10 Easy Ways to Get Rid of Clover Naturally in Your Lawn

Clover is a weed that will take over the lawn if not dealt with. It is best to kill clover at its early growth stages before it becomes more established. If left alone, clover will choke out grass and make your lawn patchy. You can remove this weed using natural methods of eradication, which are easier on the environment than toxic chemicals.

How to Get Rid of Clover?

Proper lawn care is crucial for keeping your flower garden in good shape. Everything from the right mowing and watering habits to lots of clever hacks will help you get clover packing. Here are some tried-and-true solutions that we recommend:

1:  Knock it Out with Nitrogen

Keep your lawn weed-free by ensuring a good level of nutrients, and you won’t have to worry about clover. For this pesky plant to take over in the first place though, it needs enough nitrogen. So, make sure not only that there’s no deficiency but also try organic fertilizers if needed. Otherwise, use slow-release fertilizer as others do with standard ones unless they’re specifically made for weedy areas which might help reduce them more quickly than usual.

2:  Pull it by Hand

For small patches, you can remove the clover manually. Gently loosen and tug it out but be careful not to break any of its roots or otherwise damage them in doing so. If anything is left behind after removing all traces of this stubborn plant from your garden beds then just wait until next year when new growth will surely fill up those empty spaces again.

3:  Deprive it of Oxygen and Sunlight

You can kill clover by blocking it from all oxygen and sunlight. Place a few sheets of plastic over your patch, secure them with rocks at each corner. So, that they stay flat on the ground and don’t fly up in the air or get pushed around by windy conditions. This should work to keep out pesky weeds as well.

If you place anything under these covers (like grass), then those plants won’t grow anymore either because there isn’t enough light reaching through for healthy growths.

4:  Kill Clover with Corn Gluten

Corn gluten meal is an excellent natural way to inhibit unwanted weeds. This citrus-smelling substance can be used in place of chemical herbicides or pesticides and will not damage any nearby plants, as it only affects clover seeds when applied at 20 pounds per 1 thousand square feet.

When mixed with soil (or compost), corn gluten releases organic dipeptides which dry out flower heads on grasses like those found near foot trails–making them more difficult for these types of flowers to sprout back up again after being cut down once before.

In addition: Corn Gluten Meal won’t harm other veggies growing alongside yours either.

5:  Spray a Vinegar Solution

With this natural weed killer, you can create your own and away from toxic chemicals. Mix 1 cup vinegar with a cup of water and one drop of dish soap in it; shake up before spraying onto any patches of clover leaves because if so will dry out those pesky plants while making sure they are also stuck together by the additional add-on ingredients:).

This solution may damage grass but not nearly as much when compared to other traditional methods such as herbicides which often contain pesticides too.

6:  Kill it with Organic Herbicide

While usually reserved for tough weeds, if you want to get rid of clover it’s best not just use any old herbicide. Broadleaf chemicals such as Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and Mecoprop will disrupt normal plant growth patterns causing them harm in their attempts at killing the unwanted plants like weedy grasses that grow near houses or gardens where no crops are being grown because they could hurt some other innocent garden inhabitants too.

How to Prevent Clover for Next Season?

Clover is a very broad term for plant life. There are many different types of clover, each beneficial in its way. But there’s also one type of clover that every gardener dreads–clover weed. This variety spreads aggressively through runners and can quickly blanket an entire plot or bed if not dealt with early on. And once those pink flowers emerge from the ground, it’s already too late because they’re very difficult to kill through simple pulling or with a hoe.

In addition, it’s very easy for this weed to re-seed itself, and the following season you may have ten times more clover than the year before.

7:  Mow the Grass

Learning to keep your lawn short is a great way of fighting off clover. Clover has a shallow root system and prefers shorter grass, while taller varieties will block sunlight exposure so they can’t grow or spread through the entire area like with lower mower deck height settings that leave 3-4 inches between rows.

8:  Seed the Bald Spots in Your Lawn

When you kill patches of clover, it’s important to lay down new grass seeds immediately. Mulch will help cover the bare areas and prevent weeds from growing back in even more than they already have.

Make sure your lawn is fertilized as well so that there are no nutrient deficiencies that lead them to come up anyways. Follow proper care for this type of plant; including maintaining a healthy distance between other plants, etc…

9:  Proper Watering

To discourage clover, you should maintain the ideal moisture level. Too-wet turf is a perfect habitat for weed seed germination and will invite weeds as well if it’s too thirsty grass that has been stressed out–that’s why professionals recommend monitoring your lawn rather than taking an “it’ll be done when it’s dry.”

Approach with watering systems. A rule of thumb would be to water deeply once or twice per week but remember not always give all at once so there isn’t over-watering which can lead to root rot problems due to lack of fresh oxygen in soil/subsoil levels from frequent use.

10:  Prevent it Naturally

Those who want to avoid using chemical herbicides may want to check out A.D.I.O., the organic weed killer from Advanced Development in Organic Solutions. This non-toxic, odorless, and all-natural selective killing agent is safe for pets as well as livestock; it won’t harm healthy grass either (just make sure you don’t spray near crops). It not only weakens or kills clover but also other unwanted weeds such as dandelion ground ivy etc.

FAQs

What’s causing Clover in Lawn?

There are a few different things that can cause clover to grow in your lawn. The most common culprit is poor lawn care. If you don’t fertilize your lawn or mow it regularly, clover will start to take over.

• Soil pH is a simple but crucial element of gardening. The wrong level of PH cause clover to grow. The ideal level for most lawns should be between 6 and 7, with lime being an effective tool in helping you achieve this goal if your soil falls short on alkaline or acidic qualities.
• Poor nitrogen level and compact soil are also the cause of clover in your lawn.

Should You Need to Kill Clover in Your Lawn?

If you want an uninterrupted carpet of uniform grass blades, try eliminating clovers. But there are good reasons to let this darling weed thrive: it has a lovely aroma and tends to stay green during periods when other plants might die out because of a lack of moisture (such as drought). Bees love their flowers too.

What kills Clover in Yard but not Grass?

Selective herbicides are more effective than non-selective ones. As they won’t damage anything but weeds. It’s wise to spot treat rather than broadcasting chemicals around your lawn and garden for maximum effectiveness.

Final Verdict

If you have a clover problem, the best way to get rid of clover is by using an herbicide. You can spray or pour liquid on top of your lawn and walk away knowing that your clover will be gone in a few days.

Just make sure not to apply any chemicals if children are playing nearby because they may end up getting chemical burns from the product. It’s also important to keep pets away from these areas for their safety as well.

Reference

https://extension.psu.edu/lawn-and-turfgrass-weeds-white-clover

https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/faq/how-do-i-control-white-clover-my-lawn

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/herbicide_recommendations_for_controlling_clover