Garden infested with clover

mdfireng

My lawn has become absolutely infested with clover. It grows so quickly that just a few days after mowing it looks like it needs another cut. With about 3/4 of acre this is a real problem. any solutions?

Wishbone Ash

You will need to apply a broad leaf weedkiller. I find Verdone to be very effective for clover.

ircoha

Wishbone Ash wrote:

You will need to apply a broad leaf weedkiller. I find Verdone to be very effective for clover.

Not crossing with the mod here but 3/4 acre of verdone might be a bit pricy unless done properly
will need a good knapsack sprayer and mark it out with rope to get the correct distribution of spray per sq metre

Eurorunner

Presence of clover can also be an indicator of poor soil fertility. You should also consider applying a very very low NPK fertiliser.

byrnemx

this is the time of year for clover growth, unless its seriously horrible looking i would apply weedkiller, it will die naturally in winter. i'd cut the grass lower and no-one will notice.
Byrnemx BSc, BAgrSc in Hort

Sonnenblumen

byrnemx wrote:

this is the time of year for clover growth, unless its seriously horrible looking i would apply weedkiller, it will die naturally in winter. i'd cut the grass lower and no-one will notice.
Byrnemx BSc, BAgrSc in Hort

So hort science recommends cutting the grass to cure the clover problem? You are no doubt familiar with how clover spreads?

tibrok

You could try a cheap agricultural spray like Duplosan. Try to spray the lawn when it has a nice bit of cover with good growing conditions. Leave it on 4-5 days before cutting.

Irish Gardener

Mdfireng, with your infestation of clover you are well on your way to your very own environmentally friendly lawn.
This is because you will be attracting lots of honeybees and butterflies, especially if it is white clover you are cultivating.
It will also stay green in drought unlike many grasses.
Your clovers are also a great nitrogen source for your soil as they are part of the legume plant family, which fixes nitrogen from the air.
If you don’t want to go to the trouble of eradicating it, at least you will have the advantages mentioned above to trot out people who quiz you on your weedy lawn.

But as the clover is a problem to you, I would firstly look at your lawn maintenance programme.
If you once had a good quality grass lawn that gradually became a clover patch, then I would look at your mowing and fertilising practices need improving.
To prevent and reduce clover you should mow higher and feed the lawn three to four times a year, so that thick, healthy grass growth is maintained.
Clover will regularly produce runners, which spread out across a lawn, rooting down into open areas of soil where they produce new clover plants.
So, it will benefit you once in a while to scarify your lawn with a mechanical rake, ripping up these runners, which you can then mow up.
Ensure you have a well fitting box on your mower as any dropped clover clippings have the habit of rooting if dropped.

You can also apply a broadleaf weedkiller as mentioned by the other posters above, but select one specifically marked for clover filled lawns containing both the active ingredients MCPA and Dicamba.

magicbastarder

don't allow any cattle to graze on it, they'll blow up.
(if they're not used to eating clover, that is).