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Soften hard coating on seeds by rubbing them lightly with sandpaper or soaking in water overnight before sowing. Plant just below the surface, no deeper than 1/4", compacting the soil, and keep slightly moist until germination (2-3 weeks after sowing). Space seeds or seedlings about 6" apart.
buy birdsfoot trefoil seeds
Also known as "broadleaf birdsfoot trefoil," this long-lived, deep-rooted perennial forage legume is used for pasture, hay and silage. It grows on many different soil types, from sandy loams to clays. It accepts poorly-drained, droughty, infertile, acid or mildly alkaline soils. Most productive on fertile, well-drained soils with a pH of 6.2-6.5 or higher.
Birdsfoot trefoil should be seeded with grasses for optimum forage production such as: timothy, smooth brome, orchardgrass, tall fescue, and perennial ryegrass. Also attracts deer, turkey, and rabbit.
Species of Lotus are widely distributed throughout the world. Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) is grown in the northeastern and north-central states and in the Pacific Northwest coastal and intermountain areas. It is suited to clay soils and areas that are too wet or too acid for alfalfa production.
Birdsfoot trefoil is a non-bloating legume that is suitable for use in permanent pastures or for use as a hay crop, either alone or sown in combination with grasses. When used for grazing, birdsfoot trefoil is used to best advantage in a rotational grazing system. when grown for hay on land that is suitable for alfalfa, birdsfoot will produce considerably less forage than alfalfa. For this reason, birdsfoot trefoil should be used only in areas that are not suitable for alfalfa production because of their acidity, poor drainage, or low fertility.
Weak seedling vigor is the major problem encountered when establishing stands. Because birdsfoot trefoil has a relatively slow growth rate and small seed size, good seeing practices and weed control are essential. Seeding rates for various mixtures are indicated in the table. Seed should be covered slightly or planted inch deep. Planting seed above a band of fertilizer (band seeding) but not in contact with the fertilizer will enhance seedling vigor. Planting can take place in the early spring or late summer. Early spring planting is preferable because of ample soil moisture for germination and seedling development.
One of the major advantages of birdsfoot trefoil is its tolerance to low fertility and to low soil pH. However, maximum forage growth will occur on fertile soils with a pH of 6.0 to 6.2. A moderate application of phosphorus and sulfur at planting based on soil test data, will provide for good growth.
Early spring or continuous grazing of birdsfoot trefoil will weaken and eliminate a stand. Rotational grazing should be used, allowing animals to graze when the first flowers appear. For use as pasture, this will allow two grazing periods on dryland pastures west of the Cascade Mountains or three grazing periods on irrigated land.
The most likely causes of loss of stand are continuous, hard grazing; competition through shading from too much grass and weeds; and excessively poor drainage such as standing water. Allowing some seed production during lenient grazing in summer will thicken the stand as the shattered seeds germinate quickly with irrigation or rain.
Pre-ordered Bulbs: Pre-orders will not ship immediately, but they will be delivered at the ideal time for planting in your area. Spring pre-orders are placed any time before March 1. Fall pre-orders are placed any time before September 1. For customers who order bulbs in advance, please see the shipping schedule below. Orders containing both seeds and bulbs may be split into multiple shipments.
Birdsfoot Trefoil is a perennial legume that is primarily used for pasture that is not known to cause bloat in grazing animals. Like other forage legumes, trefoil will be most productive on fertile, well-drained soils with neutral soil pH. However, trefoil is able to produce quality pasture with relatively high yields on more marginal ground than other legumes. Trefoil can grow in sand and clay type soils, tolerate periods of flooding and drought and can be grown in soils with a pH as low as 5 with less of a yield reduction than alfalfa. Birdsfoot Trefoil should be planted at 1/8 to 1/4 inch depth in a smooth, firm seedbed. It can be sensitive to overgrazing so allowing for proper establishment and good rotational grazing practices will result in longer lived stands.
Birdsfoot Trefoil can be sown between March to August by broadcast sowing just before or as the main crop is establishing e.g. sweetcorn should be at least 15cm tall before sowing trefoil so it does not compete with the seedlings at an early stage. To aid germination keep the soil moist.
ADDED BENEFIT...Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) is found on a wide range of soil types and is extremely adaptable making it a perfect general-purpose meadow plant for the wildflower garden. Birdsfoot trefoil will attract bees and is an important food plant for the common blue butterfly. Flowers appear in early summer.
This is our 3rd year of drooling over our gorgeous wildflower garden. Although it\'s hard to imagine our wildflowers could get any better, each year we are astonished. Thank you for putting together the most gorgeous selection of wildflower seeds.
Visited your place last summer and purchased the Western mixture. Planted the seeds in late October. The flowers started blooming in March and have not stopped. Beautiful and what a surprise to see the variety and the spectacular colors!!!
Inoculated Seed - We now offer birdsfoot trefoil seed that has been coated with an inoculant for better establishment. The weight of the seed will contain approximately 34% coating material that contains the inoculant material. The coating material also helps hold moisture in during germination for better establishment and viability of the seed. There is no difference in the seeding rates between the coated and raw seed due to the increased germination and viability of the seed that is coated and inoculated.
Weak seedling vigor is the major problem encountered when establishing stands. Because birdsfoot trefoil has a relatively slow growth rate and small seed size, good seeing practices and weed control are essential. Seeding rates for various mixtures are indicated in the table. Seed should be covered slightly or planted inch deep. Planting seed above a band of fertilizer (band seeding) but not in contact with the fertilizer will enhance seedling vigor. Birdsfoot trefoil, like all legumes, should be treated before planting with the proper strain of Rhizobium bacteria that will fix atmospheric nitrogen. This nitrogen eliminates the need for using fertilizer nitrogen. Be sure to use the correct inoculum for birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), as the bacteria used for alfalfa or other legumes are not effective in nodulating birdsfoot trefoil. Even inoculum for other trefoil species will not effectively nodulate birdsfoot trefoil. Planting can take place in the early spring or late summer. Early spring planting is preferable because of ample soil moisture for germination and seedling development.
Sow Birdsfoot trefoil seeds in Spring or Autumn in seed trays and cover lightly with compost. Usually this is one of the easiest wildflowers to germinate and given the right conditions seedlings will often appear within days of sowing. Seedlings, which are quick to develop, can be pricked out and grown on, for planting out later in the year. Seeds will also store well if kept dry and cool.
The perfect place for annuals, wild flowers, conventional vegetables, perennials, gardening, bulbs, grass seeds and wildflower mixes. A family run business that keeps growing just as beautiful as the seeds we supply to customers all over the World.
Birdsfoot trefoil, Lotus corniculatus, seems to have dropped out of favor in Michigan pastures and hayfields. This is too bad, because birdsfoot trefoil is very well adapted to the Michigan environment and still has a lot to offer. Alfalfa will out-produce birdsfoot trefoil by 50 percent or more on well-drained, fertile soils, but on soils that are too poorly drained to support alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil is more likely to thrive. It is also more tolerant of acidic soils than alfalfa. These two characteristics alone make it a reasonable choice and recommended by Michigan State University Extension for use on sites with these kinds of adverse growing conditions.
In addition, birdsfoot trefoil is a perennial and reproduces itself by reseeding. Like alfalfa and clover, birdsfoot trefoil is a legume and fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere as long as the proper seed inoculant is used at the time of planting. From a nutritional perspective, grazing birdsfoot trefoil supports cattle gains of up to 3.5 pounds per day while improving plant protein use by livestock, reducing nitrogen losses to the environment, and reducing greenhouse gas production. As a bonus, birdsfoot trefoil consumed by grazing animals does not cause bloat and helps alleviate fescue toxicosis. Recent research at Michigan State University and other locations indicates grazing birdsfoot trefoil may also help naturally control gastrointestinal parasites in sheep and goats.
Birdsfoot trefoil can be grown in pure stands, but is usually planted in combination with one or more forage grass species to improve overall forage yield potential and support birdsfoot trefoil stems. Its structure is less erect than alfalfa, reaching a height of up to 12 to 20 inches, depending on variety. Prostate stems may be considerably longer. On clay soil areas in the Upper Peninsula, timothy/trefoil stands are common since one- or two-cutting systems prevail and the clay soils in the region are somewhat poorly drained.
Birdsfoot trefoil is slow to establish and vulnerable to competition from other plant species during establishment. Early spring seedings are generally more successful in Michigan than summer seedings. Care must be taken to ensure good seed-to-soil contact and an acceptably low level of competition from companion crops or weeds to developing birdsfoot trefoil seedlings. If a small grain nurse crop or perennial companion grass is used, it is a good idea to use a relatively low seeding rate of nurse crop/grass and remove the nurse crop/grass when it reaches 8 to 10 inches in height. Be patient while birdsfoot trefoil establishes because it may take a year to see a vigorous stand. 041b061a72