in the second half of summer after grazing. Like many other types of clover, it improves soil fertility and structure. For hay use it is sown in a mixture with cereals and other clovers. Used to create lawns. Excellent honey plant and pergonos.
Varieties of creeping clover
Variety Jura
Applicant: Breeding and seed production company Feldsaaten Freudenberger GmbH & Co. KG" (Germany)Morphological characteristics:
Creeping bush. The stem is soft, without pubescence, branched, medium length, thin. The leaves are oval or round in shape, narrow, of medium length, dark green with sparse green veins, without pubescence or waxy coating. The petiole is of medium length and thickness. The stipules of the middle tier are green, without pubescence. The inflorescence is a spherical head, white in color, medium density. The seeds are heart-shaped, brown-yellow in color.
Economic and biological characteristics:
Diploid variety. During the 2007-2009 testing period, the average yield of dry matter was 104.0 c/ha, the maximum yield of 230.5 c/ha was obtained at the State Agricultural Institution “Mozyr SS” in 2008. The period from the beginning of the spring growing season to the first cutting is 50-55 days. The variety is winter-hardy and resistant to lodging. Suitable for use in pure form and in mixture with cereal herbs. Dry matter content: protein -22.0%, calcium - 1.37%, magnesium - 0.35%. Protein harvest - 21.8 c/ha.
Variety Suduwiai
Year of inclusion of the variety in the State Register: 2010
Morphological characteristics:
Creeping bush. The stem is soft, without pubescence, strongly branched, shortened, 1–4 cm long. Foliage 85-100%. The leaves are obovate, green, soft, without pubescence and waxy coating, 2.0-3.5 cm long, 2.0–3.5 cm wide. The stipules of the middle tier are gray-green, pointed, membranous, without pubescence. The inflorescence is a spherical head, white in color, dense, 1.5 to 3.0 cm long. Beans with 2-4 seeds. The seeds are heart-shaped, brown-yellow in color.
Mid-season, diploid variety. During the 2007-2009 testing period, the average yield of dry matter was 104.6 c/ha, the maximum yield of 187.7 c/ha was obtained at the State Agricultural Institution “Lepel SS” in 2008. The period from the beginning of the spring growing season to the first cutting is 56-60 days. The variety is characterized by resistance to lodging and good winter hardiness. Grows and develops well on soddy-podzolic soils. Dry matter content: protein - 23.4%, calcium - 1.43%, magnesium - 0.35%. Protein collection - 26.3 c/ha.
Variety Rivendell
Applicant: Breeding and seed production company "DLF-Trifolium A/S" (Denmark)Year of inclusion of the variety in the State Register: 2010
Morphological characteristics:
Creeping bush. The stem is soft, without pubescence, branched, long, thin. Leaves oval shape, narrow, short, green with white veins, without pubescence or waxy coating. The petiole is thin and short. The stipules of the middle tier are green, without pubescence. The inflorescence is a spherical head, with a predominance of white color, of medium density. The seeds are heart-shaped, yellow in color.
Economic and biological characteristics:
Mid-season, small-leaved variety. For the 2007-2009 testing period, the average dry matter yield was 105.8 c/ha, the maximum yield of 219.1 c/ha was obtained at the Mozyr SS State Agricultural Institution in 2009. The variety is characterized by resistance to lodging and winter hardiness. Grows and develops well on soddy-podzolic and sandy loam soils. Dry matter content: protein - 22.4%, calcium - 1.41%, magnesium - 0.36%. Protein collection - 24.8 c/ha.
Variety Matvey
Authors: P. Vasko, E. Klyga, V. Stolepchenko, A. Soroka, A Zubritskaya, N. ErmolenkoApplicant: Republican Unitary Enterprise "Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Agriculture"
Year of inclusion of the variety in the State Register: 2010
Morphological characteristics:
Tetraploid. The bush is semi-spreading. The stem is soft, highly branched and without pubescence. Leaf cover 92-95%. The leaves are ovoid or oval, dark green, soft, without pubescence. The inflorescence is a spherical head, 2-3 cm in diameter, white with a purple tint, medium density. The beans are short, linear, and contain 2-6 seeds. The seeds are heart-shaped, yellow or brownish-yellow.
Economic and biological characteristics:
Mid-season variety. For the 2007-2009 testing period, the average dry matter yield was 104.0 c/ha, the maximum yield of 197.6 c/ha was obtained at the Mozyr SS State Agricultural Institution in 2008. The period from the beginning of the spring growing season to the first cutting is 55-58 days. The variety is winter-hardy and resistant to lodging. It grows quickly in spring and after cuttings, especially when there is plenty of moisture. Dry matter content: protein - 22.1%, calcium - 1.32%, magnesium - 0.33%. Protein collection - 25.9 c/ha.
Variety Klondike
Applicant: Breeding and seed production company DLF-Trifolium A/S (Denmark)Year of inclusion of the variety in the State Register: 2010
Morphological characteristics:
Tetraploid. Creeping bush. The stem is soft, without pubescence, highly branched, long, thin. The leaves are oval-shaped, wide, medium-length, green, without pubescence and waxy coating. The petiole is thick and very long. The stipules of the middle tier are green, pointed, without pubescence. The inflorescence is a spherical head, with a predominance of white color, dense. The seeds are heart-shaped, brown-yellow in color.
Economic and biological characteristics:
Mid-season variety. During the 2007-2009 testing period, the average yield of dry matter was 103.4 c/ha, the maximum yield of 240.3 c/ha was obtained at the State Agricultural Institution “Mozyr SS” in 2008. It grows quickly in spring and after cuttings. It is distinguished by high foliage, resistance to lodging and good winter hardiness. Dry matter content: protein - 21.9%, calcium - 1.42%, magnesium - 0.33%. Protein harvest - 22.5 c/ha.
Liflex variety
Applicant: Breeding and seed production company Euro Grass Breeding GmbH & Co. KG" (Germany)Year of inclusion of the variety in the State Register: 2008
Morphological characteristics:
Spreading bush. The stem is 33 cm high, without pubescence, with medium branching. The leaves are small, oval-shaped, green, slightly pubescent, with a strong waxy coating. The stipules of the middle tier are green, oval-shaped, with pubescence. The inflorescence is a spherical head, white in color, dense. The seeds are spherical, light brown in color.
Economic and biological characteristics:
Early ripening, tetraploid variety. For the 2005-2007 years of testing, the average yield of dry matter over the years of testing was 112.0 c/ha, the maximum yield of 139.2 c/ha was obtained at the State Agricultural Institution "Lepel SS" in 2005. The period from the beginning of the spring growing season to the first cutting is 50-54 days. The variety is moderately resistant to lodging, drought and winter hardiness. Dry matter content: protein - 22.8%, calcium -1.30%, magnesium - 0.32%. Protein collection - 25.0 c/ha. /
Variety Nemuniai
Origin: obtained by intervarietal hybridization of varieties (Liepsna x Yegena)Applicant: Lithuanian Agricultural Research Institute
Morphological characteristics:
Creeping bush. The stem is soft, without pubescence, highly branched. The leaves are obovate, green, without pubescence and waxy coating. The stipules of the middle tier are gray-green, pointed, membranous, without pubescence. The inflorescence is a spherical head, white in color, dense, 1.5 to 3.0 cm long. Beans with 2-4 seeds. The seeds are heart-shaped, brown-yellow in color.
Economic and biological characteristics:
Regrowth in spring and after cuttings is good. The period from the beginning of the spring growing season to the first cutting is 53-60 days. The average yield of absolutely dry matter was 49.6 c/ha. The maximum yield of absolutely dry matter was noted in the second year of testing - 62.2 c/ha. The foliage is high. It is characterized by high resistance to clover cancer. Winter hardiness and drought resistance are high.
Variety Magician
Origin: obtained by hybridization from crossing varieties (Groolande-35744 x Volat)Applicant: Republican Unitary Enterprise "Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Agriculture"
Year of inclusion of the variety in the State Register: 2005
Morphological characteristics:
The bush is semi-spreading. The stem is soft, slightly pubescent, branched. The leaves are trifoliate, obovate, dark green, without pubescence. The inflorescence is a spherical head, white with a cream tint, medium density, 2.0-2.5 cm long. The beans contain 3-6 seeds. The seeds are round bean-shaped, yellow.
Economic and biological characteristics:
Tetraploid variety, belongs to the early ripening type. The variety is winter-hardy, more resistant to clover blight and root rot than the control variety Volat. The grass of the second year of life is harvested for seeds. The length of the growing season for seeds from the beginning of the spring growing season until the seeds are completely ripe is 80-85 days, until the first cutting is 58-60 days. The average yield over the years of testing was: seeds 1.70 c/ha, absolutely dry matter 104.4 c/ha, maximum: seeds 2.3 c/ha, absolutely dry matter 219.9 c/ha. Protein content up to 20%. It grows well in soils with an average level of fertility and sufficient moisture supply. In dry years, it reduces the yield of green mass and yield.
The clover family is numerous, and creeping clover occupies one of the places of honor in it. This plant is highly valued for healing properties and in medicinal purposes use all its parts. Today we propose to find out what its benefits are and in what cases the use of creeping clover preparations should be abandoned.
Creeping clover is rich in vitamins and other valuable human body substances
Creeping clover is a perennial with compound trifoliate leaves and well-rooted roots. This plant can reach 30 cm in height and has flower heads. white in the form of balls collected into panicles. The flowering period begins in the first month of summer and lasts until September.
White clover is found in the European part of Russia. Prefers slightly moist soils, grows near shrubs, on lawns, meadows, fields and along roads. The grass and flowers of the plant are collected during the flowering period and dried on outdoors or in well-ventilated areas. The shelf life of harvested raw materials should not exceed one year.
Benefits and Applications
White clover is capable of exhibiting the following medicinal properties:
- laxative;
- diuretic;
- anti-inflammatory;
- emollient;
- pain reliever;
- wound healing;
- antitoxic;
- tonic.
Water infusion
An aqueous infusion of the herb is highly effective against sore throat, fever, colds, angina pectoris and helps eliminate aches throughout the body. Also in folk medicine, this remedy is used for bone pain and hernia. It helps eliminate cough and improves general state with pulmonary tuberculosis.
In addition, white clover infusion can be used in the following cases:
- suffocation;
- as a diuretic;
- as a diaphoretic for colds;
- dropsy;
- jaundice;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- parotitis.
And prepare the infusion as follows:
- Place 10 g of raw materials in a thermos;
- pour in 200 ml of boiling water;
- Close tightly and leave for 5 hours;
- filter.
Take the resulting infusion 4 times a day, one tablespoon at a time.
Alcohol tincture
The tincture can be used both for the treatment and prevention of oral diseases and inflammation of the adenoids. It is also used for pulmonary tuberculosis and to prevent the development of atherosclerosis, and the flavonoids contained in the plant help reduce cholesterol levels.
You can prepare this remedy according to the following recipe:
- put 30 g of raw materials into a glass container;
- pour in 300 ml of vodka;
- leave the product in a shaded place for 2 weeks;
- Filter the ready infusion.
Healing decoction
White clover decoction is excellent remedy, helping to relieve the consequences of poisoning. It alleviates the condition of suffocation and helps to reduce, and with the correct dosage, completely eliminate pain due to rheumatism and gout.
When treating hemorrhoids, the decoction is added to baths and lotions are made based on it, and in the field of gynecology, it is used to eliminate pain during menstruation and inflammation of the ovaries. By brewing the inflorescences of the plant, you can normalize appetite and improve digestion.
To prepare this product you need:
- put 20 g of raw materials into a pan;
- pour 250 ml of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes;
- remove from heat and leave for half an hour;
- Filter the broth.
External use
By applying fresh clover externally you can relieve inflammation. For hemorrhoids and bleeding wounds, it is advisable to use a paste of fresh leaves. In addition, such a compress will stop bleeding, cure abscesses, felons and tumors.
On a note! Fresh plant juice is considered an excellent wound healing agent. It helps with cuts and burns, and also helps to attenuate inflammatory processes in the ears.
The technology for preparing the product for external use is as follows:
- line a colander with gauze;
- place 3 tablespoons of fresh herbs on it;
- pour boiling water over the raw materials;
- Wrap the steamed herb in gauze.
The resulting compress is applied to sore spots and inflamed areas of the skin.
Contraindications
Despite the large list beneficial properties, white clover also has contraindications:
- strokes;
- heart attacks;
- thrombophlebitis;
- diseases of the cardiovascular system.
All materials on the website are presented for informational purposes only. Before using any product, consultation with a doctor is MANDATORY!
White clover is one of those plants that, perhaps, every person living in temperate climate. White clover lawns have gained immense popularity due to the ease of growing and caring for clover in open ground, its unpretentiousness to planting conditions.
Clover: varieties and varieties
Clover has more than 300 species, but most of them are distributed on other continents. In the CIS you can find about 70 species of clover growing in wildlife. Only three of them have been cultivated:
Planting white clover in open ground
White clover is light-loving and can wither in shaded areas. It is worth taking this into account when choosing a landing site. Also keep in mind that this plant grows quickly and takes up all the free space on the site. Therefore, it is best to plant it separately from plants with a weak root system. Clover is undemanding to the soil, but does not tolerate stagnant water.
Clover is sown in open ground from April to June or in the fall, when the average daily temperature is approximately 10–13 °C. This temperature promotes better rooting.
Advice. It should be remembered that in the fall, grass germinates more slowly, so it is necessary to sow clover at such a time that the young shoots have time to reach 7–10 cm before the first frost.
November is considered an unfavorable time for planting because a large number of seeds may die, and the rest will sprout unevenly.
Clover takes root very well in almost any soil
If the weather is dry during the sowing period, then the area of the future bed must be well watered within 24 hours. It is not recommended to deepen the seeds by more than 1.5-2 cm, otherwise their germination rate will decrease. To visually determine the density of seed sowing, you can add sand to the clover seeds in a 1:1 ratio. After sowing, you need to roll the seeds with a roller. Can be mulched thin layer peat
Clover begins to bloom only in the second year of life. However, it blooms twice: from May to July and from August to November. Therefore, after the clover blooms for the first time, it is recommended to mow it. This will make your garden bed look tidier and allow the clover to bloom a second time.
Plant care
IN special care This perennial does not need. Moreover, it will withstand drought well in the event of a long absence of rain and additional watering. Clover is also resistant to trampling. If children often frolic in your area, then this is an ideal plant that will calmly continue to grow even after being crushed a little.
Clover doesn't need to be watered - rainwater will be enough for it.
Clover needs to be trimmed regularly if you don’t want it to fill all the beds around, because it’s not for nothing that clover is classified as a weed. To stimulate re-blooming, it is necessary to remove wilted and dried flowers. Avoid overwatering, as this can cause crop diseases and attacks by insects such as slugs.
Fertilizer and feeding of clover
Since clover itself is a soil-improving plant, it does not require additional fertilizer when grown.
Fertilize the soil before planting clover
You can apply manure in the fall when digging up the beds for planting. And immediately before planting, the soil can be enriched with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. If it seems to you that the clover is not blooming luxuriantly enough, try spraying with boron fertilizers.
Advice. Lime has a beneficial effect on clover's resistance to freezing, so if you are planting clover in acidic soils, it is better to do liming.
Plant propagation
Clover is considered a plant that reproduces on its own. Most often, gardeners have to think not about how to propagate a plant, but about how to slow down its growth. Clover reproduces both by self-sowing from seeds and vegetative way- ground shoots that take root well.
Clover grows very well without the help of a gardener
Diseases and pests
If a bed with clover is not trimmed, then over time it can thicken and turn into an abode of slugs and snails, because in dense thickets it is often high humidity. In addition, excess moisture can lead to fungal diseases. For preventive purposes, the clover lawn must be mowed periodically.
Trim your clover to prevent it from becoming a breeding ground for snails.
White creeping clover in landscape design
Clover is considered a rather aggressive plant, so when grown in open ground, many gardeners advise not to combine it with flowers with a more fragile root system. Clover simply will not allow its neighbors to develop and will “crush” them in the garden.
Clover is most often used in landscape design to create a “carpet” between trees in not too shaded areas. Thanks to its resistance to trampling, it is planted on sports and playgrounds. In mixed lawns, clover increases the resistance of cereals (especially ryegrass), their growth improves, thereby imparting richness to the color of the lawn.
Clover lawn at summer cottage
Powerful root system clover helps strengthen slopes and slopes, which is why they are often planted on sloping surfaces. In its pure form, clover looks best in large areas.
If you have a lot of free space on your plot and you don’t know how to decorate it, plant clover. He is in short time will create for you a beautiful emerald carpet that will bloom from spring to late autumn with white fragrant flowers. With proper care and regular haircuts, it will delight you for many years.
How to sow clover: video
White clover: photo
