State × crop calendar

Clover planting in New Jersey.

  • Primary crop
  • Zone 7a
  • 190-day season
  • Last frost April 20
  • Forage
  • Frost Hardy

Clover planting in New Jersey is shaped by the state's 7a dominant hardiness zone, last frost date around April 20, and a 190-day growing season. Clover is widely grown in New Jersey — commercially significant or common in home gardens and food plots.

Planting dates on this page are climatological estimates from USDA frost-date norms and zone-typical planting offsets. Verify against Rutgers Cooperative Extension for variety- and county-specific guidance.

Planting calendar — 2026

Frost-anchored windows.

Clover · New Jersey · planting calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeclast frostfirst frostSPRING PLANTINGFALL PLANTING
Ideal windowEarliest / latest tailsFrost zone

Planting windows shift earlier in southern parts of the state and later in northern parts. Use last frost date in your specific county as the reference.

Planting windows

Earliest → ideal → latest.

Spring planting

Clover

Earliest

March 16

Ideal start

March 30

Ideal end

April 27

Latest

May 18

Soil-temp trigger

Frost-seed onto frozen ground in late winter for natural soil incorporation. Fall-seed in southern states for over-winter establishment.

Fall planting

Clover

Earliest

August 11

Ideal start

August 26

Ideal end

September 10

Latest

September 25

Soil-temp trigger

Frost-seed onto frozen ground in late winter for natural soil incorporation. Fall-seed in southern states for over-winter establishment.

Harvest window

Typical start

May 29

Typical end

June 28

Harvest timing varies with planting date and seasonal weather — these dates are typical for the ideal planting window.

Growing notes

Clover grows well in New Jersey's typical climate. New Jersey's 190-day growing season and 7a hardiness zone support reliable production with appropriate variety selection.

Clover is widely grown in New Jersey — commercially significant or common in home gardens and food plots.

Agronomy reference

Clover fundamentals.

Soil-temp minimum

40°F

Soil-temp optimum

50–75°F

Days to maturity

60–90

Water (in/wk)

0.5–1"

Soil pH

6–7

Nitrogen demand

low

Frost-seed in late winter or early spring; can also be fall-planted in southern states. Red clover is biennial; white clover is perennial.

Common pests to watch

  • Clover leaf weevil
  • Aphids
  • Spider mites

Pest pressure varies by region and year. Confirm current outbreaks with Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

Common diseases

  • Northern anthracnose
  • Crown rot
  • Sclerotinia

Resistance varieties shift each year. Check the current variety trial report for your state.

Variety selection

Clover varieties for New Jersey live with your extension.

Variety selection

Variety performance is micro-regional and changes with each year's trial cycle. We don't republish variety lists — instead, we point directly at the source.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension

Search the extension site for “clover variety trial” or “recommended clover varieties” to find the current report.

Yield varies significantly by variety, soil, fertility, and management. Consult your state extension service for variety performance trials in your region.

Clover timing. Live alerts.

Bield Farm ties weather and soil-temperature stations in your county to crop planting thresholds — get notified the day soil temp clears your target window.

Start free trial →