Mowing your perennials (clovers, alfalfa, chicory, etc.) is important if you want good production, attraction power and longevity out of your crop. Mowing helps to cut down on broadleaf weeds and unwanted grasses, but more importantly it promotes new, more attractive and palatable growth on your perennials. Knowing when to mow and how much to cut is more of an art than a science. It is suggested to mow at least three times during the growing season but mowing more often can produce a thicker, more attractive stand. On the other hand, during hot, dry times or periods of stress, mowing less, or not mowing and letting it go to seed may be the best course.
If you don’t have a tractor, but you do have an ATV, you can simply buy a pull-behind mower to get the job done. Remember to keep your blades sharp and the mower clean. One of the ways unwanted weeds or grass get into a plot is from seeds or rhizomes hitchhiking on the mower.
