So a pair years again, I had examined my backyard soil and found that it was fairly low in nitrogen (N). See my preliminary soil testing article right here. I wasn’t shocked at these outcomes, as a result of I had seen that my peppers are all the time struggling and yellowish, however would enhance if I scattered a bunch of used espresso grounds round them (that are presupposed to be excessive in nitrogen). I’ve all the time learn that clover fixes nitrogen within the soil, so I made a decision to plant some as a canopy crop in a part of my backyard to see – does clover add nitrogen to soil by a major quantity?
For this experiment, I used White Dutch Clover seed that I bought from Outsidepride.com. Within the spring of 2022, I simply scattered a few of this seed across the identical vegetable mattress the place I had taken the earlier soil pattern from in 2021. I made it a degree to not add any compost or fertilizer on this mattress all yr. I wished to see what clover might do alone in including nitrogen.
I let the clover do its work and develop throughout the massive tomato plant I had in that spot. Then this spring (2023), we tilled that mattress, digging the clover below, since I had learn that that’s the easiest way to include essentially the most N into the soil. Ideally, I ought to have waited a couple of weeks for the clover to decompose within the soil earlier than I examined it once more, however we had been a bit late in getting every part tilled and I wanted to begin planting, so I took a pattern of the soil most likely every week or so after the tilling.
Clover Cowl Crop Nitrogen Testing Outcomes
For comparability, right here is a photograph of the soil check I did in 2021:
And right here’s a photograph of the soil check I did this spring:
The outcomes are a little bit complicated. My nitrogen ranges do look a little bit higher. They’re most likely round a “low” stage as a substitute of “very low” like they had been earlier than. So some enchancment. My potash stage additionally appears a lot improved. However by some means my phosphorus ranges are actually virtually non-existent. Though if I shook the container once more, the liquid turned rather more blue, the colour had all settled to the underside. However the directions mentioned to place the powder within the water, shake properly after which wait 10 minutes. So I assumed they had been presupposed to be left to settle. So I’m probably not certain what the true studying for phosphorus is.
Conclusion:
Clover does appear so as to add nitrogen to soil, nevertheless, it’s a protracted course of and would most likely work finest you probably have areas of backyard that you could go away fallow for a complete yr. My yard is so small that I actually don’t have that luxurious, so I’ll most likely persist with composting and including some good natural fertilizer. I’ve been attempting out a vegetable fertilizer this summer season and up to now loving the outcomes. See my article “Does Dr. Earth Fertilizer Develop Larger Veggies? I Examined It.”
