Is This a Clover

[DJ54]

My Uncle always called it Chinese Clover... We had Birdsfoot Treefoil years ago in the cattle pasture, but did not get this big.

[dieselscout80]

I'm interested in planting some 'Birdsfoot Trefoil' in my pastures because of the heavy clay we have.

I've been told the tap root of 'Birdsfoot Trefoil' will push down through the clay and when it dies it the organic matter left from the root helps keep the clay open so water will soak in better. I'll bet that it will take a boat load of year to make a big difference though.

I want clover in my pastures to help supply Nitrogen for the Fescue.

[Fossil Farm]

Yea, forgot about black medic. Around here it is pretty small in size.
Hard to tell how big the plant is in the photo.

The flower on birdsfoot trefoil is not a composite-looking,
more solid and one even yellow color. Very different shape
than clovers.

[Fossil Farm]

I want clover in my pastures to help supply Nitrogen for the Fescue.

You may want to add an innoculant to any clover or birdsfoot you plant
if you are pretty sure no legumes have been there before. Without the
right bacteria, the legumes have a hard time fixing nitrogen into the
soil for some time.

[oldballs]

Diesel scout, I'm no agronomist, but Red Clover might be your answer. As I understand it, the "clovers" add nitrogen to the soil. It might be good for grazing also. The Bumble Bees love it and it makes a beautiful addition to a field. Seed for Yellow Blossum Sweet Clover, or Red Clover might be expensive. Red clover gets about 12-18 inches tall. Since I don't uses much weed killer, I've got lots of White Clover growing around the house. It sure makes a beautiful green amongst the K-31 fescue (smells neat when mowing also). It dies back when the heat hits however. Boy, life is full of wonderful things to learn or simply to observe.

[JD5210]

As Fossil Farm said it appears to be black medic.

Black Medic Description

[rambler]

I'm interested in planting some 'Birdsfoot Trefoil' in my pastures because of the heavy clay we have.

I've been told the tap root of 'Birdsfoot Trefoil' will push down through the clay and when it dies it the organic matter left from the root helps keep the clay open so water will soak in better. I'll bet that it will take a boat load of year to make a big difference though.

I want clover in my pastures to help supply Nitrogen for the Fescue.

Alfalfa will actually do a bigger deeper root, same idea - takes about 3 years for a big sdeep root on alfalfa. All of these legumes make N.

Many farmers are experimenting with 'tillage raddish' to break up their soils some, pull nutrients back up to the surface. They don't make any N, but they pull stuff up from 3-4-5 feet deep in the right year. Cattle love to eat them, but of course then you don't get as much soil help.

Birdsfoot is a bit of a fussy one to get growing, you have to baby it.

--->Paul