FREE: Crimson Clover seed. Feed Bees, add nitrogen to the soil!

The listing, Crimson Clover seed. Feed Bees, add nitrogen to the soil! has ended.

Crimson Clover (Trifolium Incarnatum) is a true clover with annual habits. It sprouts in fall, generally, and overwinters to bloom in the spring. It's a good bee forage, and grows dense roots that develop nodules which host rhizobia bacteria. These bacteria fix mineral or atmoshpheric nitrogen. When the plant dies; the roots demcompose releasing that nitrogen to the soil to be used by other plants.

Crimson Clover cannot be mowed, then recover to blossom, and will die without blooming. It grows 8 to 20 inches tall, with a bright red flower spike. Once it's established, it will re-seed itself, die, and repeats the cycle in the fall. Alternatively, once the seed-heads brown, they can be clipped, allowed to dry in a paper bag, and then torn apart and shaken in the bag to harvest the seed. It's hardy in areas where the average temperature is above freezing, and there are established populations in the southeast, commonly used as a cover crop.

This seed is coated with an innoculant, containing the rhizobium bacteria. This package is 10 grams, enough seed to cover a 22 square feet. Crimson Clover should be sown in blocks, and then left to their own, in full sun to partial shade. Crimson is not picky but prefers a loamy soil that's drained.

Ideally, the seed should be planted in late summer/early fall, but works if sown in early spring. Plants need to be established and will bloom when sunlight goes past 12 hour cycle. Plants will grow over winter, putting on the most growth in spring. I have started seed in winter under plastic, keeping the plants cool by uncovering on sunny days with temperatures above freezing.