ΤΡΙΦΥΛΛΙ - CLOVER

CLOVER

O κλασσικός τύπος μελιου στην Ν.Ζηλανδία. Clover honey is New Zealand's most common honey type. Η Ν.Ζηλανδία έχει ιστορικά μια οικονομία βασισμένη στην κτηνοτροφία και ειδικά με πρόβατα. New Zealand historicaly has a pastoral economy and a reliance on sheep farming. Η σίκαλη σε μίγμα με το τριφύλλι δινουν υψηλές αποδόσεις και αύξηση της προσθήκης αζώτου στο έδαφος και έτσι αυξάνουν την γονιμότητα του εδάφους. Rye grass and clover mixtures have dominated pastures with their high forage yield and natural nitrogen fixing for soil fertility. Η κανονική περίοδος όπου το τριφύλλι ξεκινάει να κυριαρχεί στο λιβάδι είναι αργά την άνοιξη και αρχες καλοκαιριού. The normal cycle is that clover starts to predominate in the pastures in late Spring and early Summer. Το μέγιστο της μελιτοέκκρισης είναι στο σημείο όπου η πτώση των επιπέδων υγρασίας ξεκινά να στρεσσάρει ελαφρώς ρο φυτό. The peak of the honey flow is at the point where lowering moisture levels start to slightly stress the plant. Αυτό το μέγιστο μπορεί να κρατήσει μερικές μέρες και σε εξαιρετικές περιπτώσεις(απότομη αύξηση μετα από βροχή) αρκετές εβδομάδες με πλούσια παραγωγή. This peak may last a few days or in exceptional circumstances (perhaps when boosted by additional rainfall) over a few weeks to produce a bumper harvest. In many areas, high country pasture is oversown from aerial top dressing and beehives in these areas can produce large crops of high quality clover honey. Clover seed production is another large source of clover forage for honeybees and under good conditions, clover honey production can be exceptional. The main clover species in New Zealand is white clover (Trifolium repens) but a variety of other clover species are present. These include red clover (T. pratense), strawberry clover (T. fragiferum), subterranean (T. subterraneum) and alsike clover. Typically these different clovers have their own flowering peiod that may be before or after the White Clover flowering. COLOUR Clover honey has a normal colour range of 10 - 35 mm (pfund scale). Approximately 80% of clover honey will fall into this range. We typically grade clover into 4 colour ranges. . 0-9mm 10-19mm 20-35mm Over 35mm Soil type can affect colour but blends with other honey types are the most common cause of colour variance. Normally honey from the South Island is lighter than honey from the North Island, mainly due to the large number of difference floral sources in the North Island. Crop Timing The clover crop usually starts around mid December and finishes end of January. It can however start as early as November and finish as late as early March. However normally the majority of the crop is produced over a 2-3 week period in any one area. Most producers will have the majority of their clover crop extracted ready for sale by the end of March.