A perennial legume, Birdsfoot trefoil, is taprooted with many lateral roots that make plants less prone to heaving. Lateral roots occur in the top two feet of the soil profile with the entire root system (including the taproot) going as deep as four feet. A single crown can produce up to two hundred stems that grow up to two and a half feet tall above ground. Each leaf has five leaflets – three at the tip and two at the base of each petiole. Fourteen daylight hours are needed to initiate flowering, and flowers range in yellow coloration with some occasionally tinged red.

Not Recommended

Seeds/Lb: 375,000 – 500,000

Birdsfoot trefoil can grow from sea level to an altitude of 3500m. Tolerant to wet, acidic soil, Birdsfoot trefoil also has some drought and salinity tolerance, although shade tolerance is low. In soils with a pH of less than 5.6, molybdenum deficiencies may result. Birdsfoot Trefoil can also perform well in arid areas, although results may be varied.

Soil pH: 5.4 – 6.5

Optimum Growth Range: 68°F – 86°F

Shallow plowing or thorough discing is needed to create a good, firm seedbed several weeks ahead of planting. Weed control is essential during establishment and utilizing a cultipacker with a pre-plant incorporated herbicide is recommended. Plant with slow-growing companion grasses in early spring or late summer.

Seeding Depth: ¼” – ½”

Monoculture: 8 – 10 Lb/A

Use a cultipacker to firm soils both before and after planting to ensure both good seed-to-soil contact and improve moisture uptake. The best planting times are early spring, followed by late summer. In some areas, late summer may be a better choice due to reduced weed pressure at this time.

Min Time To Emergence: Variable

Ideal Temp: 50°F

Leave birdsfoot trefoil ungrazed from early autumn until the first frosts to accumulate root reserves and provide good quality forage during late autumn. Rotationally graze often to encourage reseeding and spreading from passage through animals.

Earliest Time To Graze: Early Blooming Stage

Apply any necessary fertilizers based on a soil test before seeding. If deficient, annual broadcast applications of 100lb/A phosphorus and 100lb/A – 200lb/A potash will improve stands. Birdsfoot trefoil utilized in greater than 30% of a mixture will provide enough N so that no additional fertilizer is necessary.

At Planting: 15 Lb/A N – 20 Lb/A N

During Grazing Season: Not Applicable

Monoculture stands of birdsfoot trefoil produce high-quality forage. They are suitable for making hay, but they are prone to thinning out quicker than mixed stands. Do not cut in late summer or during the lead-up to the first frosts as root reserves may not be enough to initiate regrowth.

Timing: 10% Bloom

Cuttings During Season: 2 – 3

Manage birdsfoot trefoil carefully to ensure the axillary and basal buds that trefoil regrows from are not grazed or cut. Light rotational grazing will ensure the longevity of the stand and allow birdsfoot trefoil to reseed itself. Heavy grazing may be needed in the spring to reduce growth and enable the trefoil to compete in a grass mixture better. Avoid continuous grazing as top-growth supplies energy, and trefoil does not maintain high levels of root reserves.

Minimum Graze Height: 4″

Rest Period: 6 weeks

Mix trefoil with grasses to obtain higher yields, reduce lodging, and shorten the curing time for hay. When planting with Kentucky bluegrass, overseed 2 lb/ac in the early fall to allow the trefoil to get established before bluegrass becomes competitive. Bluegrass mixtures are especially beneficial since trefoil is most productive in the late spring and summer, followed by the bluegrass taking over in colder fall temperatures. Small grain companion crops assist in providing weed control and preventing erosion. Use shorter grains like oats or barley at a rate of 1 – 1.5 bu/ac.
Remove companion crops in the boot stage through grazing or machine harvesting, and avoid grazing if soils are wet. Scarification is of seed is recommended.

• Timothy
• Meadow Grass
• Bromegrass
• Cocksfoot
• Perennial Ryegrass
• Small Grains (cut or graze early to prevent shading)
• Kentucky Bluegrass

Tons of Dry Matter/A: 6 – 17

Slower establishing and lacking in seedling vigor, birdsfoot trefoil will need to have weeds under control before planting. Mow when weeds are 10″ – 15″ tall above the birdsfoot trefoil seedlings to control weed shading/competition. Earlier mowing isn’t practical, and later mowing will result in excessive weed competition. Use pre-plant herbicides on grassy weeds.

In similar well-drained, fertile soils, birdsfoot trefoil will not yield as well as alfalfa, around 50 – 80% of what alfalfa would do on the same grounds.

• Stemphylium
• Rhizoctonia
• Phomopsis
• Uromyces
• Curvularia
• Diaporthe
• Fusarium
• Mycoleptodiscus
• Pythium
• Pyrenochaeta

• Root-Lesion Nematodes
• Potato Leafhopper
• Plant Bugs
• Spittlebug
• Grasshoppers
• Seed Chalcid