After one gardener performed an experiment on his own yard, blanketing it with white clover seed, he shared how it was a combination of surprisingly helpful and occasionally disastrous for his other crops.
In a Reddit post that caught the attention of fellow gardeners online, the original poster found that this low-cost "green mulch" both smothered herbs and also helped his tomatoes take off.
What happened?
The experiment began under tight circumstances. On Reddit's r/Gardening forum, the gardener said that after losing their job, they relied on using a leftover pound of white clover seed instead of buying mulch, spreading it across nearly all of their planting areas.
The original poster then shared their "notes on 'Green Mulch.'"
OP wrote, "The clover strangled all of the rosemary, summer savory, garlic chives and marjoram that I planted." Yellow squash ran into trouble too, he said, because the clover became dense around the plants and "caused a bunch of the squash to rot."
However, crops that could grow up and out of the cover did much better.
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"Basically if the plant has verticality and is able to grow up through the 3 inches of clover on the ground, it thrives," the gardener wrote.
Among the winners were tomatoes, pole beans, cucumbers, chile peppers, amaranth, sage, and raspberries. The standout result was the tomato crop, with the gardener writing, "The tomatoes set fruit 3 weeks before my neighbors."
Why does it matter?
Growing food at home can help households save money on produce while also delivering fresher, better-tasting fruits and vegetables than many store-bought options.
Gardening can also support mental health by reducing stress and providing light physical activity that keeps people moving.
The post also showed why green mulch appeals to frugal gardeners. According to the original poster, the clover helped water soak into the ground, kept the soil wet for longer, and crowded out weeds including crabgrass and garlic mustard.
Because clover can be aggressive, commenters noted that it may take over beds if left unchecked. The original poster also said it attracted "PILES of bees," which helps pollination but is less pleasant when gardening barefoot.
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