Red clover is a classic meadow plant that’s native to many areas, but it’s also becoming a favorite for home gardeners. Whether you want to grow it as a pretty ornamental or harvest the blossoms for some creative cooking, you’ve come to the right place! In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about finding the perfect spot for your red clover to thrive.
What Red Clover Loves
- Full sun to partial shade
- Nutrient-rich soil
- Neutral to alkaline soil pH
- Loose, well-draining soil
- No standing water (it hates “wet feet”!)
- Moderately moist substrate
Prepping Your Soil Like a Pro
Don’t worry if your garden beds aren’t 100% perfect right now—you can easily tweak the conditions. If your soil is a bit too acidic, just mix in a little lime to balance things out.
Pro Tip: If you’re looking for a natural and budget-friendly way to boost the pH, use crushed eggshells! They’re packed with calcium and work wonders for the soil.
When your plants are young, you’ll want to water them regularly. Just be careful not to let water pool around the roots. To prevent root rot, make sure you have good drainage. If you’re planting in containers, a layer of expanded clay pebbles at the bottom works great. For garden beds, a layer of gravel does the trick.
Once the plant is established, its deep taproot will reach down to find groundwater on its own. At that point, you’ll only need to grab the watering can on those scorching summer days to keep the soil from completely drying out.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
Before you scatter seeds directly into your garden, you should know that red clover can be a bit of an overachiever. If it’s happy, those taproots will help it spread like wildfire. Even a root barrier often isn’t enough to stop its enthusiastic growth! Since it’s not picky and tolerates partial shade, it’ll try to take over just about any corner of your yard.
If you’d rather keep it contained in a pot, just make sure the container is deep enough. Those long taproots won’t be happy in shallow window boxes. But don’t let that stop you from growing it on your balcony! As long as the pot has some depth and you keep it out of the punishing midday sun, your red clover will grow beautifully.
