Trifolium subterraneum
| Trifolium subterraneum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Trifolium subterraneum (common name: subterranean clover)
Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in spring in situ.
If the seed is in short supply it might be better to sow it in pots in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late spring.
Cultivation: Succeeds in a moist, well-drained circum-neutral soil in full sun[1]. Succeeds in poor soils.
Plants are partially winter hardy[2].
After flowering, the fruiting head grows into the ground, thereby planting the seed.
This species grows well in an apple orchard, the trees will produce tastier fruit that stores better[3]. It should not be grown with camellias or gooseberries, however, because it harbours a mite that can cause fruit drop in the gooseberries and premature budding in the camellias[3].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1]. Buttercups growing nearby depress the growth of the nitrogen bacteria by means of a root exudate[3]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.
Range: Southern and western Europe, including Britain.
Habitat: Sandy and gravelly pastures, also on cliff tops, avoiding acid soils and shady positions[4].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked.
Usage: This plant can be grown as a ground cover green manure under tomatoes in the greenhouse. The seed should be sown before planting the tomatoes[2]. It can also be sown under soft fruit and cut once or twice in the summer[2].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Woodward, L and P Burge. Green Manures. Elm Farm Research Centre, 1982.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.