Is birdsfoot trefoil good for grazing?
Empire-type birdsfoot trefoils are better adapted for grazing since they have fine stems, prostrate growth, and an indeterminate growth habit. Empire types also grow more slowly during establishment and regrow more slowly following harvest than the European types.
What is birds foot trefoil used for?
Uses. Forage: Birdsfoot trefoil is used as a high quality, non-bloating legume for pastures, hay and stock-piling. Erosion control: Birdsfoot trefoil is often used for mine reclamation and other sites with marginal soils. Wildlife: Birdsfoot trefoil is used in wildlife mixes and is an excellent food source for deer.
Is trefoil good for cattle?
Suited for grazing or haying, interseeding birdsfoot trefoil into existing grass stands can improve crude protein content.
Where does bird foot trefoil Grow?
Also Birdsfoot Trefoil can be found on sandy poor soil near the sea alongside Lady’s Bedstraw. It is an important food source of the common blue Butterfly and is one of the best wild nectar sources for bees. Either sow it thinly where you want it to grow in spring or autumn. Or sow seed 2 cm apart in a seed tray.
Does birdsfoot trefoil fix nitrogen?
Interpretive Summary: Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) is a plant that is grown as feed for livestock. The plant is a legume, and it is able to use nitrogen from the air for growth. The process is called nitrogen-fixation and many legumes fix nitrogen.
Is birdsfoot trefoil good for deer?
Wildlife: Birdsfoot trefoil is a choice food for Canada goose, deer, and elk. As ground cover, it provides green cover most of the year and blooms profusely. It is used for pheasant cover on shooting preserves and around ponds at duck clubs. Livestock: This species is used for green chop, hay and pasture.
Is birds foot trefoil poisonous to horses?
When growing conditions are challenging for alfalfa cultivation, birdsfoot trefoil is an appropriate, though lesser-known, source of good-quality protein and energy for horses. Birdsfoot trefoil is a perennial legume that is often grown as a forage source for sheep and cattle, and is nutritious for horses as well.
How do you grow bird foot trefoil?
bird’s foot trefoil
- Position: full sun.
- Soil: well-drained soil.
- Rate of growth: fast.
- Flowering period: May to September.
- Hardiness: fully hardy.
- Garden care: Soak the seeds in water for 24 hours or gently scarify before sowing.
- Sow: March – May or August – October.
- Flowering: May – September.
What type of plant is birds foot trefoil?
Birdsfoot trefoil is a perennial legume of short to medium height.
What grows well with birdsfoot trefoil?
Bluegrass, where adapted, is the favored grass to grow with trefoil. Bunch grasses, such as timothy and orchardgrass, may also be used to good advantage with trefoil. Vigorous, sod-forming grasses such as bromegrass and fescue are sometimes used, but are more apt to crowd trefoil out of the stand in four or five years.
Do horses like trefoil?
Birdsfoot trefoil is a perennial legume that is often grown as a forage source for sheep and cattle, and is nutritious for horses as well.
Can horses eat trefoil?
Legume Hay for Horses Alfalfa, white clover, red clover and birdsfoot trefoil are common types of legumes, with alfalfa being the most popular choice. Benefits: Legumes are higher in protein and calcium than grass hay, and may also provide more energy and a higher level of total digestible nutrients, such as vitamin A.