Tips & Tricks of the Trade

Clover

Remember sitting in the grass at the school bus stop or out in the playground, searching for the ever-elusive four-leafed clover? Clover brings back great childhood memories, but, in reality, it is purely and simply a weed!

Identification:

Dark green in colour with a ‘V’ shaped band on its three leaflets and a white flower–clover is easily identifiable and a common weed found in many lawns.

Clover is a perennial with creeping stems that grow close to the ground, with above-ground stolons and below-ground rhizomes. Due to its root structure, clover can quickly spread throughout your lawn as it propagates from its clippings and offcuts, so always use a catcher when mowing lawns with clover.

Clover loves low-nitrogen soils, as they obtain all the nitrogen they require from the air, so a lack of nitrogen in the soil is an ideal growing condition for them. Clover will also grow in grass and soil that is undernourished.

So if you find clover extending and gradually taking over your lawn, and the grass that you have is turning brown or yellow, looking sickly and growing poorly, it could be a sign that your grass and soil are in poor health and could have low levels of nitrogen in the soil.

Treatment:

To combat clover head-on, dig out clover by hand (ensure all roots are pulled out) or apply a selective herbicide to the lawn. This will kill the clover without harming the surrounding grass. Depending on the degree of infiltration, a repeat application may be required.

To help prevent clover growth, complete a soil test to determine the nutrient levels in the lawn and, depending upon the alkalinity or acidity levels, apply fertiliser to improve the condition of the grass and balance out the pH levels. Regular fertilisation will work as a natural control for dealing with and deterring clover, and it will also help prevent other weeds and pests from infecting and attacking the lawn.

And, of course, if you want some additional help controlling clover and other weeds in your lawn, then the simplest solution is to let Fox Mowing look after it all for you.

And while we’re in your garden, we can do a lot of other stuff to get your garden looking and feeling its best.

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