Fighting Clover in Lawn – Red and White Clover

For some it is a lucky charm, for others it is an annoying weed. Many garden owners do not like clover in the lawn at all. They tackle him with a wide variety of devices and means. But not everything makes sense. First of all, it is important to find out the cause of the wild growth. Then something can be done about it. There are different methods for this. What you can do to remove clover from the lawn, read our text.

Characteristics

  • Mostly white clover, red clover or horn clover
  • Blossoms between May and September
  • White Clover – Green leaves, white bushy flowers
  • Strong taproot, no underground runners
  • Red Clover (Meadow Clover) – green leaves, pink, bushy flowers
  • Deep roots (up to 2 m deep) and subterranean runners
  • Scatters its seeds over a wide area, allowing it to spread rapidly
  • Wood Sorrel (Northern Wood Sorrel) – reddish-brown leaves, yellow flowers or white with violet veins the common wood-sorrel
  • Horntrefoil – green leaves, yellow flowers from June to August
  • Attracts bees and other insects
  • Therefore, the risk of being stung increases

Combat clover in the lawn

Instead of fighting Klee, it usually makes more sense to prevent him from settling. But once you’ve got him on the lawn, there are several ways to get him on the lawn. First of all, it is important to find out the reasons for the growth of clover and other lawn weeds. Why is it that clover thrives so well? If you don’t know the cause and do something about it, the clover will keep coming back. Soil with a pH of 6 is ideal for lawns. Grasses thrive best on this soil. When they are strong and healthy, they are not easy to dislodge and clover and other weeds do not spread as well. How to fight clover in the lawn depends not least on the type of clover in question. Not every tip is universally applicable to all types of clover.

scarify

If clover has spread over a large area in the lawn, scarifying is a good way to put it in its place. You go with the scarifier once along and once across the areas. The clover is literally torn out of the ground. There are bare patches in the lawn. There must be reseeded.

  • White clover is particularly easy to remove. The plants are torn out with their roots.
  • In addition, the “weeds” are weakened.
  • The best time for scarifying is spring. If there is a lot of white clover in the lawn, it is advisable to repeat the treatment in autumn.
  • Fertilize after scarifying to increase the nutrient supply for the grasses to grow well.
  • A lawn may look bad at first after scarifying, but after a few weeks there is nothing left of it.

mowing

Lawn must be mowed regularly. However, it is not necessary to cut it too short. This enables red clover, for example, which needs a lot of light, to grow vigorously.

  • Mow no deeper than 3 to 5 cm, otherwise the grass will lack the leaf mass to be able to regenerate.
  • Horn clover multiplies more with mowing. Here you should find another way.
  • Wood sorrel also makes mowing stronger rather than weakening the plants.

Fertilize

Clover can be prevented with good fertilization. If clover grows better than the actual grasses, this usually indicates a nutrient deficiency. Grasses need fertilizer to grow and thrive. Klee gets by with significantly less and therefore simply grows better in the event of a shortage. When the grasses are in full sap, they have enough strength to counteract the clover.

  • Nitrogen is important for grass growth
  • There are various fertilizers that are suitable for this
  • Horn meal is often recommended. It works quickly, much faster than horn shavings and is easy to spread.
  • It also contains a particularly high nitrogen content, but no phosphate, which is good for clover.
  • Special lawn fertilizers are also available on the market. They are also suitable.
  • 3 fertilizations a year are recommended, in April, in June and until mid-October

Water

In addition to sufficient nutrients, grasses also need sufficient moisture. With drought, the roots are weakened. Klee handles it much better. It thrives in a lack of water and strong sunlight, while grasses falter. You will be ousted.

  • It is best to water in the morning or evening, at least when the sun is shining during the day
  • Morning is ideal, because then other plants that also get wet from the watering can dry off well
  • If these plants do not dry off with watering in the evening and remain moist, fungal infestation often occurs. This happens particularly often when the nights are still cool in spring.

liming

Soil pH levels that are too high are ideal for clover, but not for grasses. Lime also increases the pH value. Therefore, care must be taken not to get too much of it into the soil. Then the nutrients can no longer be absorbed properly.

crop protection products

Lawn weed killers are often used when it comes to controlling clover and other lawn weeds. It is a safe method, but not very environmentally friendly. The agents are effective against dicotyledonous plants, which include most lawn weeds. Grasses are monocots and so protected.

Tip: A warm, moist soil and mild temperatures (even at night) are crucial for good effectiveness.
  • Different active ingredients ensure that the clover disappears.
  • Replicated plant hormones, so-called growth substances, trigger uncontrolled growth, which leads to death.
  • Most of these herbicides contain multiple active ingredients to target multiple weed species simultaneously.
  • Do not mow before use, because the plant toxin is absorbed through the leaves and the more of it there is, the better the effect.
  • Use in dry weather, because rainwater would wash away the agents and they would be ineffective.
  • However, if it has been dry for days, you should water the lawn the day before.
  • After using an herbicide, the lawn needs some maintenance, a little TLC so to speak.
  • Fertilization is best again.
  • Most weed killers are ineffective against wood sorrel. With white clover and horn clover, however, they help quite well, even if you have to use them several times
  • Even if clover and other weeds have largely disappeared after application, they will soon return. After 3 to 4 weeks everything is usually back to normal. Then the chemicals have to be used again, a never-ending cycle.
  • Celaflor Lawn Weed Free Weedex is supposed to help against sorrel. It can be used in spraying and casting processes. As a rule, multiple treatments are necessary, since the small leaf mass means that not much active substance can be absorbed.

Covering Covering
the area with an opaque plastic film helps against red clover, for example, which needs a lot of light to grow. The film has to remain in place for a few weeks. Of course, the lawn also suffers from this action. However, he usually recovers fairly quickly afterwards. 4 weeks are usually enough for Klee to say goodbye.

Weeding
White clover is easy to weed. It forms a taproot and no underground runners. The plants can be pulled out completely, especially from loose or moist soil. Before you break off the plant, you can also use the weed puller, which is otherwise useful for dandelions.

  • Wood sorrel cannot be pushed out by scarifying, fertilizing or covering.
  • Only regular cutting out helps here. It is important that the entire root is caught.
  • If this clover has conquered large lawns, the only thing that helps is to clear away affected areas and lay out the lawn again.

home remedies

There are also some home remedies that promise to help.

  • Boiling water – pour directly onto the spot where the clover is growing. Then everything has to take effect and dry off. In the end, the dead plant is pulled out of the ground.
  • Vinegar or salt – these two remedies are sometimes really good as home remedies, but they are rather unsuitable in the lawn. They also kill the grasses that come in contact with them. In addition, they are not good for soil organisms.
  • Please do not use salt – it damages your soil and the environment!

Frequently Asked Questions

Which products are recommended as weed killers?
Many users were very satisfied with “Bayer Lawn Weed Free Hedomat”. Here it is a combination of several active ingredients that specifically combats different weeds at the same time. The product is lawn-friendly and highly effective. 60 ml cost about 20 euros. You need about 6 ml for pouring on a 10 l can for pouring. If you want to spray, you need 30 ml in 5 liters of water. The quantity is sufficient for 50 m².

Are combined preparations good for clover removal?
Combination products contain a lawn fertilizer and a weed killer. The products are helpful. The lawn is fertilized and at the same time dicot weeds are destroyed. Mosses and lichens then also died out. Despite all the joy about the versatile product, one must not forget that it is a chemical agent. Those who have small children playing on the lawn or pets are better off finding another solution.

Kira Bellingham

I'm a homes writer and editor with more than 20 years' experience in publishing. I have worked across many titles, including Ideal Home and, of course, Homes & Gardens. My day job is as Chief Group Sub Editor across the homes and interiors titles in the group. This has given me broad experience in interiors advice on just about every subject. I'm obsessed with interiors and delighted to be part of the Homes & Gardens team.

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