I planted a mix that had clover a few years ago and it has always been doing great. 1st full year was awesome looking and lush. This will be the 2nd full year of just clover from that mix. I mow it regularily about every 25 days or if it reaches 12-14". I usually mow it to about 6". I fertilized it this year. It is not that nice lush green color and seems to be stunted and struggling. What could be causing this?
Have you ever let it go to seed before mowing it? Clover doesn't live forever, you may have to reseed it...may be hot dry weather if you've had any. I've seen people mow it under stress and kill it out too.
Have you tested the soil this year? I have heard this about many perennial plants not specifically clover. That the first year they look good, the second they take a step back and take off the 3rd year. You may need to overseed this year to supplement it until it takes off next year.
It did flower after i fertilized it, but in some small spots on the plot it is thick and flowered as well. Also we have had a lot of rain. I was thinking about just walking around the plot and spreading some more clover. The color of the leaves are that of weeds almost.
Mowing during times of extreme heat or drought will severely stress the clover out. Fertilizing during times of heat or drought will cause the same stress.
Along with the other ideas mentioned I'm right there with the mowing if it was really hot/dry when you mowed.
Yeah I would wait a week or two, I have had it happen with heat. I have been putting off mowing mine because it was hot and dry.
I'd guess that you have cut it too much/frequently. Let it go for a couple of weeks and then reassess. If you have some bare/thin spots, you could overseed those in particular and let the rest go to seed and then cut it. I cut my patches usually twice a summer. Once in the middle of June and then in the middle to the end of August.
I hope you're not fertilizing with nitrogen. Phosphorus and potassium and maybe sulfur are all that you should be adding as clover will fix its own nitrogen.
I think you have spent to much time mowing it. I learned the hard way a number of years ago. Now I never fertilize my clover and only mow it 2, maybe 3 times a year. It has to flower out in order to release seed to replant it self. Once established you shouldn't really need to fertilize either. I would let it go for a few weeks and maybe mow it the last week in August or even the first week in September as it will continue to grow through September depending on the first frost. If by late August it doesn't look to healthy you can reseed it with some winter wheat or rye as a cover crop and it will come back next year again.
Lot of good stuff and dbl lung nailed it IMO. Clover mistakes many make is Nitrogen fertilizer, mowing too much/before seeds/during drought, not ever re-seeding.
The only thing I disagree with is the recommendation to not fertilize clover. I fertilize mine at least twice a year with a 4-20-20. You don't want to load it down with Nitrogen, but it is essential to add phosphorus and potassium. Especially at the time of planting.
I actually fertilized this year with 6-24-24. Also I only mow my clover plots 2-3 times a year. When my clover gets to about 12-14".
I use triple 13 (or triple 12) on about everything I fertilize. Clover never gets a lot and I hardly ever fertilize it after it's established, of course we have pretty fair soil in most places here too though. The nice thing about clover though is it's hardy and highly adaptable to many conditions. I have a few plots that had all the top soil removed years ago for fill elsewhere so they are all clay subsoil. I planted a clover mix on those and it's the only thing that has ever thrived there, even grass wouldn't grow on those spots. They had patchy fescue on them is all.
