They are normally ready to graze in March or April, depending upon growing conditions during fall and late winter. While no single harvesting height is ideal, light grazing should begin when plants are 4 to 6 inches tall. One problem associated with initiating grazing late is that vigorous cool-season grasses shade white clover and reduce production. Continuous stocking of white clover can be profitable, but requires stocking rate adjustments. Too few animals leads to spot grazing, and too many animals reduces forage production and animal productivity.
Few flowers develop for good seed production if grazing is continuous and heavy.
Rotational stocking provides assurance of efficiently utilizing forage and maintaining good stands year after year. White clover should be grazed with enough animals to remove all but 2 to 3 inches of growth, followed by 2 to 3 weeks of regrowth and regrazing. Sometime before mid summer, producers should defer grazing for 2 or 3 extra weeks to allow seed set. Pastures can be cut or grazed after that time, shattering much of the seed onto the soil. White clover's nitrogen contributions can be equivalent to applying 150 to 180 lb. per acre of nitrogen fertilizer to the associated grasses.