If you find a four-leaf clover, you are lucky. Red clover in the lawn, on the other hand, annoys many gardeners. We'll explain how to get rid of it.
As children we used to look for four-leaf clovers (also called lucky clover). In the garden, however, the coveted lucky charms quickly become a nuisance. Red clover is one of the most stubborn weeds in beds and on the lawn. Hobby gardeners who want a lush green, closed carpet of lawn are therefore faced with a real challenge. In the following, we would therefore like to introduce you to a few ways in which you can eliminate sorrel from your lawn and counteract the appearance of the robust meadow clover.
Occurrence and identification of red clover
Red clover, also known as sorrel, meadow clover or horn sorrel, is a plant native to Europe and Central Asia. It inhabits meadows and forest clearings and feels most comfortable on nutrient-rich soil. The plants can even be found at altitudes of up to 2,500 meters! You can recognize them by the leaves arranged in groups of three, which sit on the tip of the leaf stalk. The light grain in the middle of the leaf is characteristic of the red clover. Between May and October the pink spherical inflorescences appear.
Red clover is a perennial and grows over half a meter tall. However, on regularly mowed lawns, the red clover only grows just above ground level. Basically, the red clover is a useful plant, indispensable as a source of pollen and an important fodder plant for cattle on the pasture.
Red Clover - Adapted and Robust
The original home of the red clover is in the Mediterranean region. However, the hot, dry summers and mild winters make it very easy for wood sorrel and so it spreads further and further north. Wood sorrel has been found in sheltered locations in southern Germany for centuries.
In principle, the plants are well adapted to drought and retreat into their taproots in order to sprout again in a humid climate. However, the horn sorrel is not only found in beds and on the lawn,but also in pavement joints. Only in particularly shady spots in the garden will you never find it.
How does the red clover get into the lawn?
Weeds have no place in a well-groomed lawn. So if you come across red clover there, you have probably made a mistake, because the presence of clover in the lawn always indicates that the natural balance of the lawn is disturbed. This can have different causes. For example something like this:
- The soil is not sufficiently supplied with nutrients.
- The lawn care was neglected.
- The pH of the soil is too high.
Before you tackle wood sorrel, you should find out what is causing it to spread. In general, clover and moss in the lawn are always an indication of deficiency symptoms. In order to strengthen the lawn, it is therefore advisable to fertilize it with lawn fertilizer, as it contains sufficient nitrogen. However, make sure that the lawn fertilizer does not contain any phosphate, as this would provide the red clover with additional nutrients and even encourage it to grow.
» Tip: You can also buy lawn fertilizer with weed killer in stores, which you can use to strengthen the lawn and at the same time effectively fight weeds.
How to remove meadow clover from the lawn
Fact is, once the sorrel has made it into the lawn, it is difficult to remove. Hobby gardeners who are bothered by meadow clover in their lawn should therefore take action early. If the clover hasn't bloomed yet, you can stop it from propagating by seed.
Cut out red clover:
Those who want to pull the red clover out of the lawn will rarely be successful, because the taproot is usually much too firmly attached. They would only tear off the plants superficially, after which they would quickly grow back. You should rather cut out large areas. Although this initially creates bald spots in the lawn, the probability of a complete elimination is higher. You should simply fill the resulting gaps directly with lawn seed and moisten them well.
Scarify lawn:
Scarifying the lawn can be recommended for general improvement. The mechanical treatment of the soil frees the lawn from clover, moss and dead grass. This allows more air to reach the grass and the loosening of the soil ensures the supply of water and oxygen.
It's best to scarifythe ground in spring. You should proceed as follows:
- Modify areas of lawn overgrown by clover several times.
- Supply bare patches with lawn seed.
- Water the lawn seed well.
- Fertilize the lawn.
Secret Weapon Plastic Sheet:
This method may seem a bit unusual, but it is all the more effective against red clover. Areas with dense clover growth should simply be covered with a plastic sheet for a few weeks. The sorrel soon lacks light and eventually dies off.
Of course, this procedure is also no good for the lawn. But then he recovers surprisingly quickly. However, if grass has also died off due to the cover and gaps have formed in the lawn as a result, then this can be overseed without any problems.
Fight Red Clover with Water:
If you're looking for an eco-friendly way to combat sorrel infestation, there's a simple home remedy: Boil water and pour the hot liquid over the clover plants. If the water has dried up, you can simply remove the dead sorrel plants.
By the way:
S alt and vinegar are less recommended for combating this, because the use of these much more aggressive household remedies will damage the soil and the microorganisms that live there .
Lime soil:
If you have been advised to whitewash your lawn to drive away red clover, you should refrain from doing so. Even if the name might suggest otherwise, sorrel also feels at home on calcareous soil. However, liming can still make sense, because ultimately it is important to offer the lawn grass better growth conditions. You can find out whether the lawn needs lime by measuring and determining the pH value of the soil. If the pH is too low, you should lime the soil.
How to prevent red clover infestation
The best prevention against wood sorrel is regular lawn care. Unfortunately, if you have removed the red clover superficially, for example by scarifying and weeding, this condition will not last long. After all, wood sorrel has taproots that protrude more than a meter into the ground and are therefore impossible to completely remove from the lawn without completely destroying it. However, if the growth conditions for the lawn are improved, it becomes denser and the clover hardly has the opportunity to penetrate the lawn carpet. The following measures will helpFor example, to keep red clover out of the lawn:
| Measure | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Adjust pH value | The optimum pH value for the lawn is 6.0 in light and well-drained garden soil. For heavy clay soils, 7.0 is an ideal value. |
| Scarify | The lawn is scarified in spring. This loosens moss and clover and the aeration increases the oxygen supply. |
| Casting | The lawn should be watered regularly when it is dry. This strengthens the grasses and weakens the sorrel, which does not like prolonged moisture. |
| Mow regularly | If the lawn is cut regularly, red clover can hardly develop above ground level. The lawn mower should be set to a cutting height of about four centimetres. |
| Fertilize | Sufficient fertilization ensures dense growth of the blades of grass. Red clover is less able to spread this way. |