Learn to garden organically in the low desert
Vast expanses of green lawns get a bad rep sometimes among backyard food and fruit growers as everything from a waste of space to a waste of resources. But what if you could have a nice patch or path or border of soft, fluffy greenery that thrives in summer and winter?
Clover is a fantastic option for so many reasons – it is a nitrogen fixer, it flowers for bees, it has deep roots that sustain it without daily watering, it stays green in the winter, among others. We love to run around barefoot on this soft green patch in our yard.
We came upon Palestine Strawberry Clover when researching a low ground cover that would be suitable for the bare earth along the edge of our yard that was previously a flood irrigation channel.
It tolerates poor drainage and can survive in up to two months of flooding.
The strawberry clover blossoms attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, particularly during the summer after the citrus blooms have faded.
All clover fixes nitrogen, so this is not something unique to this variety. However, this is a major benefit of clover to traditional bermuda or rye grass.
This clover looks lovely after being mowed, if you plan to replace a lawn. It stays green and soft underfoot.
Our clover has filled out the surrounding areas nicely but is nowhere near as invasive as bermuda grass. If I could replace our entire lawn (which was existing when we moved in) with this clover, I would. We are constantly pulling bermuda grass out of garden beds and from mulched areas.
This is BIG for the low desert. Our compacted clay soil needs help to allow oxygen and water to permeate to plant roots. This clover has deep roots that loosens soil and also improves its own drought tolerance.
It thrives in the summer and winter (hardy down to 25). It does need some water in the summer. However, now that it is established in our yard, it only receives flood irrigation every 2 weeks and receives full western sun.
This clover is advertised as alkali tolerant and certainly has thrived wherever we’ve planted it. It even grows along the salty banks of tidal streams.
I love that it maintains its rich green color all year long. Bermuda grass always looks so sad and brown in the winter and over-seeding with rye is not something we are willing to do at this point.
We planted this clover in October a couple of years ago.
You need to inoculate clover seed prior to planting. The seed we purchased came pre-coated so we did not have to worry about this step. Inoculation ensures good germination.
I spread the seed using a hand-held seed spreader, but if you have a larger area to cover, the wheeled ones are definitely a better option.
I spread the seed the day after we received flood irrigation because the ground would already be soaked. I also wanted the seeds to germinate before we received flood again, which would have washed away the seed. If you don’t receive flood, you might want to wet the area first.
After spreading the seed, I covered (lightly) with a mix of wood chips, soil, and grass clippings. In retrospect, the grass clippings might not have been the best choice because bermuda and other grasses spread so quickly. However, we didn’t seem to have a huge problem with grass out-competing the clover. I believe starting it in the fall, when bermuda is entering dormancy, was the key to helping the clover become established so it can crowd out the bermuda.
I used a simple, inexpensive sprinkler hooked up to the hose on a timer to keep the area moist for about 10 days.
This clover has reseeded itself and spread to create a beautiful border to our existing lawn. We mow the edge of it and it creates a really nice transition against the block wall that crowds out weeds and provides food for beneficial insects.
If you’d like to buy Palestine Strawberry clover from the same place we did, consider Peaceful Valley Farm Supply!