Planting into a cover crop of white clover

Francesco asks:

Greetings,   What are your thoughts on broadcasting sweet white clover  over the entire garden plot before planting the bedding plants to inhibit weeds and add nitrogen?  Francesco

My thoughts:

I have not done this, but it makes a lot of sense and is a practice many do.  I have heard it works especially well with broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and others in that family.  I am not sure the temps white clover likes to germinate at.  I think it likes cool soil for good germination.

I think whatever you plant into the clover, needs to be something that grows 8" tall or more--so the clover does not out compete your desired crop.

White clover can be perennial or could be tilled or smothered after the growing season.

Here is a great book on cover crops.  "Managing Cover Crops Profitably".  It is written for farm scale operations, but with a bit of thought, any gardener can figure out some cover cropping that will work for them.

I own this book and like it a lot.

http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition

Happy Gardening,

Roger