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.
Tips To Kill Clover In Your Lawn Naturally
May 15, 2020
Organics
Clover is far from the worst weed to run into, as its relatively easy to kill using chemical herbicides. But what if you have children and pets who frequently play in your yard? The last thing you want to do is risk harming them by applying chemicals in their play area.
This is where natural clover herbicides can step in and handle weed control, sans chemicals. Below are four tips to kill clover in your lawn naturally without resorting to strong chemicals. Plus, you may already have some of these items sitting around the house.
Dutch White Clover Vs Microclover
There are several varieties of clover but the 2 most commonly used for lawns are:
Themicroclover variety has smaller leaves, and fewer flowers, and showcases a lower growth habit compared to Dutch white clover. It has been a popular lawn option in Europe for decades and is also gaining steam in the United States.
Regular Dutch clover has bigger leaves, and some leaves can be the size of an adult fingernail or larger.
Even though regular Dutch clover and microclover are essentially the same plants, produce small white flowers andhave three leaves , and are nitrogen fixers, microclover is the more acceptable choice for ground cover because it tolerates lower mowing heights and can be incorporated into almost any existing lawn care practice.
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Should I Kill The Clover In My Lawn
As mentioned before, clover in your lawn is something of a personal choice. If you dont manage it, you could well end up with a lawn full of clover, and no grass. If you mow your lawn regularly to a short height, you will be adding stress to the lawn, encouraging clover to take its place.
Clover is, well very much in clover when competing grass is kept low, as its a tough opponent. It will effectively hoover up available nutrients and water leaving your lawn literally worn down by the battle to thrive.
Corn Gluten Meal Kills Clover
You can purchase corn meal gluten at your local garden centers or online. Kill grass and weeds naturally with this simple staple. The benefit of this method is that it doesnt affect any other plants growth, aside from the clover and weeds you want to eliminate.
How corn meal gluten works to inhibit clover is through dipeptides, which are released into the soil and dry out clover and other weed seeds. Dry seeds have a difficult time sprouting.
Use about 20 pounds of product for every 1,000 square feet of grass. After applying corn gluten, water thoroughly and allow to dry.
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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.
Why People Want Clover
Above, I had mentioned that there are people who want clover as a lawn for several reasons. Even though this is about what kills clover but not grass, I still feel as though it is only fair to share the reasons why people would want a clover lawn.
- Clover lawns can tolerate droughts better.
- Clover lawns attract bees
- Clover lawns are resistant to pet urine
- Clover lawns are inexpensive to maintain and rarely have to be mowed.
When it comes to knowing what kills clover but not grass, people have many options open to them. They can either get in there with their bare hands and pull the clover out by the roots, they can fertilize and water their yard to bring up the nitrogen levels and make sure their yard is hydrated.
They could even make sure to mow their grass high and not cut their grass below three inches.
Awareness of what your lawn needs and when your lawn needs it goes a long way when it comes to preventing issues like invasive clover patches. Once I learned how to properly take care of my lawn and when to fertilize it and how much water to give, I no longer had a problem with clover.
The best way to get rid of something is to prevent it from becoming an issue.
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How To Get Rid Of Clover In Your Lawn Naturally
Some homeowners like clover in their lawn, but many dont. If white clover is springing up and creeping out in patches in your yard, there are several ways you can get rid of it. If youre interested in going green, theres good newsyou dont have to use harsh chemicals. There are a number of simple ways to get rid of clover in your lawn naturally.
This Old House has rounded up the best methods for getting rid of clover in your lawn naturally, some of which wont even harm your grass. Once youve eradicated your clover problem, The This Old House Reviews Team recommends hiring a professional lawn care company to keep your lawn healthy, hardy, and robustmuch less likely to attract clover. We recommend TruGreen, an industry leader that offers five annual programs and a la carte services.
What Is Clover And Why Eliminate Clover In Your Backyard
Clover is a small plant immediately identified by its 3 leaves unless you are lucky enough to find an elusive four-leaved clover! Distinctive pink or white ball-shaped flower heads top the leaves, attracting pollinators and is similar to plants in the pea family. Clover is low growing and fast spreading, earning itself the title of a weed, rather than a thing of beauty for most people.
For some, however, clovers redeeming features help to save it from banishment. Here are a few reasons you may wish to consider keeping clover in your lawn, rather than getting rid of it:
- Stays green all year round
- Needs little in the way of either water or feed
- Provides nutrients to your soil
- Happy whether you mow your lawn often, or occasionally
- Keeps other weeds at bay
- Attracts pollinators
Of course, its personal preference, but for some clover is a nuisance and spoils the overall look of your lawn. If you are searching for bowling green quality, then clover in lawn is not the right plant for you.
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Use A Natural Weed Killer
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.
How Do I Kill Clover In My Lawn
While finding a four leaf clover might bring luck to some, not so to the avid lawn lovers among us!
Clover is not the nastiest of weeds to deal with, but it can still affect your lawn health and is usually a good indicator that something isnt right in your soil.
Luckily clover is a relatively easy fix, so lets have a look at why its in your lawn and what can be done to get rid of it once and for all.
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Will Clover Choke Out Grass
If left alone, white clover will choke out all other plants in the garden and will keep coming back every spring. It can be grown as a ground cover or as an ornamental plant. Clover can also be used to make a tea. The tea is made by steeping the leaves in hot water for a few minutes and then drinking the resulting liquid.
Get Rid Of Clover In Your Lawn With Products
When using products to eradicate clover plants, always check to see if they will damage the grass too, and follow the recommended directions closely.
#1 Spray a Vinegar Solution
One of the most common ways to get rid of clover is to use a vinegar solution on the weeds. To make the solution, mix one cup of vinegar, one cup of water, and a couple of drops of biodegradable dish soap in a spray bottle. Shake it up to mix the ingredients, then spray it on your clover patches.
The dish soap acts as a surfactant, helping the mixture stick to the foliage, so the vinegar can dry out the leaves, killing the plant. You may need to spray the solution numerous times over a few weeks for the plants to die.
Keep in mind that when using this method, the mixture will also harm anything else it touches, so spray when there is little wind and be careful to keep it off nearby plants you want to keep.
#2 Use Nitrogen
Another way to get rid of clover is to use ammonia, a form of nitrogen, to burn the plants. Apply ammonium sulfatewhich leaves your grass unharmedone day after it rains, following label instructions. Repeat once a month as needed.
Since clover makes its own nitrogen, applying ammonium sulfate gives the plants too much, which is ultimately toxic. Never use household ammonia as this is dangerous to humans and pets.
#3 Spread Corn Meal Gluten
#4 Use an Organic Herbicide
#5 Use an Organic Nitrogen-Rich Fertilizer
In the long run, youll also see healthier grass growth.
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Mow Your Lawn Higher Than 3 Inches
Clover is a low-growing plant with a shallow root system. Consequently, it does not grow as tall as the surrounding grass. If you set your mowers deck to three inches or higher, it will keep your grass higher than your clover, thus depriving the weed of sunlight.
While you might like the look of a close-cropped lawn, such a deep cut can harm your plants health. As a rule, cut no more than one-third off your grass during a single mowing session. Set your mowing height and your calendar accordingly.
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.
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Why Kill Clover In Your Lawn
Coupled with quackgrass, crabgrass, and dandelions, clover rounds out the most common lawn weeds list. If you dont want it in your landscape, its imperative to get rid of it immediately because it is considered highly invasive. It has an aggressive spreading habit that allows a single plant to multiply in size and take over your yard and flower beds quickly.
How To Kill Clover In Your Yard 2021
How To Kill Clover In Your Yard. Adios, an organic weed killer, will weaken and kill the clover in your lawn without harming any of your grass. Another simple solution to kill clover is to deeply water your lawn.
Applied to a lawn, corn gluten meal dries out seedlings, preventing the growth of clover and other plants. As said before, clover fixes nitrogen from the air but cant stand additional nitrogen.
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How To Kill Clover Without Weed Killers
Weed killers can be toxic, and all pesticides are the bane of the Organic Lawn and Garden movement. So, in keeping our lawns weed-free, we want to avoid weed killers as our prime directive as Captain Kirk used to say.
With this in mind, lets kill that Clover in the best way possible.
Remember Nitrogen Clover hates it in the soil, and our lawns love it. So lets start right here.
Spray A Vinegar Solution
Create your own non-toxic weed killer with this natural home remedy.
- Mix one cup of vinegar with a cup of water and one drop of dish soap.
- Shake it up and spray it onto any patches of clover. The vinegar will dry out the clovers leaves, and the dish soap will make sure it sticks.
- You may need to spray over a series of weeks to kill off the clover completely. Unfortunately, the vinegar can damage grass, so spray the solution carefully.
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How To Get Rid Of Clover In A Lawn By Hand
It is possible to get rid of clover without resorting to anything more than your own efforts and some garden tools.
Simply use a hand fork to dig out the plants. Pluck the clover up, ensuring you have removed all the roots along with it, advises Samantha Richards of Gazeboshop . This method ensures you havent killed your grass, and is a cheaper method of removal than buying a new spray product.
Reason : Clover Prevents Weeds
We talk about mowing your lawn high to help prevent weeds. Mowing high helps prevent weeds because the taller the grass, the more it shades the surface of the soil and makes it difficult for weeds to establish. Clover, with its umbrella-like leaves, shades the soil better than blades of grass do, so it, creating a less optimal environment for weeds. If you have Clover in your lawn, you can even mow at a more normal mowing height . So, if you like mowing your lawn short, Clover can help you avoid having a million other weeds. See how the grass in the playing field of Microclover below has far fewer dandelions than the perimeter grass without Clover?
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Get Rid Of Dandelions
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.
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No Chemicals No Clover
With the above tips, you can rid your lawn of unsightly clover without resorting to potentially dangerous chemicals. Sure, these natural weed killing methods may take more time and effort than a chemical-filled herbicide, but they also pose little to no danger to animals and children playing in your yard.
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Can I Just Throw Clover Seed On The Ground
You can plant clover by itself for ground cover, but it stands up better to foot traffic when combined with lawn grass. The recommended amount of grass seed to use to make a good lawn is between 5% and 10% by weight. If you want to plant it in the ground, youll need to mix it with 2 to 3 inches of soil. Clover can be grown from seed, cuttings, or transplants.
Its easy to grow, and you can grow it year-round. Clover is a fast-growing, drought-tolerant plant, so its a great choice for lawns, parks, gardens and other areas that dont get a lot of sun. Clovers is easy. You just need a few basic tools and a little bit of patience. This will help keep the soil moist and prevent the plant from getting too hot or too cold.