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Yellow Sweet Blossom Clover is a biannual clover used for functionality as a soil restoration tool. The first year of growth can reach up to 18 to 24 inches tall. With proper conditions, the second years growth can reach up to 5 feet tall. With careful management, sweet clover provides an excellent forage for livestock and an excellent source of nectar and pollen for honey bees and butterflies. Beekeepers usually use White Sweet Blossom Clover alongside the yellow variety because the white may bloom as much as two weeks before yellow, and a combination of the two extends the flowering season.
Yellow Sweet Blossom Clover has a deep root system capable of pulling phosphorous and potassium up from the subsoil and redepositing it in the topsoil layer once it dies back. The fibrous root system typically is in the top 18 inch of soil, although it does have up to a 60 inch tap root in the second year allowing water to percolate into the soil to improve structure and aid in its ability to obtain nitrogen from the atmosphere and ‘fix’ it underground onto nodules attached to its deep tap roots. This process is referred to as ‘nitrogen fixation’ and is popular for soils depleted in nitrogen.
NAME: Clover (Melilotus officinalis)
VARIETY: Yellow Sweet Blossom
DAYS TO MATURITY: 75 days
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: biennial
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 3 – 9
SUNLIGHT: Full Sun / Partial Sun
SOIL: Average, well-draining soils with a pH 6.9 – 7.1
PLANT HEIGHT: 18 – 56 inches
SPACING: 6 inches
TEMP: 40 – 80 °F
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
Starting Yellow Sweet Blossom Clover seeds indoors is not recommended. While it’s possible to start seeds indoors, it’s generally not recommended due to the plant’s preference for direct sowing and its ability to establish easily outdoors.
If you still choose to start seeds indoors, use biodegradable pots or trays to minimize root disturbance during transplanting.
Fill the containers with a well-draining potting mix. Sow the seeds thinly on the surface of the soil and lightly press them in.
Keep the soil consistently moist and maintain a temperature of around 60-70°F (15-21°C) for optimal germination.
Place the containers in a location with plenty of sunlight or under grow lights.
Transplant the seedlings outdoors once they have developed several sets of true leaves, being careful not to disturb the roots.
Direct sow clover seed outdoors into prepared soil immediately after your last local spring frost.
Sprinkle seed around the areas you want the clover to grow.
The closer together the seeds are the smaller the plants will be but less ground will be left bare.
Lightly roll over the seeds with a tamper or lightly step on them so they press firmly into the soil, covering no more than 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep.
Water the seeds in generously and germination should occur in 7 to 20 days depending on environmental factors. Plants will fully mature in 75 days.
Once the plants reach maturity, Yellow Sweet Blossom Clover can handle controlled animal grazing or can be mowed down before they go to seed
Before sowing, prepare your soil by removing any weeds or large debris such as large sticks and stones, ideally giving these seeds a completely bare and leveled soil patch to sow onto in an area that is full sun to partial shade.
Once Yellow Sweet Blossom Clover plants have established, they require minimal care.
Dense seed spacing is ideal for applications like ground cover, animal fodder or restoring degraded and bare soils.
It is best to seed yellow sweet clover in the early spring to allow time for the plant to reach maturity.
Use in combination with White Sweet Blossom Clover which blooms earlier for an extended flowering season.
This variety is fantastic when used as a groundcover in soils lacking nitrogen due to its ability to obtain nitrogen from the atmosphere and “fix” it underground onto the plants root nodules.
Yellow Sweet Blossom Clover can be harvested for forage or hay production once it reaches a height of 12-18 inches.
Harvesting can be done using conventional mowing equipment.
For hay production, harvest when the clover is in early bloom for the best balance of yield and quality.
Allow the clover to dry thoroughly before baling or storing.
