White Clover Establishment Within Dormant Bermudagrass Turf.

White clover (Trifolium repens L.) inclusion is a proposed means of increasing the sustainability of certain turfgrass scenarios. Proper white clover establishment is key to maximizing stand uniformity and nitrogen contribution to associated grasses. However, there are few guidelines for white clover establishment within warm-season turfgrasses. Four studies were conducted to evaluate seeded white clover establishment within dormant bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) turf as affected by 1) pre-seeding mechanical surface disruption, 2) establishment timing, 3) seeding rate, and 4) companion grass species. 

White clover establishment was improved by scalping prior to October seeding, but these effects were not further enhanced by the addition of verticutting or hollow tine aerification. Un-scalped turfgrass yielded nearly 50% lower white clover densities than those scalped prior to seeding, possibly due to decreased seed to soil contact and increased bermudagrass competition. January and February establishment dates generally yielded the lowest spring clover densities, while October timing yielded superior establishment. Clover densities resulting from six seeding rates (0 to 6.0 g live seed m^-2) were fit to the linear model y = y₀ + ax^b, where y equals trifoliate leaves m^-2 and x is equal to initial seeding rate. An important feature of this model was that it accurately represented the diminishing response of increasing seeding rate. Clover establishment was negatively correlated with companion grass densities, with the largest densities occurring when planted with tall fescue and the smallest when planted with annual ryegrass.