Feed Your Lawn Regularly
The best thing you can do to prevent clover from growing on your lawn is to take good care of it. This way, there will be nowhere for the clover to grow.
Apart from regular mowing, aeration, and scarification, its especially important to feed your lawn on a regular basis.
Assuming there is no clover or other weeds on your lawn, you can mulch your grass clippings back into the soil, to provide your lawn with valuable nutrients.
You can also apply fertiliser in the spring and autumn, to help keep your lawn healthy and clover-resistant.
To learn more about taking good care of your lawn, take a look at our lawn care calendar, and discover what sorts of lawn care activities you can do as the seasons change throughout the year.
Getting Rid Of Clover In Your Lawn
October 25, 2018// by Scott Smith
White clover is a very easy weed to recognise, and you may have spent countless childhood hours hunting for the four-leaf version. While that can be a fun challenge, eradicating a clover infestation from your lawn is not.
A common weed in Australia, clover has the very recognisable three green serrated leaves topped by white, ball-shaped flowers and creeping stems. Clover is a legume plant that draws nitrogen from the air to store in its roots. It spreads easily throughout lawns via stems attached to the soil which grow into new plants. Clover is a winter-germinating weed, and will thrive and spread in spring when soil temperatures are mild and warm and plenty of sunlight reaches the soil surface.
Clover can often be quite difficult to get rid of, as it reseeds itself every year and will continue to come back. It spreads easily in a few different ways, and can even propagate from its own clippings.
Smother The Entire Lawn And Start Over Again
If you have a smaller lawn, and its completely overrun with clover, moss, and weeds, you may be tempted to start over again.
To do this, its best to avoid using herbicides to kill everything on your lawn, as this can ruin the fertility of the soil. Instead, smother your grass using a large tarpaulin, and then reseed it, or lay new sod.
You will need to wait about three weeks for everything on your lawn to die, and decompose enough to plant new grass.
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Should I Get Rid Of Clover In My Lawn
There are several reasons you may want to keep clover in your lawn. Due to its symbiotic relationship with bacteria, clover acts as a natural fertilizer. Clover gets its nitrogen from the air and releases it into the soil. Another benefit? Clover outcompetes other weeds. So instead of something unwanted and unsightly, you could have clover.
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Keep Your Soil Aerated
Clover competes for food and water with other plants but it also has a decided advantage in its niche because it is less concerned than grasses about having loose, aerated soil.
If you keep the soil loose, clover will have a harder time getting set and will also struggle when it is established. This is a preventative measure and a method of elimination.
Aerating the soil in your lawn is an excellent method to improve drainage and help grasses compete better against the invading clover.
Dont be concerned if youve never aerated your lawn before: Its not difficult to do it over a small area, and with the right tool even your whole lawn.
But you are dealing with badly compacted soil you might want to call a lawn care company and let them bring in machines to make short work of it.
You can aerate your soil by punching holes with a spike or with an aerator tool, the latter having rows of spikes or tines help you cover more ground, quicker.
Keep in mind to aerate your grassy spots as well as any other space where you are trying to get grass to grow. Were trying to help the grass thrive while we make things worse for the clover.
When the soil has been aerated, you may wait and let the grass take over the clover or opt to get rid of the clover immediately. We have a number of other methods at our disposal for that, just below.
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Reason : Microclover Provides Clover Benefits Without Drawbacks
Over the years many people have called us wondering how to eliminate the Clover in their lawns without using chemicals. Once they understand the benefits of Clover they often leave the Clover and even consider purchasing additional Microclover to help make the lawn more uniformly Clover covered!
The image above is of a lawn seeded with our Microclover which flowers much less prolifically than standard White Clover and is aggressive enough to spread evenly through a lawn. We’ve found that lawns planted with Microclover stay greener, healthier, and have fewer weeds than lawns with no Clover. In addition, they need less fertilizer and water. So, if you’re now of the mindset that if you can’t “beat clover, join clover” then you might want to learn a little more about it by visiting our Microclover page. You can also purchase Microclover at our online store.
Keep The Lawn In Good Health To Keep Clover Out
Keeping Clover out of our lawns, as well as most other weeds and diseases, is overwhelmingly a case of keeping the lawn as healthy as possible, including keeping up Nitrogen levels to the lawn soil.
If you havent already, begin implementing a good quality year-round organic lawn fertilising program.
This should be enough to help keep the lawn in good health and keep Nitrogen levels high enough in the soil that Clover will not take over again.
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Burn Clover With Ammonia
If you use ammonia to burn clover, you must do so correctly to ensure it is useful. The best time to apply ammonia to clover is one day after rain. If you dont want to wait for it to rain, you can water your grass and then apply the ammonia the next day.
Dont use household ammonia instead, purchase ammonium sulfate as it is made specifically for lawns. Follow the instructions and apply to clover once a month. Pair the ammonia treatments with proper watering for the best results.
Can You Use Fertilizer To Kill Clover
You can kill white clover on your lawn using fertilizer. A well-fertilized turf prevents unwanted plants from growing and ensures your turfgrass gets proper nitrogen levels.
Organic fertilizers can work too. However, if the white clover has overrun your grass, consider standard fertilizer. The best examples to consider include:
If you prefer organic fertilizer, consider spreading some coffee grounds on your lawn. You can also use eggshells by adding them to your compost and then using the finished product as soil sediment or surface mulch.
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Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Clover In Lawn
Once you see clover growth in your grass, getting rid of it as soon as possible is important if you dont want it spread like crazy throughout the rest of your landscape. Remember, though, that these remedies may take a little more time to work effectively or require numerous applications over a couple of weeks.
Should I Leave The Clover In My Lawn
These days, as people become more aware of the environmental and health hazards of herbicides, its becoming more common to cultivate more natural, diverse, and sustainable lawns.
Keeping clover in your lawn is actually a significant step towards creating a more sustainable lawn, and could save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
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How To Remove Clover
The most effective method of preventing clover from dominating your lawn is to maintain a dense and healthy lawn. Thick lawns are more easily able to crowd out weeds such as clover and prevent them from taking hold. .
There are also a few strategies you can try to get rid of existing clover in your lawn without using herbicides.
Feed you lawn well
Clover will flourish in lawns which have low nitrogen and fertility levels. Unfertilised grass gives clover an advantage as it can produce its own fertiliser, whereas grass cant. If there is sufficient nitrogen in your soil to keep your lawn healthy, the clover will struggle to survive. Clover will be much less of a problem if you fertilise your lawn with a good organic fertiliser during spring to ensure optimum nitrogen levels. To see Horsham Turfs range of lawn fertilisers, click here.
If youre not sure about your soils nitrogen levels, you can conduct a pH soil test to determine if nitrogen is lacking, or take a soil sample to your local lawn care provider to find out the same thing.
Mow high
It can be tempting to set your mower blades lower than normal to scalp the clover, but this will only stress your grass instead. Low-growing clover with its shallow roots has no problem being mowed short, although your grass wont love it. Mow high and leave your lawn over 3 inches tall, to give your grass the advantage. The longer grass will shade the weed and prevent it from growing.
Remove it by hand
Organic treatment
Why Is My Lawn Full Of Clover
There are a few reasons why your lawn might be full of clover. One reason could be that the pH of your soil is too low, which clover thrives. Another possibility is that you have poor drainage or compacted soil, which can also lead to an abundance of clover. Lastly, if you dont mow your lawn regularly, clover can take over.
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How To Spot Clover
Before you begin eliminating clover, you need to ensure that you know where to treat your grass, by identifying any clover.
Clover is identifiable by its trifoliate leaves. Meaning, each clover has three circular-shaped leaves, at the top of a short, thin stem. There is a white line that bisects each leaf horizontally, following the shape of the top of the leaf, and the leaf has a fold that bisects it vertically.
However, there are a few different types of clover, and they dont all look the exact same.
While clover typically has dark green leaves, they can be white as well, and may also have pink or yellow flowers.
Also, the size of each cloverleaf can vary quite substantially. However, most clover will not grow larger than the diameter of a penny.
To spot areas of clover, you can also leave your lawn for a week or two without mowing it. Typically, clover will not grow as tall as most types of grass, so you will be able to spot the clover in patches of your lawn that have remained short.
Block Out All Oxygen And Sunlight
Why not use what the planet and the sun provide us by blocking direct sunlight and all oxygen. You can throw plastic sheeting or even garbage bags over the patch of Clover. Just place some rocks or bricks in the corners, or whatever you have handy, to ensure it doesnt fly up.
Youll have to be patient, as this approach can take a few weeks. But it will eventually eliminate all Clover. Although a natural and effective way to kill Clover, be mindful that this method will also remove all grass under the plastic.
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What Will Kill Clover But Not Grass
For those with an otherwise neat and tidy lawn, plagued by clover, youll want to find a solution that removes clover without killing grass. You may like to find a herbicide that can chemically remove the clover in your lawn without killing the grass. Alternatively, you could try a more natural method such as spot treating the clover with white vinegar. Either way, there are several ways to get rid of clover in lawns without damaging the lawn itself.
Feed Your Lawn Regularly To Control Clover
Controlling any weed is best done by stopping the problem before it starts. Nobody wants to regularly battle weeds in their lawn, and if you are, that is a sure sign of a problem with the way you are caring for your lawn.
Clover thrives in yards that are underfed as the weed makes its fertilizer, as it pulls nitrogen from the air, not the ground. Proper lawn care requires feeding it with the appropriate fertilizer four times a year. These fertilizers provide your lawn with all of the nutrients necessary to grow strong and thick.
You can use commercial or organic fertilizers when fertilizing your lawn, as both produce excellent results. Always follow watering instructions included on each bag of fertilizer for a healthy and happy yard. The thicker your lawn the better, as lush greens crowd out weeds like clover.
After killing clover, if you have large patches of dirt, lay down some grass seeds and cover with a thin layer of mulch. Water the seed regularly to promote new growth. Follow the instructions on the package for fertilizing and mowing.
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Poor Soil Nutrient Levels
Clover thrives in soil with poor nutrient levels, especially nitrogen. Grass needs nitrogen to be able to grow well, but clover, as mentioned previously, can obtain nitrogen from the air and essentially make its own fertilizer.
As mentioned previously, organic lawn fertilizer can help boost these nitrogen levels and encourage healthy grass growth while discouraging clover growth.
Whats Causing Clover In My Lawn
There are multiple reasons you could have clover sprouting up in your lawn, most of which have to do with your soil.
- Wrong Soil pH: The ideal soil pHhow alkaline or acidic the soil isfor most lawns is between 6.0 and 7.0. If your lawns soil is too acidic, it will be harder for grass to grow, and much easier for clover. Luckily, you can use soil amendments like lime to balance out the pH.
- Poor Nitrogen Levels: Clover thrives in soil with poor nitrogen levels. Grass needs nitrogen in the soil to grow well, while clover can obtain the nitrogen it needs from the air, effectively making its own fertilizer. Your soil may be low in nitrogen because youve used too much fast-acting fertilizer. While they promote rapid grass growth, they can ultimately lower your soil quality. Switching to organic fertilizer like manure or corn meal can help you avoid this.
- Compacted soil: Compacted soil prevents your grass from getting the nutrientsincluding nitrogenair, and water it needs. Luckily, you can break up compaction with a core or spike aerator.
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Mowing The Lawn Higher
Some people may think that mowing closer to the ground will get rid of the clover, but that is only a temporary fix. Clover has a shallow root system and grows close to the ground. If you mow your grass higher, the grass will block out the light and not allow it to reach the clover and hopefully cause the clover to die. When you mow your grass under 3 inches, it stresses the grass and gives the clover the advantage. So mow higher and allow the grass to grow long and overtake the clover plants.
Vinegar & Water Solution
The first common method is to make a DIY killer spray that is non-toxic and effective against clover, mixing 1 cup of water, 1 cup of vinegar, and a teaspoon of dish detergent together in a spray bottle.
The soap causes the mixture to stick to the leaves, and the vinegar burns the leaves, eventually causing them to dry out and die.
Spray the vinegar water on patches of clover, carefully, avoiding the grass as much as possible.
Repeat spraying this natural weed control remedy twice a week until the clover has died.
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Will Clover Take Over The Grass
Clover will not take over your grass, but it can crowd it out if left unchecked. If you have clover on your lawn, youll need to be diligent about mowing and herbicide use to control it. Clover is a difficult weed to control, but with patience and persistence, you can rid your lawn of this pesky weed.
Is Clover The Enemy Of Lawn Maintenance
Clover was a standard component of all lawns until relatively recently. In fact, due to its beneficial properties, clover was deliberately included lawn seed mixes.
Homeowners and green keepers didnt consider clover a problem until the 1950s. So what changed?
After World War II, the same companies that had been developing chemical weapons, turned their attention to pesticides. The formulation of herbicides made it possible to cultivate monocultures.
Suddenly, clover was marketed as the enemy, along with dandelions, bindweed, and other broad-leaved flowering plants.
However, it was precisely the companies that created and sold pesticides and herbicides, that were on the front lines of the new war against clover. The trend for unsustainable monocultures in gardens and agriculture was created through clever marketing by agrochemical corporations.
So, to wrap up that slightly depressing spiel, clover is not an enemy of a healthy lawn. But there are some pros and cons to weigh up when deciding how much of it to include in your yard. Lets look at them in more detail.
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Will Clover Take Over Grass
If your lawn is in bad shape, plus you have poor soil, clover can easily take over. However, if your lawn is in good condition, it is unlikely that clover will become a major issue.
On the other hand, clover will also out-compete less desirable weeds such as crabgrass, which is one reason that it was historically a default part of lawn seed mixes. Using similar combinations today can help you curb the spread of other weeds.