The fall is the season to plant clover.  Clover is included in a lot of the deer food plot mixes.  Most of the mixes have crimson clover because it is the cheapest seed.  The most popular clover to plant with your winter pasture is the Durana and Arrowleaf.  Both of these varieties can last well into the summer for grazing.  They are both white clovers.  There are still some of the older varieties around. the Louisiana S1 and the White Ladino are among the favorites.  Clover seed is very small and goes a long way.  White clovers usually plant around 5 to 10# per acre.  The crimson is planted 20 to 30# per acre because it is a much larger seed.

Clover makes a great cover crop for your garden, it is a legume and adds nitrogen to your soil.  You can use a vetch also for this.  Hairy Vetch is really a pretty plant.  When you get ready to plant your garden, just till the clover or vetch into the soil.  It is great for the organic matter also.  

Arrowleaf clover was my favorite growing up.  We had lots of it at the farm.  I remember making chain necklaces and bracelets by tying the ends together.  You had to be really careful so that you would not break the stem on it.  It’s a wonder the bees did not attack us.  Speaking of bees, many people plant clover near their hives.  

Clover is making a popular comeback for yards.  It is slow growing so you don’t have to mow as much.  If you don’t like it, it is easy to kill.  Just about any weed killer for your yard will take it out.

(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal.)