Sunday, March 24, 2024
HomeWhat To Use To Get Rid Of Clover In Lawn

What To Use To Get Rid Of Clover In Lawn

- Advertisment -

Use A Nitrogen Rich Fertilizer On Your Lawn

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

Clover preys upon lawns that are deficient in nitrogen and have low soil fertility. Using nitrogen-rich fertilizer or weed n feed products will ensure that your nitrogen levels are sufficient. The healthy and thick grass growth that results will not afford the weeds enough room to begin their hostile takeover.

Its also important to remember that higher phosphorus levels in your lawn promote clover invasion on your lawn. Keep that in mind when you go to fertilize your lawn. Because you will need adequate phosphorus levels to keep your lawn healthy, but a surplus of the nutrient can support the growth of these weeds.

How To Get Rid Of Clover

If you want your lawn to resemble the lush fairways of a golf course then clover is the stuff of nightmares. It invades your lawn, and because most varieties hug the ground closely it can be tough to spot and destroy early. Before you know it, clover is among your grass, stealing territory and conquering your yard.

The good news is, there are several ways to get rid of the clover in your lawn. Whether you prefer an all-natural approach for clover control in lawns or you decide you need to take more drastic measures, there are several effective approaches for removing clover. But before learning about how to get rid of clover, first, we should get to know the enemy.

  • Embrace Clover or Remove it?
  • Why Do I Have So Much Clover In My Lawn And How To Get Rid Of Clover

    Clover can be a real problem when it invades lawns, gardens and other grassy areas. Clover is the common name for plants in the genus Trifolium, which includes wild clover and white Dutch clover . The plant has three leaves growing out of one point at the top of each stem. Instead of blooming with flowers like most other plants, it produces tiny red or pinkish-red flower buds that get eaten by birds before they open.

  • Vinegar solution
  • You May Like: How To Treat Rust Fungus On 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.

    Apply Corn Gluten Meal Over Your Entire Lawn

    How to Get Rid of Clover in Your Lawn Naturally

    An application of corn gluten over your lawn every year in the spring acts as a natural pre-emergent herbicide product to prevent weeds from growing in the first place. This organic alternative to caustic chemicals works by inhibiting a newly germinated seed from sprouting.

    The corn meal releases organic dipeptides into the soil. These dipeptides dry out the clover weed seeds and make it harder for them to sprout after germination.

    Read Also: How Much Is Trugreen Per Month

    Why Do They Appear

    Clover gets a bad rap. Before World War II, it was mixed in with traditional grass seed and used to supplement the healthy growth of the grass. Today it is seen as a problem. And the reason that you have so much of that problem is because of the its ability to survive while your grass turns brown.

    Here are the reasons that they show up and take over your grass.

    Whats The Best Way To Deal With Clover Around My Property

    The best way to deal with clover in your yard is proper lawn care practices and preventative maintenance. Taking care of your lawn before a problem arises is the best way to handle any potential problem.

    So ensure you are keeping up with your soils pH and fertility level. Aerate your soil, water, and mow your lawn properly. All of these actions add up to one thinga healthy lawn and garden around your home that is resistant to invasion by clover and other weeds.

    When it comes to your lawn, you truly get out of it whatever you put into it.

    Please help share our content!

    Don’t Miss: Peat Moss Lawn

    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.

    How Professional Weed Control Can Help

    How to Get Rid of Crabgrass & Clover in the Lawn – Weed Control Like a Pro

    Using a professional lawn care service provides homeowners with trained specialists who have gardening expertise and reliable equipment to perform any lawn care service quickly and affordably.

    Homeowners, especially those who dont have time or the physical capacity to weed their lawns each week, can receive high-quality lawn care treatments from companies like TruGreen that help lawns thrive.

    Also Check: Ecoscraps Vs Milorganite

    Bow And Arrow Herbicide

    Bow and Arrow 500mL is one of the most effective broad leaf liquid herbicides on the market. Bow and Arrow 500mL is suitable for Zoysia, Kikuyu, Couch and Buffalo grasses however transient discolouration may occur on Kikuyu, Carpet and Queensland Blue Couch lawns. Always read the safety directions and instructions on the product label before use.

    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.

    You May Like: Mowing Simulator Ps4

    How To Get Rid Of Clover With Nitrogen

    The better fertilized your yard is, the fewer problems you will have with weeds. The same holds with white clover. To combat clover, check your lawns nitrogen levels, as the proper levels give you an advantage over the weeds.

    Low nitrogen levels are required for clover to thrive, so look for a weed-and-feed product containing higher levels of nitrogen than other fertilizers. For lawns overtaken by clover, do not use a slow-release formula, as those only work on smaller patches.

    The Soil Ph Levels In Your Soil Are Wrong

    How to Get Rid of Clover: 4 Natural Methods

    Clover can thrive in soil conditions that are unsuitable for grass. Grass does not do well in pH levels that are too low or too high, but clover does well in almost any pH level. The more acidic your soil is the harder it is for your grass to grow and much easier for clover. Luckily, you can use soil amendments like lime to balance out the pH.

    You May Like: Small Yard Riding Lawn Mower

    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 Clovers In Your Lawn Without Chemicals

    The biggest issue gardeners have in curbing the spread of clovers without affecting the grass around them. Luckily there are quite a few natural methods you can use to get rid of clovers naturally.

    Here are our top 10 tips on how to get rid of clovers without chemicals.

    1. Pull Them Out

    Removing the clovers manually by hand is always the safest option. Using a pair of gardening gloves, simply pull the flowers, stems and roots of the clover out from the ground and discard.

    2. Mow High

    While mowing low will kill off your lawn, it wont really affect the clovers. Be sure to mow at least 3-inches above the grass, which will help to keep your grass strong and healthy. Meaning the clovers wont be able to take over.

    3. Suffocate the Clovers

    It may sound dramatic, but it can be incredibly effective. Simply place a plastic bag over the area you want to kill off. This will deprive it of sun and oxygen, and the clovers will eventually die out.

    4. Feed With Fertilizer

    Fertilizer boosts the soil nitrogen content, which will naturally kill off clovers. Any balanced fertilizer will do as it will help to boost the growth of your lawn and curb clovers from growing.

    5. Use an Organic Weed Killer

    There are many varieties of organic weed killers that can protect your grass and weaken the clovers. Be sure to check the label to ensure the weed killer isnt filled with any harmful chemicals.

    6. Keep Watering Your Grass

    7. Mulch as Much as Possible

    8. Try a Vinegar Solution

    10. Start Again

    Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Corn Speedwell In Lawn

    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.

    Getting Rid Of Clover In Your Lawn

    How To Get 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.

    Don’t Miss: Yard Aerator Lowes

    If Your Soil Is Compacted

    Soil compaction can cause many problems in your lawn. The roots of your grass wont be able to reach down to water and other essential nutrients. Clover has a shallow root system, so it will thrive in these conditions.One of the best ways to relieve soil compaction is by lawn aeration. If you have any questions about lawn aeration contact the professionals at Green Seasons for a free consultation.

    How To Control White Clover

    White Clover has shallow roots which can be dug up using a gardening tool or fork, preferably before flowering. Collect all the pieces of stem and root so they dont propagate new plants.

    If youre determined to rid your lawn of White Clover, be prepared to tackle it every year because it produces seeds capable of surviving high heat and low temperatures that can lie dormant in the soil for several years.

    Where the size of the affected area makes it impractical to dig out the weeds, there are several treatments that will kill White Clover in lawns without damaging the grass.

    Try an organic weed killer, pour liberal quantities of white vinegar onto the plants, or choose a Broadleaf Weed or Clover-specific selective herbicide.

    Depending on the maturity of the plants and how large an area is affected, it may be necessary for you to treat the White Clover more than once.

    Selective herbicides are less dangerous to your lawn than glyphosate.

    Look for products containing these active ingredients:

    • Halosulfuron-methyl
    • Mecoprop and dicamba
    • Dimethenamid-P and pendimethalin
    • DSMA and MCPA
    • Bentazone, MCPA and dicamba
    • Bromoxynil and MCPA .

    Products containing more than one active ingredient will usually act as both a contact and a systemic herbicide. This means they kill on contact as well as being absorbed by the White Clover plant. The plants must be actively growing and not under any stress for them to work.

    Read Also: Does Menards Carry Riding Lawn Mowers

    Should I Remove Clovers From My Garden

    While it is important to know how to get rid of white clovers without destroying the lawn, its equally as important to know why. Clovers do have many beneficial properties, so you dont always have to get rid of them if you dont want to.

    Did you know that clovers can actually help to fertilize your lawn? Clovers have a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria in the soil. Sometimes, growing clovers can actually help your grass grow and recover.

    More so, clovers prevent the spread of harmful weeds. You can also find micro-clover varieties that give you all the benefits of having clovers on your lawn without the unsightly drawbacks.

    Is Clover Bad For Lawns

    5 Natural Ways to Get Rid of Clover in Your Lawn

    The short answer is no. In fact, clover might be good for your lawn, since it requires less water, fertilizer, compost, herbicide, and weeding.

    Today, the current grassy monoculture is the ideal of most homeowners. But as water and energy costs rise, many are seeking alternatives to the traditional thirsty, labor-intensive American lawn.

    One of the most popular lawn alternatives is white clover , also known as Dutch clover or Dutch white clover. Although many people consider it a weed, a healthy patch of it was considered a standard of excellence in lawn care until the 1950s, when people started using broadleaf herbicides to kill clover and other more harmful weeds.

    In recent years, however, clover lawns have been experiencing a revival due to their many benefits and charms. There are two types: pure clover lawns, which are best for areas with low or moderate traffic, and mixed grass-clover lawns, which are best for playing fields and other high-traffic areas.

    Read Also: True Green Prices

    How To Kill It Without Destroying Your Lawn

    Lets get the obvious method out of the waygood old fashioned manual labor. You can spare the grass from its demise by digging the plants up. However, this is usually used to get rid of smaller patches of clover in your grasses. If youre working with a ton of weeds, youre going to have to take another route.

    We have already discussed using corn gluten as an organic pre-emergent herbicide product. It wont harm the grass on your lawn.

    If youre going to use a broadleaf chemical herbicide, you will need to ensure that the product is designed to control broadleaf weeds on your specific grass type. The herbicide for your grass type will differ only slightly from other products for different grasses, but that slight difference is what will kill the clover without harming the grass on your lawn.

    Also note, vinegar is not a selective herbicide. It will kill any and all plant life. If you use it and accidentally wind up spot spraying it onto your desired grass, then your grass will also suffer.

    Why Clover Takes Over

    Clover begins growing in lawns for a variety of reasons, and its presence mainly depends on the health of the soil.

    This flowering weed can grow in almost any type of soil, especially when its compacted and doesnt have high organic matter content, or has a pH level thats too high. Lawns that experience heavy foot traffic from children and pets are especially susceptible to clover. Clover can easily tolerate compacted soil because its long roots enable it to access water at deeper levels than the grass can.

    Because clover is a nitrogen-rich weed, it can easily thrive in under-nourished lawns. In fact, clover species live close together with a root-inhabiting bacteria that removes nitrogen from the air.

    If you want to get rid of clover, applying organic fertilizers when the soil is warm enough can provide the right nutrients for your grass and its soil and roots, plus it will help deter this weed from cropping up throughout the yard. The region where you live and the type of grass you have, and whether its a warm season or a cool season, will impact when you should fertilize your lawn.

    This weed can also thrive in lawns with stressed soil and grass that has been cut too short or doesnt receive enough water.

    Recommended Reading: How Much Lime Should I Put On My Yard

    RELATED ARTICLES
    - Advertisment -

    Popular Articles

    What Is Rgs For Lawns

    - Advertisment -