Clover
by
Patricia M
+22
We recently had our home sided and re-finished all trim. Its been our dream so that my retired hubby doesn't have to climb on the tall ladder and paint any more. However, maybe I seem petty, but the clover in our grass competes for my attention as we pull up to the house. Does anyone have an expensive way for how to get rid of clover in lawn without killing what little grass we have? Thanks..
25 answers
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try a good fertilizer and then grass seed - it can't hurt
Heather Scott
on Jul 01, 2013
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porches
Pam Mullins
on Jul 01, 2013
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Actually the clover is good for the grass.
Kimberly Barney
on Jul 01, 2013
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Funny I was just talking about this to my hubby the other day. We both agreed that when we were young it was pretty common to see clover and other now undesirables in yards even in the new neighborhoods were both grew up in. Dandelions were the only thing our Dad's worked hard to keep out of the yard. Maybe I'm just being nostalgic, but I don't mind clover or those little itty bitty tiny yellow flowers my girlfriends and I used to hold under our chins so we could see if we liked butter. The idea was if our chins looked as though they turned yellow we liked butter. That being said Patricia, I think your home looks lovely and had you not mentioned the clover I doubt I would have noticed.
Z
on Jul 02, 2013
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I wish you would consider leaving a small patch of clover to provide the bees food... their population is in dire straits... perhaps if you do remove it,you could relocate it to a back corner of your yard?We just mow around ours...
Sharon
on Jul 02, 2013
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The presence of clover is an indication of nutrient deficiency in the soil. It provides nitrogen through the nodules on the roots. If you really can't stand it, and want it gone, just take a few soil samples & apply the appropriate amount/type of fertilizer, and most likely granular lime, over the whole lawn. Then you can overseed with grass, and it will choke out the clover. But I agree with others, you might learn to love it, for the benefit of the bees and the environment.
Juanita
on Jul 02, 2013
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I'm actually glad to have it, since it fills in my yard that has been bare in spots for years.
Linda Stroney
on Jul 02, 2013
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Off topic - Your house is so nice. What kind and brand of siding did you have installed? We are about to have our house resided?
Lou
on Jul 02, 2013
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Check with your local Horticultural Extension Agency and they can provide you with a list of post emergent herbicides to use on your lawn and when to apply them.
Clyde Baisey
on Jul 02, 2013
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We were just considering putting clover in as a ground cover instead of grass. @ Becky, remember the rings and bracelets we made from the flowers the clover produced?
Amie
on Jul 03, 2013
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i like clover but to kill it . fertilizer with weed killer note the grass needs to be wt with dew to work best and not 6 hrs before rains . for spots weed be gone is a broad leaf killer won`t kill the grass blades has 24d in it
H.C. Lawn
on Jul 03, 2013
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In the past, all commercial grass seed contained clover seed too. It is a good type of grass crop. Not all lawns need to be a monoculture and bees really need that clover in the spring before other flowers have started blooming. The healthiest lawns are not just fescue or just Bermuda grass. Consider keeping the clover! As to killing it, H.C. Lawn has it right.
Gretchen
on Jul 03, 2013
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I agree with the others that the best thing is to leave it for the bees and enjoy the flowers. And it helps the health of the soil by fixing nitrogen. Shouldn't pretty flowers be distracting? :)
A Greener City
on Jul 03, 2013
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I vote to keep the clover. It is a dynamic accumulator that improves your soil over time by pulling lots of nitrogen out of the air. When the clover dies or is mowed and left to decompose, it releases the nitrogen into the soil. It also provides food for bees. I plant it whenever I have bare spots in the lawn. I keep some white clover seed in a salt shaker and sprinkle a few seeds whenever I dig up a big chunk of chicory that leaves a bare spot. Clover also stays low so it needs less mowing than grass.
S137
on Jul 03, 2013
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I agree with Sarah. Leave the clover for the bees and bunnies. My back yard is almost all clover and this spring there were bunnies in our yard every day. One was a young buck courting the doe and she was giving him a hard time.. Soooo funny. Don't try to be a carbon copy of everyone else.. Do your own thing and enjoy nature.
Lgsmith
on Jul 03, 2013
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No bees, no pollination, no food, no life. Clover is good.
Dflawson
on Jul 03, 2013
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I love learning from this website! I didn't realize the value of clover and I bet when you pull up to your house now you will no longer be distracted by it--you'll be celebrating your contribution to the environment. So good to know these things.
Lorraine Edwards
on Jul 03, 2013
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Lorraine, lol...I've learned SO much on this website too !! I remember making clover necklaces as a little girl. I just saw my hubby cut the front grass and the clover blends in so pretty....its green and lush and there are already bunnies out there eating :) I think I compared our lawn to our neighbor's who have a professional lawn care business and their lawn really looks and feels like a solid green carpet...no weeds of any kind. But....now I realize what we all know and I knew for years ~ clover isn't a weed !! I now want to keep all our clover after what YOU shared with me. Thanks, HomeTalk :)
Patricia M
on Jul 03, 2013
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Yay! Even my hubby who used to run a golf course said it wasn't something he'd try to kill off.
Z
on Jul 03, 2013
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My grandson and I deliberately planted clover in the yard for the bees. I like it and I don't allow pesticides or weed killer in my lawn or garden. We spend a lot of time digging up undesirables but we gain much in the amount of attention our lawn gets from the bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.
Ruth LaMarr
on Jul 05, 2013
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I have great success with Vigoro weed-n-feed (attaches to hose). You can but it from Home Depot for about $12 and you'll see results in a day.
Ava Landscapes
on Jul 06, 2013
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I have clover and Kentucky blue grass also I have dandelion .... dandelion dies out after spring and it is a good veggie to eat when picked young.... I dont know about you but I have a yard it is green and hardy and takes all kinds of abuse... where as a lawn is very fickle and is the first to die in any type of dought where as the combo grasses I have last through a drought... very rarely do I have to water my yard when the neighbors turns brown mine is still green ... besides I dont rake my grass I use mulching blades on my mower so it helps feed and keep the ground moist
Warren Searfoss
on Jul 12, 2013
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Warren, I had to chuckle when you said dandelions are good to eat. I remember my grandma giving us a bag and a paring knife (God forbid ) when I was young and sendin us to a vacant lot to 'get some greens for supper'. And you are right...they were good in a salad; She also cooked them in many ways. I think if times get bad, we can feed our neighbors for a while! Teasing. But decided to love them after everyone's comments. :)
Patricia M
on Jul 13, 2013
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my mom and aunts would go to a lot no one used and no dogs or cats lived on or around and we would pick the dandelion mom would trim wash then cook with hard boiled eggs and with hot bacon dressing on it... And I mean smothered in bacon dressing and eggs yum havent had that in awhile wife wont make it so I guess I have to... but that is an early spring meal go to pick it when it is young and no flowers
Warren Searfoss
on Jul 13, 2013
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My grandma always made "kilt lettuce" in the spring. Loved it!
Ruth LaMarr
on Jul 16, 2013
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