White Clover

Trifolium repens
Trifoliate leaves are smooth, and hairless. Leaflet oval or heart-shaped may have a light crescent mark on the upper side. Cultivars range from small-leaved, low-growing and lower-yielding to large-leaved upright types. Flower heads are made up of 30-40 flower clusters on a long stalk; to 2.5 cm diameter; pale pink/white, fade to brown. Small pods containing 3-4 seeds which are brown/yellow; egg/heart-shape; ~1.6 million/kg

Pros

high nutritive value, adds to grass/clover pastures
year-round growth with vigorous growth in spring/summer
well adapted to grazing - potentially long-lived perennial
over-winters by a network of horizontal stems, stolons
can be grazed hard but is susceptible to sustained heavy grazing by sheep in dry conditions
fixes nitrogen in pastures, improving overall pasture production
productive perennial for high rainfall greater than 700mm or irrigated pasture;
cold and frost tolerant. likes 18-30°C
suited to soil pH > 4.5; optimum 5.3
tolerates poorly drained soils
well suited to peaty soil
Olsen soil P > 15
very suitable for silage/hay.

cons

vigour limited by viral diseases
low tolerance to summer moisture stress,
high bloat risk if dominant in spring. May contain cyanogenic glucoside compounds; the concentration is rarely sufficient to be significant.

Sow
Sown spring or Autumn Sowing rate 2-4 kg/ha in a mix; sow depth 5-15 mm.

Sow in mixes with most temperate grasses, including perennial ryegrass, phalaris, tall fescue. Legumes like strawberry clover, red clover and sub. clovers
Herbs like plantain, and chicory.
Sowing/planting rates in mixtures 2-4 kg/ha