Red Clover
Also known as: Trifolium pratense · Purple clover · Beebread · Cow clover
When & where
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Rake soil smooth, broadcast inoculated seed, and rake lightly to cover. Red clover establishes a deep taproot and fixes nitrogen. Mow or till under when flowering begins for maximum biomass return.
Grower's tip
A long-lived perennial clover with rose-purple flower heads. Excellent for breaking up compacted soil, feeding bees, and as a medicinal tea plant.
Soil preferences
Well-drained loam. Beans and peas fix their own nitrogen — don't over-fertilize.
6.0–7.0
Inoculate seed with rhizobia bacteria at planting for a nitrogen boost. Skip nitrogen fertilizer.
Watering
1 in per week; more during flowering and pod fill.
Drip at the base — wet foliage invites anthracnose and rust.
Overwatered: yellow leaves, dropped blossoms, root rot. Underwatered: dropped flowers, short pods with few seeds.
Prefers top-watering — Top-water deeply at the base in the morning. Wet leaves at night cause blackspot and powdery mildew.
Temperature tolerance
65–80°F (18–27°C) for beans; 55–70°F (13–21°C) for peas
50–65°F (10–18°C)
Peas and favas tolerate frost; common beans, limas, and southern peas are frost-tender.
Container growing
Yes — great in containers
3+ gal (11 L) for bush types; use a trellis for pole types
Bush beans and peas do well in pots; pole types need a sturdy 6-ft trellis.
Succession planting
Bush beans every 2–3 weeks until 8 weeks before first frost. One planting of peas per cool season.
Detailed harvesting
Pick snap types young and often when pods snap crisply. For shell beans, let pods dry to brown on the plant.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
Fresh: refrigerate 3–5 days. Freeze blanched. Dry-shelled: store in sealed jars after freezing 3 days to kill weevil eggs.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Fresh snap, shell fresh, dry for storage, sprout for greens, cover crop for soil building.
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Self-pollinating (peas, common beans). Runner beans and fava beans cross via bees.
10 ft for common beans; 150 ft for runners and favas.
The pod IS the seed — let extras dry on the plant, shell, and freeze 3 days before storage.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for red clover in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
From your kitchen — grow red clover from what you already have
Beans and peas are the easiest seed to save — the seed IS the harvest.
- 1Leave pods on the plant until they turn tan and rattle.
- 2Pick whole pods on a dry day; shell into a bowl or paper bag.
- 3Air-dry indoors another 1–2 weeks — a bean should shatter, not dent, when hit with a hammer.
- 4Freeze 3 days in a sealed jar to kill weevil eggs, then store dry.
Storage: 3–4 years dry.
My Red Clover notes
Red Clover seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
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