Commodities: Field Crops: Forages
Georgia Forages: Red Clover
| Dr. Dennis Hancock Forage Extension Specialist Crop & Soil Sciences Dept. |
At-A-Glance
| Adaptation: | Entire state. Survives 2 years in north GA, is an annual south GA. Fairly drought tolerant. Tolerates more soil acidity and poorer soil drainage than alfalfa. |
| Establishment: | Plant seed at 6 to 8 lb/A in drill rows or 12 to 15 lb/A broadcast on prepared land during September-October. Excellent for overseeding closely grazed grass sods during December-January in south GA or February-March in north GA. |
| Varieties: | North GA – Bulldog Red, Cimarron Plus, Kenland, and Redland Max |
In-Depth
Red clover is a short-lived, cool season perennial in north Georgia and is commonly used as an annual in south Georgia. Red clover is often confused with crimson clover. While crimson clover produces dark red and elongated seed heads, red clover seed heads are typically round and a lighter red or lavender in color. Though it produces good yields (often over 2 tons per acre), red clover matures much later than crimson clover. This later maturity fits better with annual ryegrass. Red clover does not recover from defoliation as quickly as arrowleaf and crimson and therefore may be easily damaged by overgrazing or selective grazing. Red clover fits well in management-intensive grazing systems where animals are prevented from grazing it too heavily.