We can do everything correctly in your search for a beautiful lawn, only to have it ruined by sticky, obnoxious weeds. White clover which is also known as Trifolium repens is one of the most troublesome perennial weeds that homeowners face. Here, find out How to get rid of clover in lawn naturally.
Clover is a weed that grows slowly and has a shallow root system. Clover identification is quite simple; it is identified by the presence of pink or white blossoms that attract bees and butterflies to your yard. The leaves are another easy way to guess if white clover is wreaking destruction on your green lawn. When clover first starts to bloom, it's the perfect time to get rid of clover in yard.
What is the source of clover in your lawn?
Clover can spring up in your lawn for various causes; the majority of them have to do with your soil. And some other causes are:
How to get rid of clover in grass?
Clover and other weeds can be targeted using a selective herbicide while the grass is unaffected. Use non-selective herbicides sparingly, as they can harm any plant they come into touch with. Even when using a selective herbicide, it's better to spot treat rather than spray chemical weed killers all over the place. You can also utilize natural methods instead of chemical processes because natural methods are considerably superior to chemical ones.
After knowing the sources of clover, the question is how to get rid of clover in lawn naturally. So, here are some of the best way to kill clover in lawn:
1. Add nitrogen
It is preferable to use a regular quick-release nitrogen fertilizer for more extensive and more established clover patches. It will quickly absorb nitrogen and have a higher chance of eliminating clover. The turf will become more flexible, while the clover will begin to diminish.
Clover requires low nitrogen levels to thrive, so search for a weed and feed product with higher nitrogen levels than other fertilizers.
2. Vinegar-Dish Soap Solution for Clover
Clover can be killed with vinegar as well. A general herbicide can be easily made at home using vinegar and soap. For that,
To eliminate the clover, you'll most likely need to apply the remedy over several weeks. Use the mixture just on clover, as it will harm other plants, including grass if it gets anywhere else. The vinegar dries out the leaves, while the dish soap binds the acid to the leaf's surface. The plants will eventually leave to the environment.
3. Getting Rid of Clover with Cornmeal Gluten
Corn gluten meal is also a well-known natural alternative to weed-killing pre-emergent herbicides. Aside from the clover, if you want to get rid of weed also, this strategy has the advantage of not affecting the growth of any other plants.
For every 1,000 square feet of grass, use around 20 pounds of product.
Cornmeal gluten is a natural clover killer, but it also stops other weeds like crabgrass, chickweed, and dandelion from sprouting. Furthermore, it gives nitrogen, which the clover hates.
4. Natural Herbicides on the Market
Broad-leaf herbicides effectively control broadleaf weeds and often contain compounds like Mecoprop, Dicamba, and Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. These compounds cause the weeds' development patterns to be disrupted, causing stem cracking, leaf cupping, and twisting. When using a broadleaf herbicide, make sure to hydrate your lawn correctly the day before you use it to reduce the danger of destroying your grass as well as the clover.
In most cases, a standard question arises, what kills clover but not grass?
For that, you can use A.D.I.O.S, which is a selective organic herbicide that kills clover while leaving the grass alone. Spray it on clover to weaken and destroy the weed.
5. Covering Clover with Plastic Sheets to remove clover from lawns
How to Get Rid of Clover in Lawn Naturally? The easiest way to answer this question is to deprive the clover of sunlight and oxygen, which is natural to eliminate from your lawn. Cover the clover patch with a garbage bag or other sort of plastic sheeting. To keep the sheeting from blowing away, secure it with heavy items. This should get rid of the weed in a few weeks, but only do this on large clover patches; otherwise, the grass around it will be affected.
Only use this strategy on larger clover patches for optimal results and enhance your chances of not damaging the surrounding grass. The plastic sheeting will kill the clover and any other seeds within a few weeks.
6. Pulling clover by using hand
Manually removing clover is the most natural technique to control it. Pull out a clump of three-leaf weed as soon as you see it, root and all.
To remove the clump, loosen the dirt around it and gently lift it out of the ground. Rep until all clover plants have been removed from your yard.
This is the most efficient way to get rid of clover, crabgrass, and almost any other weed or grass that grows in places it shouldn't. Although it requires some effort, the benefit is knowing that the weeds will not return.
7. Grass Cutting Techniques
Clover will suffer if you cut your turf too high. It requires a lot of sunshine to thrive, and if the long grass blades block it out, it won't expand as quickly. As a result, if you raise your mower deck and keep your grass 3 inches or taller, the clover will be effectively blocked from receiving sunlight. If you do this, your clover will not thrive and spread around your yard.
8. Maintain the lawn's appearance.
The best strategy to keep all weeds out, including clover, is to keep the turf healthy and thick. Water the seed regularly to encourage new growth.
9.No use of Chemicals
Use natural weed-killing methods; they may take longer and require more effort than a chemical-laden pesticide, but they pose little to no risk to animals or children playing in your yard.
10. Make sure to water your plants appropriately.
Keeping the appropriate moisture in the soil is the best way to Get Rid of Clover in Lawn Naturally.
Weed seed germination thrives in overly wet turf, but thirsty grass is often stressed, which also welcomes weeds. As a general rule, water deeply once or twice a week, but remember to water only when the lawn appears dry, or development appears to be halted.
11. Dismantle everything
If you've tried all of our other options of how to get rid of clover in lawn naturally and still failed to remove the clover., your last resort is to rip everything up. Clover, crabgrass, dandelions, and any other weeds will be gone for good if you rip everything up. After you've ripped everything up, spray the entire surface with a broadleaf herbicide, till the soil, and add some mulch and fertilizer.
Here we have seen, How to get rid of clover in lawn naturally, and to know about the advantages of clover, you can check this website.