[AlisonG]

Hi. I've got problems with moss and clover. Both are worst in my smaller field which previously was plagued with buttercups! I had the Bs sprayed and then limed the field, but now have loads of clover. Do I need to do more liming? I guess aeration is at least part of the answer too? Any ideas much appreciated.
Thanks. AlisonG

[Ina]

Why are you wanting to get rid of the clover? Other people sow it to improve their grass...

[FiB]

 I'd be really pleased with the clover (unless it was all red clover which is apparently not great for sheep fertility at this time of year) as it is free nitrogen, and a general good thing - so far as I can gather from farmers who visit my fields!  I guess the moss is less so - Ive got a lot at the botom of one of my fields and the advice I've been given is rotovate and reseed.  I am imagining that drainage has become less efficent over time due to compaction from grazing?   I'm sure the wise ones will be along shortly, but Ive not heard anything bad about clover (in fact we reseeded our last pig field with a high clover mix).

[Fowgill Farm]

Likewise the others, i'd kill to have clover in my fields as its quite robust and comes back after pig digging, unless you want a lawn like field, don't see your prob with it.
Moss you'll prob have to scarify out with a tined implement and scoop it up, i think then you have to aereate and add sprinkles of sand to make it less condusive for moss to grow, thats what you do with lawns i think.
mandy 

[robert waddell]

just don't understand why you don't want clover     that is the most nutritious part of a sward
the moss you just harrow to areate the soil and rip it out   unless you have big bare patches that are being colonised by moss 

[Sylvia]

And to get clover just feed your livestock clover seed in with their normal feed.

[SallyintNorth]

This is my understanding.  I would be very glad to have my understanding improved by others who know more about it!

All clover fixes nitrogen, which is good 

White clover signals ground of lower fertility, but the clover nitrogen-fixing helps to maintain sufficient fertility for your pasture grass to grow.  I don't think it makes enough fertility for a thick sward of rye-grass, though.  I don't think there are any downsides with white clover?

Red clover grows on and sustains ground of a higher fertility than white clover.  Farmers are increasingly sowing clover as an alternative to using artificial fertiliser; it will grow happily along with, and will help the growth of, a temporary sward (usually high in rye-grass and hence feed value.)

Red clover is high in oestrogen.  You therefore need to be a little bit cautious about what stock you put on it and when.  In theory it can act like a contraceptive pill!  (Though  I am not sure if this really happens.)  But it certainly stimulates milk production, (I've seen it put bags on gimmers in sunny Somerset) so you have to be careful with ewes you are wanting to dry off, who are typically going to be going to the tup soon.

I expect there are good and bad times to put cattle on it too - again, you wouldn't put a cow you were wanting to dry off on it.

We don't have so much red clover here, even when we sow it, for me to know much more about it than that.