How to Remove Clover

White clover is a fierce competitor of turfgrass. This sturdy perennial hugs the ground, effectively avoiding a mowing deck. By harvesting nitrogen from the atmosphere and converting it into a usable plant-friendly form, white clover thrives and thrives, whereas traditional lawns fail to gain traction due to a lack of nitrogen. White clover also has remarkable cold hardiness; Harsh winters rarely recede. Sideline spreads with our five essential tips for getting rid of clover in your lawn.

1. Start with a healthy lawn

Here's a secret clover doesn't want you to know: It can't compete with a lush lawn. A healthy lawn will beat all types of weeds in time, including white clover. When grown in good soil and fortified with adequate moisture, turfgrass spreads more vigorously than white clover. Turfgrass essentially eliminates white clover by growing into a clover colony, putting up new stems, and reducing the clover's ability to capture sunlight. Soon the clover will disappear because it cannot sustain itself without sunlight.

A healthy lawn starts with good soil. Nutrient-rich, well-drained loam is the foundation for a lush green lawn. Adequate humidity is another component. A property thrives when it receives 1 inch of water per week through rainfall or irrigation.

Finally, mowing height affects lawn health. Lawn grass is best maintained at 3 inches tall. Maintaining lawns at a high or low mowing height encourages a thin coverage, opening up the ground for weed seeds to take root. Exceptions to this guideline are warm-season grasses such as centipedegrass and zoysiagrass. They grow well at 2 inches tall.

2. Fortify your soil with nitrogen

Fertilizing your lawn is an effective way to control the growth of clover and in many cases eliminate it altogether. Generally, white clover-infested lawns grow in soils that are low in nitrogen. White clover can harvest nitrogen to meet its growing needs for the atmosphere, but turfgrass cannot accomplish that feat. Provide nitrogen fertilizers and give the lawn a handover.

For faster results, use a synthetic nitrogen fertilizer made for lawns. Rapidly available to plants and easy to use, synthetic nitrogen fertilizer pellets can harm the environment if not used properly. Applying too much fertilizer or spreading it near waterways can lead to runoff that destroys native habitats. Follow package directions carefully when fertilizing. Synthetic lawn fertilizers can be applied as the lawn begins to grow in the spring and into early fall.

A natural way to increase soil health and available nitrogen is to spread a thin layer of compost over the lawn in early spring and fall. A well-composted compost will enrich the soil with many nutrients in addition to nitrogen and encourage a thriving community of soil microbes. Don't expect compost-type lawn fertilizers to stimulate rapid turf growth. Natural fertilizers work more slowly than synthetic fertilizers, but the long-term soil improvement they provide is valuable.

3. Wait for fall to apply herbicide

Broadleaf herbicides eliminate white clover when applied at the right time. While you may be tempted to take action by applying herbicide in the spring or summer when clover is growing lush and abundant, wait a few months for the best results. University research has found that autumn is the most effective time to apply broadleaf herbicides specially formulated for white clover. Maximize white clover control by treating the lawn with a herbicide when it has not rained for at least 24 hours after application. Do not cut immediately before or after use. Follow product label directions exactly.

4. Consider the cost

Treating grass to eradicate white clover has financial and environmental costs. Take both into account when deciding on a course of action. Financial costs can vary widely depending on whether you do the fertilizer or herbicide applications yourself or hire a lawn care company to do it for you. Get some quotes from reputable providers if using the service.

The environmental cost of clover removal is significant. Add pollen to a variety of white clovers A source of food for insects. Clover controls—fertilizer and broadleaf herbicide—have the potential to negatively impact the environment through damaging runoff and harmful herbicide excess.

5. Reconsider your flooring

Is thick, consistent carpeting an essential part of your landscape? If the answer is yes, white clover control is your best option. Are you open to the idea of a mixed lawn? Bee meadows belong to this category and are a mixture of prairie grasses, fine fescues, and Kentucky bluegrass, along with flowering plants such as white clover, which can grow at low mowing heights. Mixed-species lawns are different and not as neat and tidy as an exclusive grass lawn, but they offer many environmental benefits while providing an inviting, green gathering place.