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How To Get Rid Of Lawn Clover

Get Rid Of Dandelions

How To Kill Clover In Your Lawn The Cheap Way

To kill dandelions, be sure to tackle them in the fall, when nutrients are transferred from the leaves down to the roots . An organic and effective way to get rid of this invasive weed is to use vinegar. The acetic acid in it makes for an all-natural herbicide. Apply it directly onto the leaves of the weeds. To increase the strength of store-bought vinegar, boil it down before application. Youll want to pour the vinegar into a spray bottle and spray the effected area. Within a few hours, youll notice the leaves have withered and turned brown.

Getting Rid Of Clover In Lawn Naturally

What kills grass and weeds permanently? The most natural way to control clover is by removing it manually. As soon as you spot a clump of the three-leaf weed, pull it out, root and all.

To remove, loosen up the soil at the base and gently pull the clump out of the ground. Repeat until you successfully remove all clover plants from your lawn.

This is actually the best way to get rid of clover, crabgrass, and almost every other type of weed or grass that grows where it shouldnt. It does take a little time but the reward is knowing that the weeds wont pop up again.


Of course, if you try to kill poison ivy by pulling it by hand, it is very important to wear protective clothing to keep from getting the urushiol on your skin. Thick gloves, long sleeves, and long pants are a must.

Use Nitrogen On Clover

Because clover thrives in environments void of nitrogen, you can control it with a nitrogen-rich weed-and-feed formula. One well-reviewed product to try is GreenView Weed and Feed. It killed most of the clover and dandelion within two weeks and the lawn is already starting to get that deep, dark green hue, says an Amazon reviewer.

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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.

Use A Natural Weed Killer

How to Get Rid of Burr Clover

Perhaps the most popular natural weed killer, vinegar is a great option to try if youre wondering how to get rid of clover. Mix a solution of one part water, one part vinegar and a couple drops of dish soap, add it to a spray bottle, then douse the clover. It may take a few weeks of frequent applications, but this natural blend wont harm grass or other plants, and is safe for use around kids and pets, too.

Once the solution has done its job, youll want to put grass seed down in any empty spots where there used to be clover in your lawn.

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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 Leave Clover In A Lawn

Sure, you can learn how to get rid of clover on a lawn and eradicate it once and for all. But, you can also ‘simply leave it alone to thrive and become a green haven, even in times of drought,’ says David.

‘it can be very obtrusive, but to many, it can be loved,’ he adds. And we’re not just talking about gardeners growing fond of the pretty blooms pollinators adore the nectar-rich flowers.

Why not fill your garden with bee-friendly plants and perhaps add some bug hotel ideas, too, to encourage even more visiting wildlife?


Clover will welcome bees to your plot

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Clover Control: How To Get Rid Of Clover

Clover is one of the most recognizable broadleaf weeds on lawns and turf. Clover is a perennial weed that grows low to the ground and is very persistent where established.

Even though it is a weed, clover is actually a helpful addition to your lawn as it contains certain characteristics that keep your lawn healthy. If you’re keeping a nice uniform lawn, you may hate the sight of it and want it gone.

Clover weed prefers nutrient-rich, moist soils. Dry and shady sites are not ideal conditions for growth. The notable characteristic of clover are its three-leaves which are rounded. There are many different species of clover and they can produce heads or dense spikes of small red, purple, white, or yellow flowers.


If you have Clover on your lawn that you want to get rid of, our DIY guide can help. The guide below has been put together by lawn care experts and will show you what the best clover killers are to use to properly conduct clover treatment so this plant no longer dominates your yard.

Is White Clover Toxic To Animals

How to Get Rid of Clover in Your Lawn Without Killing the Grass

Large hoofed animals, such as the White-Tailed Deer, cattle, horses, sheep, and goats, also graze on the foliage of clovers. However, some wild strains of White Clover can be mildly toxic if it is eaten in quantity by such animals because its foliage contains a glycoside that converts to prussic acid.

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Does A Combination Of Vinegar Epsom Salts And Dawn Dish Soap Really Kill Weeds

A combination of a highly acidic liquid, something people use to soak their feet in that is also known as magnesium sulfate and something that has been used to clean oil off birds after an oil spill. Yeah, I definitely think this combo will really kill weeds.

For best results, mix a few tablespoons of Epsom salts with warm water, two tablespoons of vinegar and a tablespoon of Dawn dish soap. Put this mixture into a spray bottle and spray the weeds. To avoid affecting anything nearby, be sure to get close to the clover as possible.


I know this particular method might not be in the what kills clover but not grass category normally, but as long as the application is carefully applied to the clover the grass will be fine.

Although, one note to make is that, due to the nutrients found in the salt, Epsom salts might actually make the clover grow faster and thrive better. Take that with a grain of salt.

How To Kill Clover Without Killing Other Plants

To not harm your lawn and surrounding plants when you are trying to kill a clover weed, make sure to take your time with the product you end up using.

Spray an inch or two away from the clovers to ensure control over where the clove killer is being dispersed. We also dont recommend applying your product on a windy day, as it can accidentally blow into your garden or other parts of your lawn.

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The Best Way To Seed Clover In A Pasture

Break up the surface of the soil in your pasture by going over it once with a power rake.

Mix the clover seed with sand. Clover seed is tiny and difficult to broadcast evenly. By mixing it with sand and broadcasting the two together, you can achieve more even coverage of the clover seed. An ideal mixture is 1 part seed volume to 30 parts sand volume.

  • Kill and rejuvenate the clover plot if the grass takes over again.

Use a seed broadcaster to broadcast the seed/sand mixture. Broadcast between 2 and 8 ounces of seed per 1,000 square feet of pasture. The more clover seed you spread, the more dominant the clover will be in the pasture.

Water the soil daily for about 10 days or until the clover seed establishes itself.

Also Check: How To Get Rid Of Clover In Lawn Without Chemicals

How To Kill Clover Using Herbicides

5 Easy Steps To Rid Your Lawn of Unlucky Clover

Some homeowners opt to use chemical herbicides to kill actively growing weeds or prevent clover from growing. Chemical control methods can be a very effective weed killer when used properly, so it warrants talking about them quickly.

There are two different approaches to killing clover, differing in timing.

  • Apply a product that kills the plants actively growing in your yard.
  • Apply a product that inhibits clover seed germination, so the clover cant sprout and take hold.
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    Best Post Emergent Herbicides

    Post-emergent herbicides are the best way to kill clover. Just keep in mind they require a little patience since it could take a couple weeks for the clover to die back. Also, repeat applications will likely be necessary, and mixing in a little surfactant with the herbicide will help the herbicide stick to the plant. Also, notice that there are different recommendations for cool season grasses vs warm season grasses.

    How To Get Rid Of Clover In A Lawn

    Before you get rid of clover in a lawn, consider whether you actually need to. The blooms of clover might, after all, be welcome as part of your wildlife garden ideas, since they are amongst the flowers that attract bees.

    Most gardeners have a love-hate relationship with clovers as they can be invasive in lawns, and survive close mowing, but they also provide important nectar for pollinators such as bees, says Ruth Hayes, gardening editor, Amateur Gardening.

    However, if making a lawn green and thick is the goal, heres how to get rid of clover in a lawn.

    Your two main routes for combating clover are cultural and chemical, explains Ruth Hayes. By cultural I mean digging up clumps of the weed and feeding the surrounding grass so it grows strongly and fills up any bare patches in grass where clover might take hold. However, avoid fertilizing a lawn during hot and dry spells as it will scorch the grass and do more damage than good.

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    Reasons To Use Clover In A Lawn

    In recent years, clover has been reexamined, and many plant scientists and some homeowners are recognizing its virtues as a component in lawn grass mixturesor even as a replacement for turf grasses:

    • Clover is among the first plants to green up and thrive in the spring, and it retains its green color even in drought conditions.
    • The low growth habit of white clover means it can go without mowing all season long if desired. A clover lawn needs only to be mowed a couple of times a year to maintain its appearance.
    • Clover is the ideal lawn surface for homes where there is little activity on the lawn and the desired result is more aesthetic than functional.
    • For high activity lawns, clover blends are making a comeback and can once again be a part of the lawn mix along with grass seed. A lawn seed blend including clover is ideal for an all-purpose, low-maintenance lawn, especially in poor soil.
    • People wanting a more natural lawn maintenance regimen or people in areas affected by pesticide bans benefit from adding clover to the lawn.

    How To Remove Clover From Lawn

    How To Get Rid Of Clover In Your Lawn

    The most effective way to remove clover from your lawn is to use a herbicide that contains trifluralin or dicamba. These products will kill clover as well as many other common weeds. Be sure to follow the directions on the label carefully and only apply them when the weather is cool and there is no chance of rain.

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    Killing Actively Growing Clover With Post Emergent Herbicides

    Post-emergent synthetic herbicides are one of the most effective clover control methods. This news might not be favorable for homeowners who prefer a more natural approach to lawn care, but unfortunately, its the truth.

    They work to destroy actively growing weeds by either attacking the foliage or making their way through the plants vascular system to destroy the roots. Selective herbicides are carefully formulated to control specific types of weeds or weed categories , so they wont harm your grass when applied correctly.

    The following 4 broad-leaved herbicides are highly recommended on Amazon if you are looking for a highly effective post-emergent product for controlling clover. They are all selective formulas formulated to target actively growing clovers and other broadleaf weeds.

    Preview

    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.

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    Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Clover In Your Lawn

    Does your lawn have clover? Do you just detest the sight of it? Believe me, I know how that feels. But while clover may not look so great in your all-green lawn, especially white clover, it has its benefits.

    However, if you are looking for how to get rid of clover in your lawn, I have put this guide together to offer you a solution.

    How To Get Rid Of Moss And Clover In Lawn

    How To: Get Rid of Clover

    So you mow it regularly, give it some love and you cannot figure out why there clover and moss are constantly taking over your lawn?

    Some people actually prefer to have a moss or clover lawn, if you live in an area that has the completely wrong conditions for growing grass then giving up and growing a moss or clover lawn may be the only option.

    I am going to do my best to tell you how to get rid of moss and clover in your lawn so you can have a lawn that is thick with beautiful lush green grass and it is not a case of simply applying a herbicide to solve your problem.

    If you are willing to take action it is possible to transform your lawn from a lawn that has moss and clover growing all over it and into the lawn of your dreams and the envy of your neighborhood.

    The best way to get rid of moss and clover in your lawn is to mix baking soda with water and spray it over your lawn. You should test a small patch first to make sure this mix will not have a detrimental effect on your specific variety of grass. This is the easiest way to get rid of them both with one application.

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    Adjust Your Mowing Height

    Mowing over clover with a lawnmower is a temporary way to control clover growth. Most people think that lowering their mowers height, so it sits closer to the ground is the most effective way to control clover. The opposite is true.

    Clover is a low-growing weed and offers a shallow root system. Allowing your grass to grow taller blocks the sunlight clover needs to grow.

    Weed Out Clover By Hand

    If you are dealing with small patches of clover, weeding by hand is the most effectiveand greenestway to get rid of it. Thankfully, this task isnt too taxing, even if you dont think you have a green thumb. Heres how to do it:

  • Grab a pair of gardening gloves and a spade.
  • Loosen the soil around the clover with your spade.
  • Pull up the plants with your gloved hands.
  • Remember to get the roots, though, or youll see those little white flowerssprouting up again in a few days.

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    Fertilizer Rich In Nitrogen

    It is often the lack of nitrogen that damages the lawn and promotes the emergence of clover. The application of such a fertilizer therefore eliminates this weed. Choose the type of fertilizer to use based on the condition of the clover in your lawn. If there are only small spaces covered by clover, choose an organic fertilizer. If not, apply a quick-release fertilizer to kill the weed immediately. Spray the fertilizer directly on the clover once a month, preferably in the spring, or according to the directions on the product label.

    Quick tip: Clover is a plant that naturally produces nitrogen so you can get rid of it and use it as fertilizer for your lawn!

    Use The Clovers Lifecycle To Your Advantage

    How To Get Rid Of Clover In Your Lawn

    Unless you live in a warm climate, such as one of the states in Zones 8 through 10, your clover likely lies dormant in the winter. You can try putting down a preemergent herbicide, which works from the ground up to kill weeds and their shoots. Apply this product to your lawn in the fall, and it can help prevent several weeds from growing not just clover but also crabgrass and dandelions.

    However, you may not know clover has taken root in your grass until it crops up in the spring. So while you probably want to use a preemergent herbicide, you will almost certainly need to have a post-emergentweed killer on hand in early spring, too. Post-emergents go on new plants in the spring and generally work from the leaves down to the root systems.

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