Wigmap asked me in another post how close I mow my clover plot(s), I wondered if others had the same question. As with almost everything else,... it depends.


If there are weeds, even grasses, I will mow as close to the ground as I can (2-4" ). If the plot is mostly clover I will mow to 6-8" and not less. as Wigmap noted, its harder to mow a designated height than as low as possible. In the picture below - I' m mowing to about 6" height.

Its good to remember that a well established clover patch will have almost as much growth below the ground (2-6" ) as above aftermowing - and will bounce back quickly from a close mowing - faster that most weeds or grasses.

My haybine I' ve used the last 4 years is " under-the-weather" and needs some $$ work. http://images.andale.com/f2/115/106/...ld_6_22_02.jpg Right now I' m using a brushog - and while it works, its alot more ragged and not as efficient. Currently I' m in the market for a 3-Point hitch sickle-bar mower to replace the haybine. When cutting - its important not to leave so much mulch (cuttings) that the plot is choked out. You may have to cut several times rather than one or two times. When ever possible - I leave the cuttings right on the plot - the nutrients work their way back into the soil eventually and cut down on maintainence fertilizers/lime.

When it comes to mowing clover - there is really one rule of thumb - its hard to mow too much! Repeated mowing in most cases benefits clover. - With that in mind - remember that you want to leave 8-10" of growth going into winter, while the plant is dormant, to allow sufficient growth on the plot in winter to be beneficial.

Good luck!