Crimson clover
Cover crop · cool season · also called clover
When to plant
- Sow seeds outdoors about 4 weeks before your average last spring frost.
- It can also be grown as a fall crop, timed back from your first fall frost.
- Ready to harvest about 60 days after planting.
Adds nitrogen. Fall-sown in zone 6+ it overwinters and blooms in spring.
Frost dates depend on where you live. Enter your ZIP code to get exact dates.
Dates by zone: 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b
Growing basics
Not edible.
- Sun
- Part sun (4–6 hours)
- Spacing
- Broadcast
- Soil temperature
- At least 45°F
- Time to harvest
- About 60 days
- Plant family
- Bean and pea family (legumes)
- Seeds keep
- About 3 years
Companions
Keep apart: the onion family (alliums). Onions and garlic can stunt beans and peas.
Keep apart: Sunflower. Sunflowers release compounds that can slow beans.
Pests and problems
Grow it well
Tips
- Plant a cover crop in fall. Sow cereal rye, oats, or crimson clover in empty beds after harvest. The roots hold the soil through winter, and in spring you cut them down to feed the soil.
Crimson clover seeds on Amazon (opens a new tab)Garden fork on Amazon (opens a new tab)Soil test kit on Amazon (opens a new tab)
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