Clover is a versatile and nutritious plant that can be found in many regions around the world. It is commonly used as a forage crop for livestock and is also widely used in cover crop mixtures to improve soil health, and in providing forge for deer and other game.

When it comes to the nutrient value of clovers, there are several factors that can affect the plant’s nutritional profile. One of the most significant factors is the plant’s stage of growth. In this article, we will explore the differences in nutrient value between clovers at the flower stage versus the vegetative stage, and how mowing or leaving plants unmowed can impact their nutritional content.

To test this, I took samples of the tips of plants that were mowed and some that were not, sent them to the lab for nutrient analysis and will provide the results herein.

Clover at the Vegetative Stage

Clovers grown for forage or as a cover crop are typically harvested during the vegetative stage, before the plants reach the flowering stage. At this stage, clovers are rich in nitrogen and are highly digestible. They are an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, making them a valuable component of livestock feed.

Keep in mind that clover in a food plot situation is not harvested but browsed.  Deer eat the new growth from the tips – the most palatable parts, where in most ag situations, nutrients are tested for the entire plant – but deer don’t eat the entire plant.

Clovers at the Flower Stage

Once clovers reach the flowering stage, they begin to divert nutrients away from leaf and stem growth and towards seed production. This shift in nutrient allocation means that the nutritional value of clovers declines as they mature. However, clovers at the flowering stage still contain a range of nutrients, including trace minerals, antioxidants, and isoflavones.

Mowed vs. Unmowed

Another factor that can impact the nutrient content of clovers is whether the plants are mowed or left unmowed. Mowing clovers can help to promote regrowth and increase the plant’s fiber content, while leaving them unmowed allows the plants to mature and produce more substantial amounts of sugars and starches.

In terms of nutritional content, it is said that mowing clovers can increase the concentration of protein and minerals like calcium and phosphorus. At the same time, it can reduce the plant’s digestibility and make it harder for deer to extract nutrients from the forage. Unmowed clovers, on the other hand, have an increased sugar content, making them a more palatable food source for deer.

When you mow clover, you will cut the parts of the plant that deer want to eat, leaving the stemmy parts that cattle don’t mind eating but deer won’t.

Testing Nutrient Levels of Mowed vs Unmowed Clover

To test this theory, I took a pair of kitchen shears and removed the outermost leaves and new stems from the plants and tested two ways: first with a Brix meter (tests for sugar content) and also with a total nutrient analysis at the Penn State Agriculture Lab.  The results were interesting.

My initial Brix reading was a 12, which is very good for forage and the mineral content was good as well.  This reading was done in the beginning of May.  The second reading was in June after a month of no rain.  The Brix was very low, probably due to the lack of moisture.  I could barely get a drop of sap to test.

You can see that N is a little higher in the mowed sample but Calcium is higher in the unmowed sample by a significant margin.  The other nutrients are fairly close.

Unmowed Red Clover				Mowed Red Clover
Sampled June 1, drought conditions											UNMOWED	MOWED
Macronutrients %		Within Normal Range								Nitrogen	3.78	4.39
Nitrogen	3.78	Y		4.39	Y					Phosphorous	0.27	0.29
Phosphorous	0.27	Y		0.29	Y					Potassium	2.26	2.8
Potassium	2.26	Y		2.8	Y					Calcium	2.14	1.49
Calcium	2.14	Y		1.49	N-LOW					Magnesium	0.25	0.34
Magnesium	0.25	Y		0.34	Y					Sulfer	0.2	0.25
Sulfer	0.2	N – LOW		0.25	N-LOW					Manganese	0.47	0.4
										Iron	0.48	1
MICROS										Copper	0.49	0.25
Manganese	0.47	Y		0.4	Y					Boron	0.5	0.28
Iron	0.48	Y		1	Y					Zinc	0.5	0.43
Copper	0.49	Y		0.25	HIGH
Boron	0.5	Y		0.28	N-LOW
Zinc	0.5	Y		0.43	Y

The bar chart is a little easier to read. By the way, I divided the micros by 100 to get the values to a level that looks better on the chart.

 

Conclusion

I suppose, looking at the chart and wanting the most protein, mowed is better in this case since Nitrogen is the most important element for as is Sulfer.  It should be noted that Sulfer was low in both samples, indicating that maybe it would help to add some to the soil.

Keep in mind this is one sample – hardly a scientific study.  The proper thing to do would be to take at least ten samples, from different fields to make the results more significant.  You would need to run statistical analysis to test the significance of the differences.

Other factors to be aware of is that mowing takes away habitat for turkey poults and other small critters and kills off flowers that are very important for pollinators.  That and the expense in fuel and time to mow the field is a factor.

All things considered, and the fact that this has been studied properly by researchers using proper study techniques, it is better to not mow clover food plots unless you have weeds about to go to seed and you need to keep them out of your field.