employ these straightforward strategies to prevent trefoil from competing with turfgrass .

Marty Baldwin

White trefoil is a ferocious challenger of turfgrass . This dogged perennial hug the ground , effectively evading a mower pack of cards . harvest nitrogen from the ambiance and transforming it into a available works - friendly form , bloodless clover develop well and eventhrives in poor soilwhere traditional turfgrasses run out to gain grip due to want of nitrogen . White clover also has far-famed dusty hardiness ; life-threatening winter rarely place it back . Sideline its cattle ranch with our five crucial tips for how to get rid of clover in lawn .

detail of white clover weed and flower head

Credit:Marty Baldwin

1. Start with a Healthy Lawn

Here ’s a closed book for how to get disembarrass of clover in lawn that the long plant does n’t want you to know : it ca n’t compete with a thriving stand of turfgrass . In meter , a tidy lawn will overpower weeds of all types , include white clover . When growing in skillful soil and bastioned withample wet , turfgrass spreads more vigorously than white clover . Turfgrass eliminate clean clover by growing into a trefoil colony , putting up new stems , and reducing clover ’s ability to capture sunshine . Soon , trefoil disappears because it ca n’t nurture itself without sun .

Ahealthy lawn begins with skillful soil . Nutrient - copious , well - run out loam is the foundation of a lush lawn . Adequate moisture is another component . Turfgrass boom when it receives about 1 inch of water per workweek from rain or irrigation .

Finally , mowing summit impact turfgrass wellness . Lawn grass is best maintained at about 3 column inch tall . wield a lawn at tall or short mowing pinnacle promotes thin coverage , potentially opening ground for dope seeds to take root . Warm - time of year grasses , such as centipedegrass and zoysiagrass , are an exception to this guideline . They develop well at a mowing height of 2 inches .

2. Fortify Your Turf with Nitrogen

Fertilizing your lawn is an effective elbow room to limit clover growth and , in many cases , a method for how to get disembarrass of clover in lawn for good . Generally , lawns with a bloodless clover infestation produce in stain that ’s low in N . White clover can harvest atomic number 7 from the standard pressure to gratify its grow penury , but turfgrass is n’t up to of that effort . allow for nitrogen fertiliser and give the turfgrass the upper hand .

A natural way to further territory wellness and available nitrogen is tospread a lean layer of compost over turfgrassin other fountain and again in free fall . Well - decomposed compost will enrich the grunge with many nutrients , in increase to atomic number 7 , and push a thriving community of interests of stain microbes . Do n’t ask a compost - case lawn fertilizer to goad nimble sod growth . Natural fertilizers work more slowly than semisynthetic fertilizers , but the tenacious - term soil advance they provide is worthful .

3. Wait for Fall If Using Herbicide

4. Consider the Cost

Treating turf to eliminate white clover has financial and environmental costs . Take both into account when mold a plan of military action . fiscal costs motley widely calculate on whether you make the plant food or weed killer applications yourself or hire a lawn forethought house to do them for you . If using a service , get a few quotes from reputable provider .

The environmental cost of withdraw clover from lawn is just as notable . clean clover is afood source for a variety of pollinator . trefoil keep in line — celluloid fertiliser and broadleaf weed killer — have the potential to negatively affect the surround through damaging overflow and harmful herbicide overspray .

5. Rethink Your Turf

Is a dense , uniform rug of sward an essential element for your landscape ? If the result is yes , white clover control is your best way forward . Are you opened to the idea of a mixed - specie lawn?Bee lawnsfall into this family and are made up of a combination of turfgrasses , such as okay fescue grass and Kentucky bluegrass , along with flowering plants , such as ashen clover , that can grow at low mowing heights . motley - mintage lawnsare diverse and not as neat and tidy as lawns that are exclusively turfgrass . However , they provide many environmental benefits and an inviting , lush gathering space .

6. Embrace Lawn Alternatives

If you ’re open to a completely different look , you’re able to deform thing around and opt to have aclover lawninstead of a turf lawn . A trefoil lawn will be low - care , and using amicroclover varietyeliminates the need for mop all told . Or consider the very much on - trendidea of meadowscaping . While you ’ll demand to spend time weeding and managing your burgeon flush discipline , you ’ll regain that it attracts so many hoot and pollinators to your yard that it will be worth the spare effort . A gravel ground cover , artificial turf , or low - maintenance groundcovers are toll - effective and eco - favorable foreven easier yard tutelage .