Benefits Of Clover For Lawns
Cloverspecifically white clover is a perennial plant native across much of Western Europe and Central Asia. Largely viewed as a weed in the past, this plant has dominated the lawn alternative movement. Why? Because its easy to grow, looks good, and offers several other benefits.
The small, deep green leaves of clover can quickly blanket a space. The stems stay low to the ground, typically growing no more than six inches tall and easily mixes well with grasses. Its easy to mow, but clover wont need that very often. And after mowing, clover lawns will quickly recover and fluff back up within a matter of hours to days. If left unmown, clover will bloom like crazy with flowers that attract pollinatorsseveral species of bees are particularly drawn to white clover flowers. Of course, people with bee and wasp sting allergies should be careful around clover while its blooming.
Clover is quite hardy, growing in USDA Zones 3-10 and is rarely bothered by diseases or pests. This plant grows densely, minimizing weeds without the use of chemicals. It tolerates foot traffic about as well as most grasses do, and doesnt die back from dog urine. It also easily reseeds, helping to renew itself and fill in bare spots.
Clover Lawns: Easy Start Directions And Maintenance Tips
Would you like a lawn that is green, healthy for your family and pets, and contributes many benefits to the ecosystem and environment?
A white Dutch Clover landscaped yard may be your answer!
- Overseed existing lawns for best results.
- The best time to seed is late spring to early summer.
- Keep soil moist until the seeds sprout. The approximate time needed is about 2 weeks. Some seeds sprout as early as 3-5 days.
- Using the recommended cut heightno shorter than three inchesaids in weed prevention.
- Fertilizing with composted material increases the growth rate.
- Overseed and fertilize again in the fall season.
It might take a few years to convert your lawn but is well worth the wait.
Did You Know?
Clover used to grow naturally in lawns.
Historically, clover commonly grew naturally in our lawns. The introduction and use of herbicides eradicated the broadleaf weeds, but removed deep-rooted clover, too. Without clover helping to absorb water, shallow-rooted lawns require more water to keep them green. When herbicides remove the weeds, the lawn needs more water to keep the grass growing to fill the holes left by the weeds.
See a detrimental and never-ending cycle here? Me, too. The herbicide companies love it.
It Can Help Fill Out Bare Patches Of Lawn
If you already have a lawn but it’s seen better days, sprinkling some clover on top of it will help it look more even. Once your clover lawn is in, it’ll also stay pretty resilient to daily wear and tear. Murphy notes that this makes it a great option for households with dogs who love to run around.
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How To Grow A Clover Lawn
This article was co-authored by Benjamin Hansen. Benjamin Hansen is a Landscape Contractor and the Owner of Artscape Gardens, a boutique landscaping company in Los Angeles, California. With over 12 years of experience, Benjamin specializes in transforming properties into aesthetic, functional, and drought-tolerant oases. Benjamin uses color scheme, dimension, and water conscious spaces to inspire the design and installation of soft scape, hardscape, patios, pathways, irrigation, drainage, fencing, concrete, lighting, and electrical work. Artscape Gardens covers all areas of the C-27 landscape contractor classification.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 13 testimonials and 97% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 736,916 times.
Clover In Fall: Everything You Need To Know
With energy and water costs on the rise, many people are looking for ways to cut down on their monthly expenses. One way to do this is by planting a drought-tolerant lawn. Clover is a great option for a drought-tolerant lawn because it is a hardy plant that can survive in low-water conditions. Lets look at how to plant clover in the fall.
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It Supports More Biodiversity Than A Standard Lawn
Lawns with short, uniform turfgrass or artificial turf are ecological nightmares. While they may look appealing to some humans, they don’t provide any kind of food or refuge for local critters. Clover lawns are better from this perspective, as they can attract certain bees, rabbits, groundhogs, and more.
However, Lawson notes, if attracting biodiversity is your goal, you’d be better off planting native species than clover.
Getting The Soil Ready
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What Is Clover And Why It Went Out Of Style
In the past white clover was common in lawn seed mixtures but went out of style when it was classed as a broadleaf weed in the 1950s
Years ago, clover wasnt considered a weed. Lawn seed mixes used to contain a mixture of grass seed and white clover seed to grow healthy lawns. Clover used to be common in lawns because it is hardy, low growing and it helped grass grow without fertilizers.
White clover has usually three or sometimes four small oval leaflets making up a leaf. Clover produces small white or pinkish flowers on the ends of stems. Clover forms a lush mat of green foliage. This perennial ground cover plant has a robust and extensive root system.
Clover wasand still isthe ideal complement to grass seed because it helps to fertilize the soil, thrives in poor soil, and survives drought conditions. So, before the 1950s, most lawns contained a combination of grass and clover.
Many gardeners consider clover a weed because it is considered an unwanted plant that spoils the manicured look of the lawn.
In the 1950s, clover became classed as a broadleaf weed. Many herbicides were promoted to help homeowners to get the perfect manicured lawn. The chemicals that targeted dandelions, crabgrass, chickweed, and other lawn weeds also killed off clover. So, gradually clover went out of style.
Drawbacks Of A Clover Lawn
- Difficult to remove clover stains from clothing
- Doesnt hold up to heavy foot traffic by itself, though clover mixed with grass provides a tough turf
- As a short-lived perennial may need to be replanted every three years, especially if it does not self-sow or spread
- Bee allergy concerns. If thats a worry, mow the clover to keep it from flowering.
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Why Do We Love Beneficial Bugs
In addition to pollinators, other beneficial insects are attracted to clover. Helpful garden predators such as ladybugs, minute pirate bugs, lacewings, and parasitoid wasps , will feed on the nectar and pollen of clover. These bugs are beneficial because they feed on aphids, whiteflies, scales, cabbage worms, and other garden pests that can be harmful to your plants. When we plant clover and other flowers to attract these natural predators, we take a big step toward managing pest problems in the garden — without the use of chemical herbicides, which are harmful to people, plants, and animals!
The Benefits Of Having Clover Mixed In A Grass Lawn
Having clover in a turfgrass boosts lawn nitrogen levels and suppresses weeds in the lawn
Some homeowners choose a lawn seed mix that contains a combination of grass and clover. Making your lawn more sustainable is one of the several benefits of adding clover to your grass lawn. Many gardeners use clover in grass to maintain and enhance existing lawns. A lawn that has patches of clover growing in it is generally healthier and greener than turfgrass alone. Also, mixed clover lawns require less fertilization and maintenance.
Here are the benefits of growing clover in lawn:
- Clover adds nitrogen to your grass lawn. Grass needs nitrogen to grow, and clover has a remarkable ability to boost lawn nitrogen levels naturally. Clover contains in its root system nitrogen producing bacteria. When the clover dies it releases this fixed nitrogen back to the soil, making it available for other plants.
- Clover growing in lawn reduces the need for fertilizing. When clover decomposes, it adds minerals to lawn soil, thus helping grass grow healthy, robust, and disease-resistant.
- Clover stays green throughout the summer. Unlike turfgrassscorching summer sun wont burn clovers leaves.
- Clover suppresses weeds in lawn. Clover is a broadleaf plant which does a fantastic job of crowding out traditional lawn weeds such as dandelions.
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Things To Know Before You Start
Clover does best when planted in clay or sandy loam soils with a pH between 6 and 7. To find out your soils pH, use a soil test kit or a pH meter. If your soil isnt in this desirable range, you can adjust the pH using lime , or peat moss .
The best time to plant clover is after the last frost in spring, when rains will help you establish new crop and competing grasses havent yet taken hold of available nutrients. Fall planting may also be a possibility if you live in an area with mild autumn weather. Temperatures should remain above 40F for the clover to take hold before winter.
As noted above, lawn specialists recommend using both clover and grass seed to establish the healthiest lawn possible. However, dont spread these different types of seeds together. Since clover seed is so small and dense, and usually clumps together at the bottom of the spreader or seed bag, spreading with grass seed usually results in uneven coverage. Instead, determine your desired ratio of clover to grass and spread separately.
What Month Do You Plant Clover
The best time to seed clover is generally after the last frost in spring when rains will help you establish new seedlings, and also competing grasses havent yet absorbed available nutrients.
You can also plant in the fall season, mainly if you live in an area with mild autumn weather. But ensure that the temperatures remain above 40F for your clover to establish before winter.
The forest seedling can also be a good choice. You may plant late summer too at least 6 weeks before heavy freeze conditions.
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Can You Plant Clover In The Fall
Yes, you can plant clover in the fall, but there will be some factors that you have to take into consideration. More about that in a few.
If youre trying to determine the best time to plant clover, that should be when the frost has cleared and the nighttime temperature is about 40ºF or warmer.
As such, the best time to plant your clover plants should be in the spring. To be more precise, you will want to plant from mid-April to mid-May. That way, it will be easier to take advantage of the spring rains.
If, however, irrigation is not a problem, you can seed clover late in the summer up to early autumn. When planting this period, you want to be as early as six weeks prior to the first heavy frost.
Keep in mind that you can plant through the winter if freezing temperatures are not common in your region.
How Long Do Clovers Take To Grow
When given the right growing conditions, you can expect your clover seeds to sprout in as quickly as two to three days.
Generally speaking, if temperatures are right, the seeds will germinate and sprout within a week.
How long it takes to grow from seeds to where it produces blooms depends on the species you decide to plant.
However, you can expect maturity within a year.
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How To Grow A Microclover Lawn
Getting your microclover lawn established isnt a difficult process, but it does take some careful planning. There are two main questions to ask yourself before you begin:
New lawn vs. overseeding
If you plan to seed micro clover into an existing lawn, be sure to mow close to the soil surface and aerate first. This will introduce air, water, and nutrients into the soil and give your seed a better chance of taking hold. Because clover seed is so fine, it passes between blades of grass quite effectively, but sow 25% more seed than you would a bare lawn to account for those that dont penetrate to the soil level. Seed with a thin coating of soil and sand to improve germination rates, rake lightly, and press. The sowing rate for an existing lawn is 1.5 pounds for 10,000 square feet.
Blended turf and micro clover lawn.
Blended lawns vs. straight microclover
A 100% microclover lawn is a thing of beauty, but as noted above, the seed can be costly for larger areas. In some locations, microclover goes dormant in the winter and wont retain its lush look year round, so blending with other plants can extend your lawns green look.
- Dwarf perennial ryegrass
- Kentucky bluegrass
Coated or uncoated seed?
How To Water Clovers
The trick to a healthy clover lawn is to keep the soil moist.
You can achieve this by giving the entire plot of clovers at least two inches of water every week.
This equates to watering about twice a week.
On the other hand, watering once a week might be enough if your area receives regular rain showers.
Some types of clover will tolerate mildly dry soil, but they will grow quicker and healthier when given enough water.
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How To Plant Clover In An Existing Lawn
This article was co-authored by Benjamin Hansen and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Benjamin Hansen is a Landscape Contractor and the Owner of Artscape Gardens, a boutique landscaping company in Los Angeles, California. With over 12 years of experience, Benjamin specializes in transforming properties into aesthetic, functional, and drought-tolerant oases. Benjamin uses color scheme, dimension, and water conscious spaces to inspire the design and installation of soft scape, hardscape, patios, pathways, irrigation, drainage, fencing, concrete, lighting, and electrical work. Artscape Gardens covers all areas of the C-27 landscape contractor classification.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 3,390 times.
Clover is affordable, easy to maintain, and , its great for pollinators! Adding clover to your lawn is a great way to cut down on maintenance, and its also a reliable source of food for any grazing livestock. In this article, well tell you how to prepare your lawn and the best way to plant clover for a lush, green lawn in no time.
What If I Already Have A Grass Lawn
You dont have to tear up your grass lawn in order to grow a clover lawn. One of the easier options for getting started is to add seeds to your existing space a little at a time. For this method, all you have to do is toss out seeds and water them, just as you would with grass seed. As the seedlings sprout and grow, the clover will expand further and further into the grass.
Gardeners can also benefit from adding clover seed during aeration, the process of loosening up compact soil to help it breathe. Aeration helps the soil become more welcoming to organic fertilizer, water, and seeds. Because of this, right after your aerate is a great time to add clover seeds to your lawn. It will help the seedlings establish quicker and stronger, help your lawn grow better, and benefit indoor plants.
Dont forget that there is an option to just dig up parts of your lawn if you so choose. It can feel overwhelming to do this all at once, so take it in sections. If another goal is to add more garden beds and spaces for flowers to a traditional lawn, remove chunks of your lawn to start fresh. As you plant perennials, mix in clover in between or in those hard-to-grow areas. In this approach, youre treating it like a ground cover, which adds an element of diversity to the space.
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