Ladino (Regal) -Cattle Tend to Bloat on Ladino More Than Other Varieties of White Clover

WHITE CLOVER

DESCRIPTION - White clover is a shallow-rooted, cool-season legume. It grows 3 to 12 inches tall. The stems are solid and root at the nodes. White clover acts as an annual, biennial, or perennial plant depending on the variety and rainfall. Flowers are white to pinkish in color.

VARIETIES -

Regal

Osceola

Ladino (Regal) -Cattle tend to bloat on Ladino more than other varieties of white clover.

Louisiana S-1

ADAPTATION - Adapted to loamy to clayey soils (usually bottomlands) with pH 5.5 - 7.5 and fair/poor drainage, late/perennial maturity, medium bloat potential, good cold tolerance.

PLANTING DATES - September 15 to November 30 (October preferred).

PLANTING RATE - 3 lbs. PLS seed per acre.

INOCULATION - Inoculate with proper strain of bacteria and follow the directions on the container.

PLANTING DEPTH - ¼ to ½ inch deep.

SEEDBED PREPARATION - Drill in to short sod (2 inches) or straight disk, broadcast seed and roll. Where more land preparation is needed for land leveling, etc., the seedbed should be firmed by rolling before and after planting, or use a cultipacker to plant seed.

FERTILIZER AND LIME - Lime and fertilizer should be applied as recommended by a recent soil test. Clovers have high phosphorus and potassium requirements.

MANAGEMENT - Begin grazing when clover is about 6 inches tall and maintain a top growth of about 4 inches. Defer or reduce grazing for about 4 weeks between April 15 and June 15 to permit seed production for reseeding. Fertilize and lime annually as recommended by a current soil test. To encourage regrowth, mow or graze the base grass to 2 inches or less in height by mid to late October. Then straight disk, harrow, or use some other implement to barely scratch the surface to increase light reaching the emerging clover plants.

Hay fed free choice will reduce the chance of bloat when grazing lush clover.

HERBICIDES AND HERBICIDE RESIDUE PROBLEMS - Some pasture herbicides applied in the spring can prevent clover/medic establishment in the fall. Residue problem herbicides are Grazon P+D, Amber, and Ally. Known safe herbicides are 2, 4-D and Weedmaster. All “broadleaf” pasture herbicides will kill or severely damage most clovers/medics if sprayed during active growth. Use “safe” herbicides after medic/clover seed set to control problem weeds. Higher rates may need to be used because of the delayed application date. A good medic/clover stand will reduce weed potential by direct competition with winter/spring weeds.

Actual growth is dependent upon local climate and seasonal variations in temperature and rainfall. Growth curve assumes adequate fertility based on soil test recommendation.