Planting

• 1). Select an area for your white clover plot, avoiding sandy soils and areas that drain water quickly.
  
  
• 2). Till the ground thoroughly to loosen the soil. If the area is a new garden plot or particularly weedy, till it again after three to five days.
  
  
• 3). Apply 400 lbs. of 6-12-12 or equivalent fertilizer and 2 tons of lime per acre. The heavy application of lime will maintain the soil at a pH of 7.0 for two to three years.
  
  
• 4). Prepare a smooth and firm seed bed by using a cultipacker or dragging a piece of chain-link fencing over the plot of land.
  
  
• 5). Broadcast 8 lbs. of seed per acre (2 to 8 oz. for every 1,000 square feet). Adjust the setting on your spreader to 1/8-inch, which is usually the smallest setting on most hand spreaders, for even distribution of the very small white clover seeds.
  
  
• 6). Roll over the area with a cultipacker or piece of chain-link fence to press seeds into the ground. This encourages proper germination. Do not cover the tiny white clover seeds with more than 1/4-inch of soil.
  
  
• 7). Cover new plants with a wire basket to protect them from grazing. If your clover is to attract and grow healthy deer, you won't want rabbits or other wildlife eating all the young plants.
  
  

Maintenance

• 1). Mow or clip clover down to 4 to 6 inches during the spring or summer, once plants reach 10 to 12 inches tall. This will also encourage tender new growth for deer.
  
  
• 2). Fertilize once or twice a year after the crop is established using a 0-20-20 fertilizer at the rate of 300 pounds per acre. Apply fertilizer to dry plants in the spring and early fall.
  
  
• 3). Test the soil in the area every two to three years for adequate pH. Add lime to the soil as needed, according to directions on the bag of lime.