Tuesday, March 19, 2024
HomeTrendingHow To Control Clover In Your Lawn

How To Control Clover In Your Lawn

- Advertisment -

Diy Clover Weed Killer

How To Kill Clover In Your Lawn The Cheap Way

Here is a DIY clover weed killer that uses water, the most natural ingredient to kill weeds and clover plant. While water is essential to plant life, when used differently, it is also a natural weed killer. Many home remedies for dandelions also work to kill clover.

  • Watering can

Bring a stockpot of water to boil and carefully pour the boiling water into a watering can. A metal watering can works better than a plastic one for this method due to the high temperature.

For killing weeds and to remove crabgrass, nutgrass, or clover, immediately take the can outside before it has a chance to cool and pour the water onto patches of clover. Be careful not to get any of the water on adjacent grass and desirable plants since it will kill them, as well.

Repeat daily until the weeds die. Remove the dead weeds and taproots from the ground to prevent any of the plants from returning next year. Fill the holes with dirt and re-seed or mulch.

What Does Clover Look Like

This might seem like a silly question since many people, thanks to St. Patricks Day, know the familiar 3-leaf formation clover is known for. However, white clover is sometimes mistakenly confused for black medic and oxalis or yellow clover because of similar 3-leaf formations. White clover puts out small white flower clusters and is a perennial.

Step #2 Pick The Right Time

For clover and other weeds to be susceptible to herbicides they need to be in a stage of active growth. For clover this means that daytime temperatures should be at least 60°F. Spraying them when temperatures are colder will lead to an incomplete uptake of the herbicide and lackluster results. However, spraying weeds when temperatures are too hot can also be problematic. When applied in times of high heat, many herbicides will damage desirable grass in addition to killing weeds. For T-Zone temperatures should not exceed 85°F, for Hi-Yield Triclopyr, SpeedZone Southern and Dismiss they should not exceed 90°F.

Herbicides should not be applied lawns that are wet. Dew, rain or irrigation water can all dilute even the best products and prevent them from sticking to the weeds. Thus, grass should be dry and no rain should be forecast for at least 12 to 24 hours.

When spraying most weeds it is advised not be mow the grass beforehand as reducing the size of the weeds makes for smaller targets for herbicides. However, when fighting clover mowing beforehand is a good idea as tall grass can actually prevent the herbicides from reaching the low-growing clover. Mowing, however, should be avoided for at least 24 hours after the application so as to allow ample time for the product to work its way into the clover.

Also Check: What Does Lawn Service Cost

Deprive Clover Of Sunlight

If youve been wondering how to get rid of clover, weve got you covered. If youre dealing with a large clover patch and youre willing to sacrifice your grass, place plastic sheeting, or a large garbage bag, over the clover. Be sure to secure the perimeter so the plastic doesnt fly off. Keep the clover covered for a few weeks. Depriving it of sunlight and oxygen should do the trick will kill it .

To start over with new grass, first youll have to determine if you want to use seed or sod. This discussion will help.

How To Get Rid Of Clover In Lawn Without Chemicals

Clover Spray For Lawns

After knowing the sources of clover, the question is;how to get rid of clover in lawn naturally. So, here are some of the;best way to kill clover in lawn:

1. Add nitrogen;

It is preferable to use a regular quick-release nitrogen fertilizer for more extensive and more established clover patches. It will quickly absorb nitrogen and have a higher chance of eliminating clover. The turf will become more flexible, while the clover will begin to diminish.

Clover requires low nitrogen levels to thrive, so search for a weed and feed product with higher nitrogen levels than other fertilizers.

2. Vinegar-Dish Soap Solution for Clover

Clover can be killed with vinegar as well. A general herbicide can be easily made at home using vinegar and soap. For that,;

  • In a 1:1 ratio, combine white vinegar and water.
  • Dish soap
  • In a spray bottle, shake it up.
  • To eliminate the clover, you’ll most likely need to apply the remedy over several weeks. Use the mixture just on clover, as it will harm other plants, including grass if it gets anywhere else. The vinegar dries out the leaves, while the dish soap binds the acid to the leaf’s surface. The plants will eventually leave to the environment.

    3. Getting Rid of Clover with Cornmeal Gluten

    Corn gluten meal is also a well-known natural alternative to weed-killing pre-emergent herbicides. Aside from the clover, if you want to get rid of weed also, this strategy has the advantage of not affecting the growth of any other plants.

    7. Grass Cutting Techniques

    Recommended Reading: How Often To Apply Fertilizer To Lawn

    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.

    How To Get Rid Of Clover In Lawns

    White clover is a pervasive weed that grows prolifically across Canada. Clover can be undesirable for the white flowers it produces, the bees that are attracted to the flowers, its ability to stay green when the rest of the lawn turns brown, and the sporadic clumps in your lawn. Clover can be very difficult to eradicate and requires several treatments throughout the season.We would love to help you create the lawn you desire, and the key is creating conditions that allow your grass to thrive and push out any unwanted intruders.

    Read Also: What Is The Best Mulching Lawn Mower

    Your Lawn Lacks Essential Nutrients

    Other plants in your lawn need essential nutrients such as nitrogen, but clover will grow in nitrogen-deficient soil. If you find an excessive amount of clover growing, it is an indication that your soil is love on nitrogen. The best way to improve your lawns nitrogen levels is to add fertilizers to improve the conditions. If you are not sure about your lawns nutrient levels call the professionals at Green Seasons to help with your lawn fertilization needs.;

    Is Clover A Weed

    How to Kill Clover in your Lawn

    While it isnt harmful to your lawn, clover is generally considered to be a weed. It has earned this status due to the fact that its typically an unwanted wild plant that will grow in competition with intentionally cultivated plants, these most often being the grass plants in a lawn. Some people do grow clover intentionally, whether it be for aesthetic reasons or if the soil is too poor to grow grass. However, for the most part, it will grow in lawns where it isnt desired, and therefore its considered by most to be a weed.

    Also Check: What Is The Best Product To Kill Weeds In Lawn

    Advantage #: Doesnt Mind Being Mown

    While your grass will stay healthier if left longer, clover thrives whether its left long or cut short. So cutting your grass short might mean you have to mow less frequently, but the advantage goes to the clover. Grass has a more extensive root system and will push out the clover, but it needs to be healthy and strong to do that. Read more about best mowing practices here.

    Clover In Lawns: It Was On Purpose

    Prior to the 1950s, a standard practice was to add clover seed to lawn-seed blends. Clover effectively competed with other weeds and provided a fairly low-maintenance lawn by providing nitrogen to the grass. Some grass seed blends today continue to include clover seeds.

    The suburban, middle class, along with single-family homes with carpets of lawn, grew significantly after World War II. Some of the chemicals developed during the war were now becoming available commercially to homeowners. The first residential herbicides were available in 1945 and was used to kill broadleaf weeds, which includes clover. This made it more convenient to eliminate clover from lawns than promote it.

    Although were seeing a trend to again introduce clover to lawns, most homeowners continue to prefer the clover-free, weed-free lawns that have been in vogue for the past seven or eight decades. These folks want to kill clover in their lawn.

    Don’t Miss: How To Grow Lawn Care Business

    Valuable Methods To Kill Clover But Not Grass

    Identifying clover is relatively straightforward. If your lawn is spotted with pink or white flowers that attract bees and butterflies, you have clover. Another easy way to determine if it is white clover marring your luscious green lawn is by their leaves. White clover features three leaves that form a petal shape.

    Each of these leaves is about half an inch long, with a white crescent shape prominent on each one. White clover generally blooms in the early spring or late fall. The best time to get rid of clover is when it first begins to bloom.

    Get Rid Of Dandelions

    11 Clever Ways to Get Rid of Clover in Your Lawn

    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.

    Also Check: What Is The Best Lawn Mower To Buy

    Advantage #: Itll Be Back

    Clover spreads rapidly and grows prolifically in poor soil conditions. It is, in many instances, more drought resistant than grass. Even if you think youve gotten rid of it, if you havent addressed the conditions that gave clover the advantage over your grass, it will be back. Clover is a perennial, so eradicating clover isnt a once and done situation.

    Pull Clover Out By Hand

    For small patches, you can attempt to get rid of clover by pulling it up manually.;

    Method: Using a spade, trowel, or your hand, loosen the soil around the clover and then pull the clover out, removing the entire plant and roots. Make sure not to leave any roots behind, otherwise the clover will just grow back.

    Read Also: How To Make Your Lawn Healthy And Green

    Where To Find Their Eggs

    Clover mites reproduce pretty quickly, which is why infestations can become a massive problem for homeowners. When working to get rid of clover mites, youll need to take their eggs into account.

    Once they reach maturity, female mites will lay upwards of 70 eggs during the summer and fall seasons. They usually deposit the eggs in well-protected places that get plenty of exposure to the sun.

    Eggs can lay dormant during the summer or even overwinter during the colder months. Where the mite lays the eggs is crucial for their survival.

    You can find them within small cracks in foundation walls, concrete slabs, or fence posts. Clover mites also like to lay eggs under tree bark or any other natural surface thats well-hidden.

    Once the eggs hatch, the nymphs will get to eating plant material almost immediately. Depending on the environment, they may grow and mature within 30 days.

    Fertilizer Rich In Nitrogen

    How to KILL CLOVER in your LAWN

    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!

    You May Like: Is It Ok To Fertilize Lawn In Summer

    Advantage #: Frequent Mowing

    Clover will thrive when you keep your lawn mown short or when you keep it long. The problem is that keeping your lawn mown short puts stress on your grass and prevents it from growing strong roots. On our blog we have talked about best mowing practices and recommend raising your mower deck and keeping your lawn a little longer to promote healthy growth. Keeping your lawn short means you mow it less often, but you create ideal conditions for clover to outperform your grass.

    How To Get Rid Of Clover Naturally

    Manual removal of clover in your lawn can be very difficult.; Since its roots are well spread, and the plant is mixed in with large sections of grass, it can be near impossible to segregate the clover from the grass.

    If your looking for more effective natural ways to get rid of clover then check out:;How to Get Rid Of Clover Naturally

    Also Check: When To Fertilize Lawn In Arkansas

    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.

    Sprinkle Some Baby Powder

    How To Kill Clover In Your Lawn

    Baby powder serves the same purpose as boric acid. It gets rid of clover mites by deterring and preventing them from entering a room.

    The talc-based powder is easy to use. All you have to do is apply it evenly across your floors. Pay close attention to corners, as the bugs can easily use those forgotten spots to get around the powder.

    If the clover mites affect specific areas or furniture pieces, use the baby powder to drive them away!;

    Make sure to keep people and pets out of the area as long as possible. You can then go back with a vacuum to pick up dead bugs. Alternatively, you might want to repeat the application to ensure that the bugs dont return.

    Recommended Reading: Does Lowes Deliver Lawn Mowers

    Kill The Clover Organically

    There is a great organic weed killer on the market that kills weeds in your lawn, without killing the grass. If you spray this organic weed killer on Clover, it will weaken the Clover without harming the surrounding lawn, giving your grass the advantage it needs to outcompete the Clover. Weed Beater Fe is the name of the product and we’ve had great success using it to eliminate Clover and help grass thrive.;

    Dish Soap And Vinegar Trick

    Vinegar has dozens of uses around the house. If you mix it with dish soap, it becomes an effective herbicide. The acetic acid in the vinegar draws moisture from the clover, killing it while the soap acts as a bonding agent to prevent the vinegar from running off.

    Simply add 1 tablespoon of dish soap to a gallon of white vinegar and put it in a spray bottle. If you want to increase its effectiveness, you can also add a cup of salt to the mix.

    A few words of caution, though. First, household vinegar is only about 5% acetic acid, which means it may take a few applications to kill the clover. Second, this is a nonselective natural herbicide, so avoid getting too much on your grass, or you may end up killing your turf too.

    You May Like: How To Clean Lawn Mower

    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.

    My 3 go to products for killing clover are:

    1.Ortho Weed B Gone Plus Crabgrass Control This is a great product to have on hand because of how easy it is to use. It comes with a battery operated wand so theres no need for a tank sprayer.; Its the go to post emergent in my 3 product lawn care plan. It kills clover and other broad leaf weeds as well as some undesirable grasses such as crabgrass.

    2.Ortho Weed B Gone Chickweed, Clover, Oxalis Kiler This is another Weed B Gone product that has different active ingredients which are more specific in targeting clover.; If clover is your main problem and you dont have many other broad leaf weeds then this product is a great choice.; It is sold as a concentrate so will require mixing with a tank sprayer.

    3.Tenacity Tenacity is a concentrate that works a little differently then the other post-emergents. Rather then poisoning the plant, it works by blocking photosynthesis.; With Tenacity, it might take 7-10 days before you begin to see whitening of the plant. Eventually it will look like your treated weeds are bleached.

    Also note that you might see some temporary whitening of the desirable grasses but they will ultimately green back up.

    Check out pic below from when I treated my clover using tenacity

    10 days later and the clover looked like this

    Tenacity Pros:

    RELATED ARTICLES
    - Advertisment -

    Popular Articles

    - Advertisment -