A Sea of Red

The Crimson Clover is now knee high and in full bloom, turning the vineyard into a sea of deep red flower heads. It is so tall I am worried about how I will mow it.

I checked it late last week when I fired up the irrigation system, examining the flower heads for maturing seeds. There were bees everywhere, the vineyard alive with an audible buzz that cheered this old beekeeper. I don't have bees anymore, but the sound of those girls reminded me of the glorious water-white honey they make from clover. In honor of the bees, I have decided to wait another week before mowing.

I/m pretty confident it will set enough seed that I won't need to replant this fall. Crimson clover is an annual, and when it dies this spring, it should reseed itself from the flower heads that will be ground up in the mower and scattered throughout the vineyard. The roots will add organic matter to the soil, along with 100 lbs. of nitrogen per acre that will slowly release as the plant dies.

Earlier in the season, I killed a strip of clover about 18 in. wide beneath the vines, so there is no direct competition with the vines.