As a soiling crop sweet clover has been used to only a very limited extent. The amperage yields of green matter vary from 6 to 15 tons per acre, The season for soiling may commence when the plants are 12 to 15 inches high and continue until flower buds appear. An area of such a size that the plants may be cut every four or five weeks should be selected. The plants should not be cut closer to the ground than 4 inches during the first part of the season and 9 to 12 inches during the latter part of the season. On account of the high protein content and the large amount of forage produced on a relatively small area, sweet clover may profitably be fed in this manner when more desirable soiling crops are not to be had.
About This Book
The bulletin surveys practical uses and management of sweet clover, covering its value as pasture, hay, silage, soiling, and a feed crop while describing handling to minimize bloat and secure good hay (cutting before flowering and leaving high stubble). It explains establishment and grazing practices that provide season-long forage, reports silage performance comparable to alfalfa, and emphasizes the crop's role in short rotations as a soil improver through deep roots, added humus, and nitrogen enrichment that benefits succeeding crops. Practical harvesting and curing guidance and the plant's usefulness as an abundant nectar source for honey production are also discussed.