If you want to remove clover from your lawn because it is getting out of hand and crowding out the lawn, you have to be consistent. Our gardening tips guide explains what to do.
Clover (Trifolium) is actually a popular plant because it is considered a lucky charm, especially when a cloverleaf has four leaves. The bees also enjoy clover because the plant is one of their main foods. However, clover is harmful to the lawn, because it has more vigour than the lawn plant and gradually displaces it. Ultimately, this leads to large areas on the lawn that are completely occupied by the clover.
Hobby gardeners don't understand this at all and want to get rid of the clover in their lawn as quickly and permanently as possible. If you feel the same way, then try the tips below for removing clover from your lawn.
Causes of clover in lawns
Before you set about removing clover from your lawn, you should understand the causes. Then it is easier to take targeted action against the "weeds" and prevent new clover. Clover in the lawn is almost always a sign that something is missing in your lawn - the gardener also speaks of a deficiency here. It is often a lack of nitrogen that damages the lawn, but cannot harm the clover.
What are the most common types of clovers?
But not all Klee are the same, you should also consider that before you start "fighting". There are three types of clover in Germany.
White Clover (Trifolium repens)
White clover, our most common type of clover, is a clear sign of alkaline soil. The pH value in alkaline or basic soil conditions is over 7 and means that the soil is very rich in lime. You will find detailed tips on this topic in our guide "Soil containing lime - what you need to do now".
| White Clover (Trifolium repens) | |
|---|---|
| Growth: | 5 to 20 cm |
| Stem: | creeping, up to 40 cm long |
| Floor: | calcareous, low in nutrients |
| Flowering: | May to October |
| Flower color: | white |
Sorrel (Oxalis)
Hot summers and correspondingly long dry periods do not bother wood sorrel. This extremely hardy clover species is a thorn in the side of almost every gardener. Since sorrel is usually brought into the garden with other plants, it is important that you check the soil and root balls carefully when acquiring new ones.
| Sorrel (Oxalis) | |
|---|---|
| Growth: | 5 to 15 cm |
| Stem: | standing |
| Floor: | calm, sour |
| Flowering: | April to May |
| Flower color: | white to pink, purple veins |
Lotus trefoil
The common horn clover, called horn clover for short, prefers to grow on semi-arid grassland, but also on meadows, in bushes and even on rocks. Horn clover is a popular source of nectar for many butterfly species.
| Lotus trefoil | |
|---|---|
| Growth: | 10 - 30 cm |
| Stem: | creeping, up to 40 cm long |
| Floor: | low nitrogen, loamy |
| Flowering: | June to August |
| Flower color: | yellow |
Tip 1: Remove clover from your lawn with a simple home remedy
Sometimes the simplest methods are also the most effective, so I want to start right away with a simple home remedy for clover.
The trick works like this:
- Pour scalding hot water on the clover-infested patches of lawn.
- Now you need a little patience, because the whole thing has to dry well.
- The clover dies from the hot "shower", dries up and you can simply pull out the dead clover.
Once the lawn has reached a certain size, however, this method becomes too tedious and you should try one of the other tips.
Tip 2: Strengthen the lawn with nettle manure
Another home remedy at least strengthens your lawn and not the clover! We are talking about stinging nettle manure, which is very rich in nitrogen and can therefore compensate for a deficiency. As mentioned above, clover often grows in the lawn when there is a deficiency. In our video article How to prepare nettle manure, you will learn how to make the home remedy yourself. The application is simple: pour the decoctionmainly over the areas affected by clover!
Tip 3: Fight clover in the lawn with protective foil
It is effective to place a tarp over the clover infested area. It is important that this cover film is not transparent. In this way, the clover is deprived of the sunlight it needs to grow and it dies. If this measure is maintained for about four weeks, the clover will run out of breath and rot. Don't forget to weigh down the cover sheet around the edges - gravel or stones are the best solution here. You can get the appropriate weed fleece from your local hardware store or free shipping from Amazon
While the lawn roots do not mind this radical method in the long term with good final care, the clover disappears. By the way, other weeds in the lawn can also be eliminated with this method.
Tip 4: Cut out clover in the lawn
Of course, regular cutting out the clover plants can bring long-term success. Here, however, real consistency and permanent and regular reworking is required in order to really remove the clover with its roots and also to prevent it from growing back in the long term. If the clover is pulled out by hand, the success is short-lived because the roots are usually not caught. So the clover continues to sprout happily. This method works better with a weed cutter, which grasps the deep-reaching taproots and thus literally gets to the root of the problem.
How it works:
- Put the weed puller under the clover or push it into the ground.
- Hold the handle of the picker at an angle and lift out the entire clover plant by pressing.
- Shake off the root ball a little and collect the clover in a wheelbarrow or similar and dispose of it.
It's best to touch up any bald spots caused by the cutting out - the instructions for this are here.
Tip 5: Remove clover in the lawn by scarifying
If the lawn is infested with clover over a large area, cutting it out by hand becomes too tedious. Here we recommend using a scarifier. The "knives" scratch the clover and thus prevent it from growing. The lawn doesn't mind, on the contrary, the soil is aerated and thus provides the basis for an evenly growing lawn. Scarify the entire lawn - 1x lengthways and 1x across!
Positive side effect: moss is also removed from the lawn when scarifyingremoved.
Tip 6: Mowing the lawn less - curb clover growth
To ensure that the lawn grows lush green and evenly, it is mowed regularly. If clover has spread in the lawn, you should cut the lawn. The reason for this is that the lawn gets more light after mowing, but unfortunately the clover also continues to grow happily. A break from mowing is recommended in order to contain growth.
Prevent clover in the lawn by fertilizing
If you've managed to remove the clover from your lawn, prevention is on the agenda. To prevent new clover from spreading in the lawn, the lawn should be fertilized regularly. Horn meal has proven very effective for this. The finely ground horn shavings quickly penetrate the soil and take effect immediately. The nitrogenous fertilizer is good for the lawn, but does not contain phosphate, which is responsible for the growth of clover.
Remove Clover Without Chemicals
One thing is certain for all types of clover removal: they are environmentally friendly and can also be used in gardens used by children without the use of chemicals.
Update: Miracle cure found against clover (Caution, chemicals!)
I have now found a cure for clover, which I have given the award "Product of the Year" for. gets: The weed killer including lawn fertilizer from WOLF-Garten. After just a week, my weeds (dandelions, clover, etc.) have massively reduced while the lawn is as vigorous as ever. I bought it here with free shipping via Amazon…