Australian Advice on Eradicating Clover from Your Lawn

The origins of the wildflower known as the clover can be traced back to both Europe and Asia. Its leaves are shaped like shamrocks, and its flowers can be either white, pink, or purple.

Because it can multiply so rapidly and take over lawns and other parts of the garden where you might not want it to grow, clover is a type of plant that is referred to as a weed.

Follow these steps to keep clover under control in your lawn:

The fundamentals of clover management

A widespread type of broadleaf weed that can pop up in a variety of places across your lawn is called clover.

If you have a lot of clover growing on your lawn, you need to learn how to get rid of it so that you can maintain your lush, green lawn and keep it looking its best.

Clover can be managed using one of these three primary approaches:

Since clover thrives in low-nitrogen environments, the first step in combating this problem is typically to raise nitrogen levels.

Your soil's fertility will improve as a result of this, and grasses, rather than weeds like clover, will have an advantage in terms of growth.

In the following sections of this article, we will investigate each of the three treatment options in greater detail.

Why is there clover growing on your grass instead of grass?

The weed known as clover is a perennial plant that grows on grass lawns. If you have clover growing in your lawn, it's probably because the soil lacks the nitrogen that your grass needs to thrive.

Because clover plants are capable of producing their own nitrogen through a process known as nitrogen fixation, they are able to thrive even in conditions where there is an inadequate supply of nitrogen.

This indicates that if you want to get rid of clover in your lawn, you will need to provide your lawn with a greater amount of fertilizer that is high in nitrogen.

Because clover has so many positive effects, you might want to consider whether or not you really should get rid of it.

The clover plant is beneficial to agriculture because it keeps the soil moist, prevents the growth of other weeds, and draws in beneficial insects like bees.

In addition to this, it helps lessen the requirement for artificial lawn fertilizers.

In addition, clover is not likely to completely take over your lawn even if it is allowed to. If you take steps to improve the overall health of your lawn, clover is not likely to present much of a challenge for you.

Where can I find clover?

Because clover is a perennial plant, it produces new growth even after the growing season has passed. Red clover, also known as Trifolium pratense, and white clover, also known as Trifolium repens, are the two most common types of clovers.

It is a stolon plant, which means that it has underground stems that spread out through the soil, and new plants grow from these stems. The plant functions as if it were a stolon.

Because of this particular type of growth, white clover is able to quickly establish itself in regions that have not been cultivated with it in the past. After germination, the leaves unfurl into the shape of a shamrock when they are fully expanded.

Clovers are legumes In other words, legumes are nitrogen fixers, which means that they take nitrogen from the air and convert it into nutrients that they and other plants can use. This process is known as nitrogen fixation or rhizobium, and it is carried out by legumes.

Clover identification

Clover white is a plant that grows low to the ground. The leaves are trifoliolate, smooth, and may be marked with either light or dark spots. The plant has the appearance of a shamrock.

The flowering heads of white flowers are carried on stems that are 7 centimeters in length. Typically, one is sufficient. 5–2 centimeters in width and are frequently visited by honey bees as well as bumblebees.

The solution to the clover problem

Option 1: Raise the amount of nitrogen in your grass's soil.

There is no method that is more effective than elevating the levels of nitrogen present in your lawn if you want to get rid of the clover that grows in it. Since clover does not tolerate high nitrogen levels, their presence will eventually be eliminated.

In the NPK ratio, you should look for a lawn fertilizer that has a high "N" number.

Lawn fertilizers that are recommended include:

• Scotts Lawn Builder Premium Fertiliser1
• Lawn Fertilizer by Richgro Called Cresco Richgro

A helpful hint: Raise the cutting height of your mower.

Although shortening the grass on your lawn will not eradicate clover, it could have a detrimental effect on the overall health of your lawn.

Instead, you should mow your lawn frequently and at a high setting in order to give it the best chance of becoming healthier and naturally combating the clover.

Option 2: Take it apart by hand.

When you only have a small amount of clover to remove, the most effective method is to do so by hand. If the clover in your lawn is still young and has not yet become well established, it is simple to uproot by hand.

Since grass seedlings do not fare well in competition with clover, it is important to get rid of them before they reach a size where they can dominate the area.

Before you reseed, it is highly likely that you will need to remove any patches of grass that have been damaged by the clover or weeds. This will ensure that your new seedlings grow as quickly and successfully as possible.

Option 3: Weed killer for broadleaf plants

In the event that you decide to make use of a weed killer, it is essential that you are aware that clover is a broadleaf weed.

This indicates that its leaves are broad and flat, which is useful information for determining which types of weed killers will be most effective.

In addition to herbicides designed to eradicate broadleaf weeds, there are also products designed specifically to eradicate clover. These products contain chemicals such as bromoxynil, MCPA, triclopyr, and triethylamine salt.

Before applying these chemicals, make sure you read the label thoroughly and understand all of the potential side effects, including the possibility that they will kill other types of vegetation.

Herbicides recommended for use against clover:

• Amgrow Bin Die1
• Clover herbicide and Yates Bindii herbicide.

Late winter is typically the best time to use a pre-emergent herbicide for effective broadleaf weed control. In general, this is because pre-emergent herbicides have the most time to work.

This kind of herbicide will eradicate the weeds before they even have a chance to germinate and cause problems.

Nevertheless, there are also selective post-emergence herbicides that can be utilized throughout the growing season in order to eliminate broadleaf weeds.

It is recommended that selective herbicides be applied with a weed sprayer so that the entire lawn is covered.

Make use of surfactant as a tip.

The use of surfactants lowers the surface tension of the leaf, which in turn disperses clumps of weed spray liquid and results in a more even coating of the leaf.

Therefore, if you wish to get rid of these weeds, you should try combining your weed killer with a surfactant.

CONNECTED: Getting rid of bindii and its symptoms

Conclusion

Clover is a great forage for animals (and can help fix nitrogen in the soil), but if it becomes too invasive on your lawn, there are some things you can do to get rid of it.

Clover FAQ