Red clover. Medium clover: description and application Clover plant description for children
Clover is a perennial plant, characterized by stems that are branched and erect. The stem of clover can reach a height of 60 centimeters, most often it can be pubescent, the leaves of the plant are oval. On the stems of clover that bloom, there are trifoliate leaves; they are special; they curl at night and open again in the morning. The flowers of the plant are red, pink, collected in a capitate inflorescence. The fruit of the plant is an ovoid bean containing one seed inside. What are the beneficial properties of red clover?
Description of clover
Clover begins to bloom in late spring and early autumn. The fruits are ready at the end of August. Likes to grow between bushes, in clearings, meadows, and forests.
Clover can reproduce using seeds, but for this it is best to buy them.
They need to be sown in a previously prepared place, which must be dug up and cleared of weeds. If you sowed the seeds in early March, after 10 days you can see how it begins to sprout. Clover needs a little time to form a root system and develop stems and leaves. In the second year of the growing season, foliage must be added to the soil, this way you can save the plants from weeds.
Clover is a low-maintenance plant, so it is easy to grow. It must be watered and organic nitrogen fertilizer is added to it. Thus, you can quickly grow plants in a short time, but do not forget to constantly thin them.
Useful properties of clover
The leaves and heads of the plant contain a large number of vitamins of different groups, also salicylic acid, and minerals. The herb of the plant is rich in flavonoids, which can be used to improve fat metabolism; it is especially useful to use for. Using the herbaceous part of clover, you can reduce cholesterol in the blood. Clover will help to the human body get rid of oxygen starvation, this way you can improve your condition immune system, will protect against poisoning and increased radiation. The heads of the plant contain female sex hormones - phytoestrogens.
Clover tea will help improve lactation, so it is recommended for breastfeeding women.
Due to the fact that the plant contains a large amount of salicylic acid, it is used for colds, sore throat, pulmonary inflammation. Clover is one of the best anti-inflammatory drugs; with its help you can also cure skin diseases.
Application of clover
Traditional healers have valued this plant for a long time; they prepare infusions, teas, and decoctions from it, thus treating exhaustion of the body and anemia. It is also one of the best diaphoretics and diuretics. A decoction based on clover root is used in the treatment of tumors, inflammation in the appendages,.
Leaves and flowers are suitable for preparing various decoctions, which are recommended to be used to treat headaches, anemia, rickets, shortness of breath, asthenia; this is one of the best carcinogenic remedies. With the help of clover you can cure hemorrhoids, pulmonary tuberculosis, bleeding and get rid of heavy menstruation.
The plant is rich in substances that can be used to get rid of tinnitus, which constantly brings discomfort to a person; clover will also help with low blood pressure and dizziness.
Preparations from clover are used externally for rinsing; an infusion and decoction based on the root and flowers is especially valued; it is used to treat sore throat, gingivitis, and inflammation in oral cavity, throat. An infusion based on clover is suitable for lotions; it is especially good to use for eye diseases and abscesses.
To prepare clover tea for lactation, you need to take 10 grams of the plant and dry herb. Then add 20 grams of currants, pour boiling water over everything.
To cleanse the blood, it is recommended to use this tea recipe; to do this, you need to brew up to five clover inflorescences in a glass of boiling water, leave for 45 minutes and insist. Then add honey - one teaspoon is enough, drink up to two cups a day, course - two months.
In case of a tumor or inflammatory process in the ovaries, it is recommended to drink this decoction based on clover root internally, it will require 10 grams of finely chopped root, half a glass of boiling water, boil everything for up to 30 minutes. Then add water. Drink up to five times a day before eating.
This infusion will help with headaches, atherosclerosis, and anemia; it will require a tablespoon of powder prepared from clover leaves, pour 200 ml of boiling water over it. Leave for up to 40 minutes, drink up to two tablespoons before eating.
Contraindications to the use of clover
All medicines clover-based products should not be used by people who suffer from diarrhea, who experience pain in the stomach, or who have heart disease. Clover is also contraindicated during pregnancy.
Doctors do not recommend using the plant for those who suffer from cancer, for which they need to take.
Thus, red clover will help cure many diseases; it is especially good to use for cancer, it will help stop the growth of cancer cells. With the help of the plant you can cleanse blood and mucus. To get rid of ulcers that appear on the body, clover-based baths are recommended. Red clover will help get rid of infectious disease, speed up the human recovery process. The plant is one of the best sedatives; with its help you can cure bronchitis and whooping cough. It is one of the reliable sources of nutrients that can help fight degenerative diseases. Traditional healers use the leaves and flowers of the plant and prepare poultices from them, so they can be quickly and reliably treated. Clover is not only a good antibiotic, but also one of the best antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antitumor agents.
Quarantine organism
Classification
Family: Legumes (Fabaceae)
Genus: Clover (Trifolium)
Biological classification
Clover- a weedy perennial plant. Height up to 0.65 m, less often up to 1 – 2 m. The entire surface is covered with pressed or spaced hairs. The root is taproot, highly branched. Stems ascending. The main stem is shortened, with a bunch of basal leaves on long petioles. The leaves are trifoliate, often with a whitish triangular spot. Leaves are broadly ovate to elliptical. The inflorescences are capitate, oblong, located 1–2 at the ends of the stems. Corollas light pink to purple. The fruit is light yellow or yellowish-brown, one or two seeds, an ovoid bean in a perianth. The seeds are heart-shaped-oval, obovate-triangular, compressed, of various colors. Flowering is observed from May to late autumn. There are two types: late-ripening and early-ripening. Fruiting - from the beginning of June. Distributed throughout Eurasia. (Gubanov I.A., 2003) (Keller B.A., 1934) (Dobrokhotov V.N., 1961) (Medvedev P.F., 1981)
Morphology
Red clover seedlings are distinguished by their thin-cylindrical, low, greenish color, imperceptibly turning into a long, thin root and subcotyledon part of the stem. The epicotyledonous internode is undeveloped. The cotyledons are oval, dark green, slightly fleshy with a rounded apex and a clear demarcation of short petioles, no more than 8 mm in length. The size of the cotyledon is 5x3 mm. The petioles at the junction with the cotyledons have a special articulation in the form of a slight narrowing (interception) with a darkish transverse stripe.
The first leaves are arranged alternately. The first is rounded-heart-shaped with a slightly notched apex, covered with spaced simple hairs. Sheet size: 4 x 5 – 6 mm. Petiole length 30 mm.
The second leaf is trifoliate with oval or obovate leaflets, notched at the apex. The length of the leaflets is 5 – 6 mm. The petiole is long. The third sheet is similar to the second. All leaves and their petioles are covered with dense, erect hairs. (Vasilchenko I.T., 1965)
An adult plant develops a taproot-fibrous root system with highly developed thin lateral roots. The underground parts penetrate the soil to a depth of 2.0 m. The stems are erect, can be creeping and ascending, thick and thin, bare and slightly pubescent. The height is generally 40 – 65 cm, in grass mixtures up to 2.0 m. Depending on the type and conditions of the place of growth, the bush has an average of 5 – 8 stems in dense grass stands and 30 – 70 in sparse ones.
The leaves are trifoliate, often with a pattern in the form of a whitish triangular spot, rarely without it. Leaves are elliptical to broadly ovate, up to 2 cm long.
The inflorescence is a spherical or elongated, almost sessile head, consisting of 44–200 closed flowers, 11–14 mm long. The color of the corollas ranges from light pink to purple. Inflorescences are located 1 - 2 pieces at the ends of the stems. At the base there are two apical leaves.
The species is represented by complex populations. There are two main types - late-ripening and early-ripening. Their main difference is the number of developed and shortened internodes. The late-ripening variety has 7–9 developed internodes and 2–4 shortened at the base of the shoot. The early ripening variety has 4 -7, usually 6 developed internodes and 1 - 2 shortened ones. (Gubanov I.A., 2003) (Medvedev P.F., 1981)
The fruits are beans located in perianths. The latter are longer than the beans and consist of fused leaves with subulate-shaped teeth. The surface of the leaves is ribbed, with dense hairy pubescence. The beans are ovoid, single-seeded, sometimes two-seeded. The surface is slightly shiny, light yellow or yellow-brown in color with a lighter lower part, matte in the upper part, dotted rough, slightly corrugated in the lower part, bean length up to 3 mm.
The seeds are heart-oval or obovate-triangular in shape. Compressed from the sides. The surface is smooth, in freshly ripened ones it is shiny, in stale ones it is matte. The color of the seeds is different. Mostly bicolored, violet or greenish-violet on the top and yellow or greenish-yellow on the bottom. Sometimes the seeds are dark purple or yellowish brown. Fresh ones are brighter. (Dobrokhotov V.N., 1961)
Biology and development
Clover late-ripening type – winter plant. By the autumn of the first year, a rosette of leaves and shortened shoots are formed. More winter-hardy and durable than early ripening. In the second year it grows and develops more slowly than the early ripening one, and blooms later.
Early ripening meadow clover is a spring plant. Blooms in the first year of development.
Flowering of various types of the species is observed from May to late autumn, fruiting - from the beginning of July. The head produces 85 or more seeds. The seeds are stored in the soil and do not lose viability for 20 years.
Meadow clover is a long-day plant, demanding of light, moisture-loving, and prefers fertile soils. Propagated by seeds. (Dobrokhotov V.N., 1961) (Medvedev P.F., 1981) (Gubanov I.A., 2003)
Spreading
Habitat in nature
Clover lives in moderately wet and dry meadows, in light forests and along forest edges, along the edges of fields and field roads. (Komarov V.L., 1945)
Geographical distribution
Clover distributed in many areas of Eurasia. In Russia, the range reaches as far north as Arkhangelsk. In the Caucasus it lives in the Ciscaucasia and Transcaucasia, in Siberia - up to the Yenisei. General distribution: Europe, Algeria, Asia Minor and Central Asia, India, Afghanistan, Kashmir, North America. (Keller B.A., 1934)
Maliciousness
Clover– found in various crops, especially present in fields after perennial grasses. (Shlyakova E.V., 1982)
In case of moderate to severe weed infestation:
- successfully competes with cultivated plants in the fight for light, water, and nutrients;
- lowers soil temperature;
- activates the development of pathogenic organisms and harmful insects;
- complicates mechanized and manual agricultural work. (Masterov A.S., 2014)
Control measures
Agrotechnical:
- sowing with high-quality seed material;
- use of fallow fields in the crop rotation system;
- compliance with agrotechnical requirements;
- mechanical destruction of weeds in uncultivated areas. (Masterov A.S., 2014)
Chemical
Treatment with herbicides of the group of aryloxyalkanecarboxylic acids, carbamates, sulfonylureas, glyphosates and other substances. (Masterov A.S., 2014)
Chemical pesticides:
Spraying during the growing season:
Spraying the soil before sowing, during sowing, before crop emergence:
Spraying weeds before sowing and crop emergence:
(State catalogue, 2017)
Compiled by: Grigorovskaya P.I., Zharyokhina T.V.
Trifolium pratense
Taxon: legume family ( Fabaceae)
Other names: red clover, woodpecker
English: Beebread, Cow Clover, Cow Grass, Meadow. Clover, Purple Clover, Wild Clover, Red Clover
Generic name Trifolium- three-leafed, pratense- meadow.
Botanical description of clover
Red clover is a perennial herbaceous plant 20-50 cm high. The root is taprooted, branched, often with nodules of nitrogen-assimilation bacteria. From the axils of the basal leaves emerge flowering stems with trifoliate leaves that fold at night. The leaves are trifoliate, the lower ones are on long, the upper ones are on short petioles; the leaflets of the lower leaves are obovate, the upper ones are oval or ovate, and the bottom is usually more pubescent. Clover flowers are irregularly shaped, pink or red, 11-14 mm long, sessile, located in capitate inflorescences, the last two leaves are close together at the base. The fruit is a single-seeded ovoid bean with small ovoid flattened seeds of yellow or brown color. Red clover blooms from May to September.
Where does clover grow?
Red clover grows throughout Europe, North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia), Western and Central Asia. On the territory of Russia it is found in the European part, Siberia, Far East and Kamchatka.
Clover grows in moderately wet and dry meadows, clearings, forest edges, in thickets of bushes, and along the edges of fields throughout Russia.
A little history
Clover cultivation began in the 14th century. in Northern Italy, from where the culture spread to Holland and then to Germany. In 1633, red clover came to England. In Russia it has been cultivated since the mid-18th century.
Collection and preparation of clover
The medicinal raw materials of clover are the inflorescences with apical leaves. They are collected during flowering. They pick with their hands or cut off with a knife a whole inflorescence with a wrapper, without peduncles, place it loosely in baskets, and quickly dry in the shade, under a canopy or in a dryer at a temperature of 60-70 ° C, making sure that the raw material does not dry out, since in this case it loses your value. Store inflorescences in a closed container for 2 years, grass - 1 year. Sometimes clover roots are harvested as medicinal raw materials. Dry in the usual way.
Chemical composition clover
The green mass of clover contains essential and fatty oils, tannins, glycosides trifolin and isotrifolin, organic acids (p-coumaric, salicylic, ketoglutaric), sitosterols, isoflavones, resins, vitamins (ascorbic acid, riboflavin, carotene, etc.). During the flowering period, the aerial part contains protein (20-25%), fats (2.5-3.5%), carotene (up to 0.01%), ascorbic acid (up to 0.12%), free amino acids (up to 1.5%), fiber (24-26%), nitrogen-free extractives (more than 40%), calcium and phosphorus salts. Flavones and flavonols (kaempferol, quercetin, pratoletin, etc.), isoflavones (genistein, formononetin, etc.) were found in grass and flowers.
Clover leaves contain maakiain, a flavonoid from the pterocarpan group that has fungicidal properties.
Up to 150 kg/ha of nitrogen accumulates in clover roots after mowing the above-ground parts.
The content of essential oil in clover flowers reaches 0.03%; it contains furfural and methyl coumarin.
Up to 12% of semi-drying fatty oil was found in clover seeds.
Pharmacological properties of clover
Clover has expectorant, diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerotic, antitoxic, hemostatic, wound-healing, and antitumor properties.
Use of clover in medicine
Preparations of red clover are used orally for anemia, painful menstruation, inflammation Bladder, abundant uterine bleeding, bronchitis, bronchial asthma and shortness of breath, with chronic cough, for prevention, externally for baths for rickets in children.
A decoction of clover roots is indicated for inflammation of the ovaries and as an antitumor agent.
Fresh crushed clover leaves are used externally to stop bleeding, heal wounds, burns, abscesses and rheumatic pain.
Fresh Juice red clover is effective against suppuration of the nail bed and fingers, skin tuberculosis, inflammatory diseases of the ears and eyes.
Vitamin concentrates are obtained from clover leaves.
Since ancient times, clover has been an integral part of aromatic healing baths and medicinal teas.
The essence of fresh flowering plants is used in homeopathy. Flower heads and leaves were used in domestic folk medicine: internally - as an expectorant and antiseptic for cystitis, gastrointestinal disorders; externally - for furunculosis and burns, as an emollient and for rheumatic and neuralgic pain. In folk medicine in various countries, a decoction and infusion of flowers was used as a means of increasing appetite, for tuberculosis, as an antitussive for whooping cough, bronchial asthma, malaria, uterine bleeding, painful menstruation, and pain. The juice of the fresh plant was used to wash the eyes for allergies. Crushed leaves were applied to purulent wounds and ulcers.
Medicinal preparations of red clover
Decoction of clover inflorescences: brew: 250 ml of boiling water 20 g of inflorescences, cook: 15 minutes, leave for 30 minutes, strain. Drink 50 ml 3-4 times a day for chronic cough, bronchial asthma, anemia, scrofula. Use externally as a lotion for burns, frostbite, bedsores, abscesses, to wash festering wounds and ulcers.
Clover herb infusion: Brew 200 m of boiling water, 40 g of herbs, leave for 1 hour, strain. Drink 50 ml 3-4 times a day when coughing.
Clover inflorescence infusion: Brew 200 m of boiling water and 30 g of flower heads, leave for 1 hour in a warm place in a sealed container, then strain. Take 50 ml 4 times a day 30 minutes before meals for chronic cough, skin diseases, colitis, cholecystitis, diathesis. Wash wounds, ulcers, apply lotions to inflamed areas, carbuncles, boils.
Tincture of leafy clover tops: pour 500 ml of 40% alcohol or strong vodka into 40 g of raw materials, leave for 14 days, strain. Take 20 ml before lunch or before bedtime for atherosclerosis with normal blood pressure accompanied by tinnitus. The course of treatment is 3 months with a break of 10 days. After 6 months, the course of treatment can be repeated.
Use of clover on the farm
Salads are prepared from the leaves; green cabbage soup and botvinya are seasoned with them. In the past, dried, crushed leaves were added to flour when baking rye bread, and were also used to make sauces and in the production of cheeses. In the Caucasus, young unopened flower heads are fermented like cabbage and added to green salads.
Clover is one of the most valuable forage grasses. In terms of nutritional value, hay is almost as good as alfalfa. The plant is widely used for green fodder, for making hay, haylage and silage. After harvesting the seeds, the straw is used for feed. The nitrogen accumulated in the roots remains in the soil after plowing, which helps to increase the fertility of the fields. Widely cultivated as a fodder plant. An antifungal substance, trifolyrizin, was isolated from the roots.
Clover essential oil is used in aromatic compositions.
A valuable honey plant, but nectar is available only to bees with a long proboscis, so honey productivity is only 6 kg of honey per hectare of crops. Honey refers to the best varieties, does not sugar for a long time.
Photos and illustrations of red clover
Cultivation of clover began in the 15th century in Italy, then the crop appeared on the border of Holland, and later in Germany. And in the 1630s it began to be cultivated in England. In Russia, clover appeared in the 18th century and was treated with some caution.
Soon, the herb began to be used to diversify the feed diet of livestock, and also found its niche in the “bag” of herbalists, and after some time it began to be considered medicinal. Today, clover is grown as green manure, an ornamental plant and for livestock feed.
Red clover, plant description
Clover grass is a perennial plant reaching a height of 15-25 cm. The root system is well developed, the root is taprooted, branched, and has nodule growths. The axils of the basal leaves of clover produce stems crowned with shaggy spherical buds.
The plant's foliage folds when darkness comes, thus retaining twice as much moisture. The leaves have a trifoliate-complex shape, located on short petioles that lengthen along the height of the stem.
Clover begins to bloom in May and June. The flowers are round, often of different shapes, pink, red, white and speckled in color, do not exceed 1.5 cm in size, and are arranged in the form of capitate inflorescences. The fruits of clover can be called egg-shaped beans with very small brown seeds. The clover flower is often popular in decorative lawns.
The place where meadow clover grows is still Europe, Russia, and Asia.
Medicinal properties of clover and chemical composition
Clover is a concentration of many healing substances, tannins, esters, glycosides, trifolin, organic acids, (such as coumarin, salicylic and ketoglutaric), and also absorbed resins and vitamins, isoflavones, thiamine and sitosterol.
During flowering, the ground part of clover contains more than 25% protein, 2% vegetable fats, 0.02% carotene, about 0.13% ascorbic acid, more than 1.4% free amino acids, as well as calcium and phosphorus.
Clover flowers contain in a large proportion: flavonols (pratoletin, kaempferol and quercetin), isoflavones (genistein and formononetin), and the content of esters exceeds 0.05%, of which a large proportion is coumarin.
The foliage contains maakiain, which has an antifungal effect. During the growing season, clover roots accumulate about 125 kg. nitrogen per hectare. Clover seeds contain about 15% fatty oils.
Preparations based on clover are presented in the form of dietary supplements, mixtures and teas. Indications for use of these are: anemia, inflammation of various etiologies, painful menstruation, inflammation urinary tract, uterine bleeding, diseases of the upper respiratory tract, and also as a preventive agent for atherosclerosis and inflammatory processes among women.
Externally, clover infusions are used for disinfection and fast healing abrasions, relieving swelling after bruises and for rheumatic aching pain. Herbalists advise using red clover juice to get rid of foot fungus, inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx, ear and abscesses.
Modern pharmacology obtains biologically active vitamin supplements from clover leaves. Clover is included in various healing herbal compositions and teas.
The juice squeezed from the leaves of meadow clover is used for inflammation of the eyes; herbalists used dried clover flowers as a diuretic, to increase appetite, and to treat tuberculosis, whooping cough and herpes.
Clover variety
Clover makes up a fairly large group of varieties that differ in shape, purpose, size, flowering time and botanical characteristics; the most prominent representatives include:
meadow clover one of the representatives of legumes, grows as a perennial spreading bush up to 35 cm high. The leaves are triple, wide, with triangular stipules. Flowering begins in the southern regions in May, in the northern in June. The flowers are small, moth-type, spherical, bright pink.
Habitats: meadows, fields, edges, forests.
White clover or creeping clover, a bushy herbaceous plant, with creeping shoots, trifoliate leaves, oval-ovate in shape. Flowering begins in May-June, the lifespan of the peduncle is about one and a half weeks. The flowers are spherical, about 1.5 cm in size, of the moth type. The height of the plant reaches 15 cm.
Creeping clover is used to decorate lawns.
The plant is unpretentious. It grows quickly and does not require painstaking care.
Pink hybrid clover, a herbaceous shrub with trifoliate leaves and spherical inflorescences. The species received its name due to the shade of the cap of the inflorescences. The foliage has a “classical” complex shape, trifoliate on short petioles. The plant grows up to 45 cm, is unpretentious and resistant to drought. It grows wild in meadows and along the banks of water bodies.
Alpine clover, has a powerful root, stays deep in the ground. It grows up to 40 cm, has fairly large stipules and impressive leaves for clover, located on short petioles.
The grass is grown for silage, and as a crop - green manure. The stable plant does not require additional care and grows well in any soil.
Arable clover, popularly called “cat”. This is an annual plant, represented by a spreading lush shrub, with a straight stem and trifoliate, carved foliage.
It blooms in May, the inflorescences are represented by pale, pink, spherical heads. The height of the stem does not exceed 25 cm, the plant perfectly adapts to weather conditions and tolerates drought well.
cup clover, a species that includes several subspecies of different shapes and sizes. It is found frequently, grows up to 45 cm, and is unpretentious. It has large carved oval-shaped leaves, collected in threes on one short petiole. The inflorescences are large, about 5 cm. The colors of the flowers vary, from milky to purple.
The fruits of the cup type are small capsules with seeds inside.
Clover multileaf, a perennial herb with a developed root system represented by a tap root. Unpretentious, stable and tenacious. Produces a large number of peduncles and blooms from May to June. The foliage is located on short petioles. The inflorescences are umbrella-shaped, fluffy, from pink to dark purple. Grows up to 35 cm.
Growing clover
After several years of active cultivation of tuber crops in the same area, its depletion occurs, and in order to replenish the reserves of nutrients, one should resort to sowing green manure crops, such as clover.
Clover is also excellent as mulch; after mowing and chopping, it is enough to simply scatter the chopped green mass over the area and the soil is no longer in danger of cracking; it remains moist and loose for a long time.
Before sowing clover, you need to prepare the seeds and cultivate the soil; plowing and harrowing are quite enough. Clover is a herbaceous plant that does not require care; it grows well on any soil, except saline and “acidic” soils. It grows quickly and easily withstands bad weather.
It is sown mainly on cultivated areas for pastures and as a green manure crop. In this case, business owners give preference to three types of clover: meadow, creeping white or pink.
The agricultural technology for growing clover does not differ from the technology for sowing perennial grasses; sowing is carried out in field and forage crop rotation. The most suitable predecessors are cereals and root vegetables.
Sowing dates vary depending on the sowing zone; in the southern regions, sowing can begin in March, with norms of about 13 kg. per hectare of area, this is approximately 8.5 million seeds; at this rate, field germination is more than 58%.
With early sowing, the first clover shoots will appear within a week, and the pores will begin to develop quickly. In the first phase of growth, the root system actively develops, it will have a beneficial effect on the composition of the soil, while completely suppressing the appearance of weeds. With sufficient moisture, up to 450 centners can be obtained from clover crops during a productive year. greenery per hectare.
As for care, clover practically does not need it, but if the grass is grown for food, it should be juicy and there should be a lot of it, so it is necessary to apply mineral fertilizers and nitrogen during the growing season of the plant.
Autumn sowing of clover can be laid under the cover of winter crops of barley or other cereals at the time of sowing winter crops.
The norm for sowing under cover is considered to be 125 kg. per hectare of arable land, planting depth is from 5 to 6.5 cm. Afterwards, cereal grasses of about 22 kg are sown separately on the same area, 2.5 cm deep. per hectare of sown area.
Clover does not require special care; the entire vegetative process requires only watering. The powerful root system kills any weeds, but requires moisture. Watering in dry regions should be done at least once a week.
In the second year of crop life, for more juicy and lush greenery, it would not be amiss to apply nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. Phosphorus is applied in the spring, and nitrogen fertilizing is carried out in two stages, mainly after the third mowing, in equal parts.
Application of clover
The value of clover is due to its unpretentiousness and large volumes of green mass at the output. The grass is used as fodder for rabbits, poultry and livestock (in dried form). Clover is not only a high-protein plant, but more often than not, it is also decorative.
Today you can see lawns made of clover and decorative designs made of forbs. Therefore, low-growing and creeping types of clover are of particular importance to landscape designers. Clover is used not only as a monoculture in the design of lawns, but also as an addition to the main cover of lawn grass. To get a more "fun" look.
In addition to lawns, white clover can be used to decorate the trunk space of low-growing trees, which looks unusual and is pleasing to the eye.
Using clover for table purposes is also appropriate. Its dry mass was previously used in baking rye bread. Clover greens are added to first and second courses.
Asian cuisine uses flowers and young shoots of clover for pickling and adding to salads.
In terms of nutritional characteristics, clover is not inferior to alfalfa and is considered one of the highly valuable forage grasses. It is harvested for hay and silage, and given to livestock dried and fresh. As green manure, clover enriches the soil with nitrogen and increases the fertility of areas; when plowed, it saturates the soil with humus.
The fungicidal substance trifolyrizin is isolated from clover roots.
Esters are used in the manufacture of perfume compositions. The grass is also a valuable honey plant, but only for bees of a certain group that have a long proboscis.
Honey obtained from different varieties Clover is considered medicinal, retains a liquid consistency for a long time, has an unsurpassed, rich aroma and excellent sugary taste.
Collection and storage of clover
Clover is cut for hay during the period of budding and flowering, in dry sunny weather. Later cuttings will lead to shedding of the lower leaves, loss of part of the plant’s mass and a decrease in its nutritional value.
The optimal height of a plant for cutting is considered to be 9-10 cm. After cutting clover for hay, you should carefully ensure that the grass does not dry out, the mown mass is raked into windrows, and after drying, it is collected into shocks and stacked.
Clover seed material is collected in the second year, from the second mowing; harvesting is carried out with special combines when the seed box turns brown. The average yield of clover seeds is about 2.5 centners per hectare. After threshing, the seeds are subject to sifting, drying and sorting.
The medicinal parts of clover are the inflorescences and the upper crown part. Collection is carried out manually, in the flowering phase.
After harvesting, clover is dried and stored in fabric bags, and then brewed as needed.
According to an ancient legend, once upon a time, God forbade all living beings to work on Saturdays. But the bees and the meadow clover disobeyed him. For this, an angry God punished the plant and hid its nectar in the very depths of the flower. Since then, bees can no longer reach it and only bumblebees pollinate clover flowers. Let's talk about this “naughty” plant today, learn more about meadow clover, application, description, treatment.
Description of red clover
Every summer our meadows are covered with delicate pink, reddish-lilac fluffy flowers. This is the blooming and fragrant meadow clover - a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the legume family. This plant is 20-50 cm high, has a taproot, branched root, flowering stems with trifoliate leaves that close after sunset.
The leaves of the plant are ovate, with small teeth and oblong upper leaves. Blooms from May to September. The flowers are fluffy, irregular in shape. The fruit is a bean.
Flowers and inflorescences of the plant along with the apical leaves are used in medicine. They are collected during the flowering period, dried in the fresh air, in the shade, or using a dryer heated to 60 degrees. When drying, you should not allow the clover to dry out, as this will cause it to lose its healing qualities. Shelf life in tightly closed containers is up to 1 year.
Description of biological composition
The use of red clover in the treatment of diseases
Due to their composition, the leaves and flowers of meadow clover are used as an emollient, analgesic, antitumor, wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, and diaphoretic. Infusions and decoctions of the plant have choleretic, diuretic, expectorant, antitumor, astringent, antiseptic, desensitizing, hemostatic effects.
Preparations based on it are used to treat anemia, inflammation of the bladder, to alleviate painful menstruation, heavy uterine bleeding. Clover is used to get rid of bronchitis bronchial asthma, shortness of breath.
The described biochemical composition helps remove bad cholesterol, so clover is useful for older people to prevent the development of atherosclerosis.
Fresh leaves, crushed to a pulp, are used to treat difficult-to-heal wounds, stop bleeding, to heal skin damaged by burns, abscesses, and rheumatic pain.
They successfully treat suppuration of the nail, finger, skin tuberculosis, inflammatory diseases of the ears and eyes with fresh crushed leaves (externally). Freshly squeezed plant juice is also used for these purposes.
With the help of an alcohol tincture of meadow clover flowers, tuberculosis is successfully treated. It is often included in chest and stomach preparations. Infusion and decoction of clover are used for medicinal baths for rickets in children. A decoction of the roots of the plant is used to treat inflammatory diseases of the ovaries, and also as an antitumor agent.
Treatment with meadow clover according to folk recipes
Decoction from the roots of the plant
Grind 20 g of clean, dried roots, pour 1 tbsp. boiling water, place the dishes with the roots in a water bath over low heat, simmer for half an hour. Strain, squeeze out raw materials, add boiled water to the original volume. Drink 1 tbsp. l. up to 6 times a day, before meals.
Infusion of leaves, flowers, inflorescences of clover
A medicinal infusion is also used for treatment. To prepare it, pour 2 tbsp. l. crushed dry raw materials 1 tbsp. boiling water, cover with a lid, wrap, leave for half an hour.
Strain, take 2 tbsp. l. before eating. This remedy is used to treat anemia, headaches, to prevent atherosclerosis, and also to eliminate vitamin deficiency.
Tea made from clover flowers and inflorescences
1-2 tbsp. l. Brew dried flowers in a teapot. Leave covered with a towel for 10 minutes, drink as tea throughout the day to cleanse and improve blood composition. You can drink 3-4 cups of tea throughout the day.
Few people know, but fresh pink flowers can be used to make a delicious, medicinal butter for sandwiches. Here is a description of its preparation: Mix 100 g of fresh butter and 100 g of finely grated hard cheese.
Add 10 fresh clover flowers, ground to a paste, 1 tsp. crushed dill seeds. Salt, pepper, spread on a piece of black bread or dry biscuits. This sandwich will serve as an excellent addition to morning tea.
You can prepare light spring cabbage soup with the addition of clover flowers. To do this, add finely chopped potatoes to boiling water. After 10 minutes, put the leaves of sorrel, clover, golden fried onions into the pan, crack a couple of raw eggs directly into the cabbage soup, mix well. Pour cabbage soup into plates and season with sour cream.
Go to the meadow in the summer, collect healing meadow clover, dry it in the shade, and use it in treatment. Just be sure to consult your doctor before doing this. Be healthy!