What an honest and straight to the point video. Jammed packed full of useful info and you didn't overly focus on the negatives. Love it.Greatly appreciate you sharing your experiment with us.
I’m doing this in my entire vegetable garden this year. I’m using a mix of Dutch white & medium red clovers. Hoping it will prevent taller weed invasion & growth, shade the ground, prevent baking (I’m in SE Kansas, where we have long, hot, dry summers & heavy clay soil, which usually results in a hard baked soil surface that only weeds seem to be able to thrive in), attract pollinators, improve water retention, & improve soil fertility. 🙏
"Rabbit Crack", now that's good! I've got a woodchuck who is a clover monster and has eluded all my efforts to remove him! When people ask about all the clover in my lawn I just tell them they're flowers and bees love them, "don't hate the bees, don't bee a hater."
That was a next-level Dad Joke. I am seriously considering moving to a micro clover lawn at our new place-two acres is too much to mow. I guess the rabbits will do it for me? 😂
I have a friend who over seeded some clover in her garden pathways and she did remark that she hadn't had any rabbit damage that year because they so aggressively went after the clover.
I worked against the rabbits, now i like them. They fertilize and arent loud, think mini-goats that are quiet. I just plant some things for them near the edges where they feel safe, and let my dog run around the garden (trained to poop in only one area that doesnt slope towards beds). The combo of diversion planting, rabbit wire for seedlings not yet well established, dog, and a clean water source keep them around enough but busy elsewhere improving my clay 7a soil, fertilizing and pruning about half my lower leaves I'd have to prune anyhow and then compost and bring back. P.S. mine lovvvve my grass so I use that in-between beds and random areas.
We’ve moved to our new property that has tons of grass, and a whole nest of rabbits showed up. Hours of “dog TV” ensued 😂. So far they haven’t done any perceptible damage beyond wiping out some lettuce in a back bed.
Excellent video -- thank you for the information. I've planted 3 different clover so we'll see what grows as it's really rocky ... I live on the west side of the Rocky Mountains and, well, we grow rocks ... I feel like I live on a gravel pit -- there is a gravel pit right across the road.
no question good move. I've been watching a lot of Jim Kovaleski mulching videos. Between you and Jim I'm going back to my old mulching ways. Thanks for this :)
Glad it was helpful! I am now going off the deep end and planning to use this, everywhere. Probably not applicable in EVERY situation; I’ll try and self-regulate.
Hi Rachael glad i found your channel. You have really good presentation skills and love the science explanations you provide. Our rabbs look very healthy too lol
This is such a good video, and very inspiring, thanks! I will definitely try this in at least one of my raised beds. The idea of a living clover mulch as 'companion plant' is good common sense. So often, clovers are used as 'cover crops', then turned in to the soil (where it is turned into soil ;-) Your idea of keeping it on and letting it establish itself into a long-term living mulch is excellent and your experiment shows how well it works. You mention using a shorter clover and, as @eulerizeit mentioned earlier, the dwarf dutch white seems to be the shortest real clover available, 'short' of going for the commercial 'micro' versions. What about the trefoils, such as the lesser trefoil (Trifolium dubium), which is so low-growing that it forms flat 'mats' where it grows on lawns? Obviously here you would lose that insulating effect that you mentioned as being a great advantage in a hot season mulch, but I would imagine that it would keep weeds at bay. On the other end of the size spectrum, here in France I occasionally see the most magnificent crimson red fields that have been planted with a cover crop of crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), usually sown around the end of August. It's worth getting some growing in a corner of the garden just for the beauty of its flowers. Thanks so much for sharing.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it; I do think we will select the dwarf Dutch white, due primarily to the balance of “fit for purpose” and generally available seed 👍
I was just thinking about how to mulch my garden this year without depleting nitrogen and thought he bout a living much and I thought clover would be good and searched who else may have done this, and here you are! Glad to see it worked! I was thinking micro clover so that it stays low. Have you tried a shorter clover yet??
I was going to try micro clover but saw mixed reviews on it staying low (a few folks say it “reverted” over time to taller varieties). I may try subterranean clover this year.
Clover started appearing in my backyard a few years ago and I have just let it spread. I have a shade garden that I’ve planted with creeping Jenny and Ajuga as ground cover to keep the weeds out my back sunbed that I’m establishing started getting clover in it. I don’t have enough money to fill that bed with plants immediately so there was a lot of bare earth. I mostly have bushes planted there. But I’ve been trying to think what I could buy as mulch that wouldn’t break the bank. Well clover is already growing there. It occurred to me. Perhaps I need to just let it grow so I looked that up and found you and this video and I do believe that’s the answer. I’ll just continue to plant my bushes in it.
We’ve moved away from this property, but I’ll give that a try once the beds at our new house are established. Have you tried this? If so, which tools did you use?
@@WellGroundedGardens you can use scissors. Ideally you rip the top off with your hand because it mimicks the way a cow grazes by pulling it off with her tongue. The pulling tells the roots to grow better or something like that
About to do this real soon. Already have the seeds. My biggest issue is it's non-native. But I've asked local permaculture groups for native plants that do basically the same thing or can serve the same purpose and no one has an answer
I like the clover and strawberries companion plant. Maybe that would help keep berries up off the ground and prevent them from rotting. Plus add nitrogen and shade the ground, I like it!! Thanks for sharing!
Going to say a wrong thing on the internet knowing someone will correct me and therefore answers your question. I think dutch white is the shortest non-micro clover.
I think so too. I spent some time looking for the shortest clover for my own garden, earlier this spring. I wasted so much time fighting tall weeds last year, before I finally gave up & abandoned half my garden to the weeds. This year, I have it all planted in a mix of Dutch white & med red clover, figuring if I have to have weeds, I want short useful ones! Lol
@@WellGroundedGardens The oregano crawls nicely in places but can get very high in spots, so has to be cut back often. I didn’t know about the creeping thyme variety that is best for this so my thyme is a few inches tall.
What an honest and straight to the point video. Jammed packed full of useful info and you didn't overly focus on the negatives. Love it.Greatly appreciate you sharing your experiment with us.
Glad it was helpful!
I’m doing this in my entire vegetable garden this year. I’m using a mix of Dutch white & medium red clovers. Hoping it will prevent taller weed invasion & growth, shade the ground, prevent baking (I’m in SE Kansas, where we have long, hot, dry summers & heavy clay soil, which usually results in a hard baked soil surface that only weeds seem to be able to thrive in), attract pollinators, improve water retention, & improve soil fertility. 🙏
Let me know if it works for you! How tall do those clovers get? I loved this approach, but just wished I had found a shorter variety of clover to use.
@@WellGroundedGardens I've got red clover in the garden. It's grown to about 4 to 6". I like the leggy stems too! I prefer this over wood chips
@@palliaskamen5722 that sounds just about perfect!
"Rabbit Crack", now that's good! I've got a woodchuck who is a clover monster and has eluded all my efforts to remove him! When people ask about all the clover in my lawn I just tell them they're flowers and bees love them, "don't hate the bees, don't bee a hater."
That was a next-level Dad Joke. I am seriously considering moving to a micro clover lawn at our new place-two acres is too much to mow. I guess the rabbits will do it for me? 😂
I have a friend who over seeded some clover in her garden pathways and she did remark that she hadn't had any rabbit damage that year because they so aggressively went after the clover.
I worked against the rabbits, now i like them. They fertilize and arent loud, think mini-goats that are quiet. I just plant some things for them near the edges where they feel safe, and let my dog run around the garden (trained to poop in only one area that doesnt slope towards beds). The combo of diversion planting, rabbit wire for seedlings not yet well established, dog, and a clean water source keep them around enough but busy elsewhere improving my clay 7a soil, fertilizing and pruning about half my lower leaves I'd have to prune anyhow and then compost and bring back. P.S. mine lovvvve my grass so I use that in-between beds and random areas.
We’ve moved to our new property that has tons of grass, and a whole nest of rabbits showed up. Hours of “dog TV” ensued 😂. So far they haven’t done any perceptible damage beyond wiping out some lettuce in a back bed.
You are so easy to listen to, with so much good information . Thank you..
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. :)
Excellent video -- thank you for the information. I've planted 3 different clover so we'll see what grows as it's really rocky ... I live on the west side of the Rocky Mountains and, well, we grow rocks ... I feel like I live on a gravel pit -- there is a gravel pit right across the road.
Fingers crossed for you…at least there’s high mineral content? :)
Great video, I love it when experiments end up working.
Me, too! Keeps me motivated for the 38 that don’t. 🤷♀️
no question good move. I've been watching a lot of Jim Kovaleski mulching videos. Between you and Jim I'm going back to my old mulching ways. Thanks for this :)
Glad it was helpful! I am now going off the deep end and planning to use this, everywhere. Probably not applicable in EVERY situation; I’ll try and self-regulate.
Hi Rachael glad i found your channel. You have really good presentation skills and love the science explanations you provide. Our rabbs look very healthy too lol
Thanks! I’m about to put one together on the plan for next year; the garden is 3x the size 😂
This is such a good video, and very inspiring, thanks! I will definitely try this in at least one of my raised beds. The idea of a living clover mulch as 'companion plant' is good common sense. So often, clovers are used as 'cover crops', then turned in to the soil (where it is turned into soil ;-) Your idea of keeping it on and letting it establish itself into a long-term living mulch is excellent and your experiment shows how well it works.
You mention using a shorter clover and, as @eulerizeit mentioned earlier, the dwarf dutch white seems to be the shortest real clover available, 'short' of going for the commercial 'micro' versions. What about the trefoils, such as the lesser trefoil (Trifolium dubium), which is so low-growing that it forms flat 'mats' where it grows on lawns? Obviously here you would lose that insulating effect that you mentioned as being a great advantage in a hot season mulch, but I would imagine that it would keep weeds at bay.
On the other end of the size spectrum, here in France I occasionally see the most magnificent crimson red fields that have been planted with a cover crop of crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), usually sown around the end of August. It's worth getting some growing in a corner of the garden just for the beauty of its flowers.
Thanks so much for sharing.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it; I do think we will select the dwarf Dutch white, due primarily to the balance of “fit for purpose” and generally available seed 👍
I was just thinking about how to mulch my garden this year without depleting nitrogen and thought he bout a living much and I thought clover would be good and searched who else may have done this, and here you are! Glad to see it worked! I was thinking micro clover so that it stays low. Have you tried a shorter clover yet??
I was going to try micro clover but saw mixed reviews on it staying low (a few folks say it “reverted” over time to taller varieties). I may try subterranean clover this year.
Clover started appearing in my backyard a few years ago and I have just let it spread. I have a shade garden that I’ve planted with creeping Jenny and Ajuga as ground cover to keep the weeds out my back sunbed that I’m establishing started getting clover in it. I don’t have enough money to fill that bed with plants immediately so there was a lot of bare earth. I mostly have bushes planted there. But I’ve been trying to think what I could buy as mulch that wouldn’t break the bank. Well clover is already growing there. It occurred to me. Perhaps I need to just let it grow so I looked that up and found you and this video and I do believe that’s the answer. I’ll just continue to plant my bushes in it.
Honestly I wish my clover would grow MORE! I’m a bit jealous.
Hi! I’m wondering if this works with only transplants that would be higher than the clover or would this work with direct sow as well?
For direct sow I laid down a 2x4 ahead of time to kill back the clover just in that area; by the time it regrew the seedlings had a head start
Mini clover is said to be in between white dutch and micro clover in size
I just bought seeds! 👍
Have you tried pruning the clover? Every month or so maybe take a couple inches off the top of the plant (which you can then use as mulch)
We’ve moved away from this property, but I’ll give that a try once the beds at our new house are established. Have you tried this? If so, which tools did you use?
@@WellGroundedGardens you can use scissors. Ideally you rip the top off with your hand because it mimicks the way a cow grazes by pulling it off with her tongue. The pulling tells the roots to grow better or something like that
I may have too much square footage at our new place for that to be feasible, but I’ll give anything a shot!
@@WellGroundedGardens hedge trimmers maybe? Don't really want to use a weedwhacker with your veggies in there
For sure
About to do this real soon. Already have the seeds. My biggest issue is it's non-native. But I've asked local permaculture groups for native plants that do basically the same thing or can serve the same purpose and no one has an answer
I figure even if they aren’t native, they’re great for pollinators and way better than synthetic mulches 🤷♀️
@@WellGroundedGardens Yep, figured that too
In Florida permaculture, I see people say to use peanut grass in this same way. It spreads and has cute little yellow flowers
@@cassandrablanscet6912 ty! We have that here and I have been wanting to try that as well
I will have to look that one up 👍
Just a thought…. Maybe the some weeds are ok and you should just leave them alone. Weeds tell us a lot about our soil and can be beneficial.
They definitely can be. Also often edible!
Yes! A lot of “weeds” are edible!
Is New Zealand White the same as Dutch white? I was looking at that one because it looks like our clover in my area. It’s an up-to-12” variety.
I believe Dutch White is shorter than New Zealand clover
Doesnt it reseed like crazy? I am usaully fighting white clover back from taking over my beds and i dont grow it, it blows in?
In this case that’s my desired outcome (a thick stand of clover)
nice video, i am considering using clover as a living mulch for my strawberry beds *experiment) and my berry orchard as well....thx for the video
Let me know how it works! I am glad that I tried it, here, and plan to use it in all my perennial beds, going forward.
I like the clover and strawberries companion plant. Maybe that would help keep berries up off the ground and prevent them from rotting. Plus add nitrogen and shade the ground, I like it!! Thanks for sharing!
Chickens could benefit from trimmings too! I think I’ll do it. 🤗🐣😎
I'd like to grow a little clover to feed my bunnies.
Based on wild bunny behavior I can attest that they’ll love it. Do you also grow alfafa?
Going to say a wrong thing on the internet knowing someone will correct me and therefore answers your question.
I think dutch white is the shortest non-micro clover.
Well if nothing else, you’ve revealed that you watched all of the way to the end of the video, and I appreciate that 😂
I think so too. I spent some time looking for the shortest clover for my own garden, earlier this spring. I wasted so much time fighting tall weeds last year, before I finally gave up & abandoned half my garden to the weeds. This year, I have it all planted in a mix of Dutch white & med red clover, figuring if I have to have weeds, I want short useful ones! Lol
I am trying oregano and thyme as cover mulch
How is it filling in?
@@WellGroundedGardens The oregano crawls nicely in places but can get very high in spots, so has to be cut back often. I didn’t know about the creeping thyme variety that is best for this so my thyme is a few inches tall.
Landino Clover should be a shorter variety than Dutch White
Thank you!
Maybe dichondra reapens? Do same like clover
It’s too cold (zone 6A) for it to be a perennial, here, but it’s great for warmer climates!
Somebody needs to send the to Mark Rutte in The Netherlands.
Is this a Dutch clover pun? 😂😂😂
Try red crimson clover
Thanks!
Mini clover is said to be in between white dutch and micro clover
Thanks! I’ve found micro clover seeds and may go that route…