It is used as a winter annual in the southeastern United States. It is also grown in much of the Pacific Northwest, primarily under irrigation. Loams, silt loams and even fairly heavy-textured soils are preferred to light sandy or gravelly soils. Grain Companion Red clover usually is sown, with a small grain companion crop such as oats, barley, flax or winter wheat. It is best to remove the small grain companion crop and straw before it can smother the clover.
Bumblebees are especially effective in pollinating red clover.
Tolerance of Shading One of the primary reasons for the success of red clover is its tolerance of shading. The light compensation point for red clover seedlings is approximately six percent of daylight. Other forage legumes will not tolerate this low light intensity. Harvest Time Clover should be clipped in August in the Corn Belt and probably not later than September 15 in the southern section of the Red Clover Belt. In the second year, first-crop red clover should be harvested at approximately 20 percent bloom for the best compromise between forage quality and yield.