Combating & preventing clover in the lawn with simple tips
Clover in the lawn is annoying for many hobby gardeners. The weed spreads quickly and is considered to be particularly robust. Clover is so resistant that it is difficult to remove from lawns. At the same time, the flowers serve as a source of food for bees and bumblebees: the risk of insect bites is high, especially for children.
In this article, we will show you how to combat clover in your lawn. We will also show you how to prevent new clover from growing and address the question of whether clover needs to be removed. We will also show you how RasenExpert products will support you in your lawn care.
Combating clover in the lawn:
You can effectively combat clover in your lawn by scarifying. In combination with the right care, you can get rid of clover within a few weeks.
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Prevent clover in the lawn:
You can prevent clover in your lawn with proper care and regular fertilization.
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Does clover need to be removed?:
No, clover does not necessarily have to be removed – you can easily let it grow in your garden.
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Combating clover in the lawn: effective tips & tricks
Have you discovered clover on your lawn? In Germany, white clover is particularly widespread. It is characterized by its long stems and white flowers. Clover has the property of growing quickly and spreading rapidly. So it is quite possible that your entire lawn will be covered in clover in just a few weeks if you do not combat it.
You have several options for this:
Remove clover nests:
If you have only discovered clover in a few places in your garden, it can help to remove the individual clover nests. You can use your scarifier to do this, for example, or dig out the clover with a spade. Make sure to remove as much clover as possible, including its roots. Once you have scarified, no clover should be visible anymore.
Scarifying the lawn:
If the clover has already spread, you will need to scarify your entire lawn . This will remove clover and other weeds. At the same time, this will have the positive effect of giving your lawn more oxygen, which will help it grow.
Cover clover with foil:
You can get rid of clover by covering it with black foil for several months. The weeds then receive no light and die. The lack of light required for this is most easily created by using mulch foil and weighing it down with stones.
How to care for your lawn properly:
Fertilize your lawn regularly - clover grows particularly well in nutrient-poor soil. You can also do a pH soil test to determine your lawn's needs and adjust your fertilizer accordingly. Avoid fertilizers that contain phosphates. This will support clover growth.
Remove lawn area:
Bird's-foot trefoil and meadow clover are two particularly aggressive types of clover. You can often only get rid of them by removing the affected lawn and then sowing new grass seeds .
As you can see, clover is quite hardy and difficult to remove. The most effective way to remove it is to scarify the lawn and then take care of it as best as possible. This will strengthen the growth of your lawn and inhibit the growth of clover and other weeds.
However, you should avoid using chemical agents. These often do not work against the widespread white clover. At the same time, they are harmful to the environment.
How can I prevent clover in the lawn?
Once you have found out how to remove clover from your lawn, you should also look into prevention. If you do not look after your lawn properly, the clover will quickly return and overgrow your garden again.
Prevention begins when you plant your lawn. You should only use high-quality lawn seeds. Our special lawn grasses form a dense turf. Clover then has little chance of growing.
You should also pay close attention to the soil quality in your garden. If your soil is clayey and impermeable, then clover will have an easy time and will spread across your lawn. In this case, it can help to add sand to the lawn . The sand improves permeability and thus stimulates lawn growth.
Another important point is watering. You should water your lawn regularly , especially in summer, so that it doesn't dry out. If it is burned by the heat, then clover and other weeds can grow even better. In addition, clover can cope with drought much better and is only rarely damaged as a result.
You can find more tips on lawn care in our knowledge library:
Do I have to remove the clover?
No, you don't necessarily have to remove clover from your garden. Clover is a weed, but it is not poisonous or harmful. If you have children or animals, you don't need to worry about clover in your garden.
Clover even has a use. Bees, bumblebees and other insects use the flowers as a source of food. Anyone who wants to can simply let clover grow and enjoy supporting the wildlife in their own garden.
At the same time, however, the insects also pose a danger. Children in particular could be stung or accidentally step on the insects while playing. So it is up to you whether you want to let the clover grow or not.
What types of clover are there?
If you have discovered clover in your garden, you should first check which type it is. White clover is the most common in Germany. As the name suggests, you can recognize it by its white flowers. There is also red clover, wood sorrel and meadow clover. They all differ not only in their appearance, but also in their robustness. The type of clover also influences how you can combat the weeds. Before you take action, you should therefore check which clover grows in your garden.
Frequently asked questions about lawn care when clover is growing
If clover is growing in your lawn, it could be due to a nitrogen deficiency. The deficiency will hinder the growth of the lawn, but clover will still be able to grow. Conduct a soil pH test and find out what your lawn needs.
If clover is growing in your lawn, you should not mow it too short. If it is two to three cm long, the clover will grow best because it likes light. So let your lawn grow a little higher - this will slow down the clover's growth.
There are numerous home remedies that are supposed to help with clover in the lawn. These include coffee grounds or hot water. However, the effectiveness of these tricks has not been proven. In fact, they can even have the exact opposite effect, because coffee grounds would only make wood sorrel grow stronger if coffee grounds were added.
Our conclusion: Scarify clover & prevent it with the right care
If you have noticed that clover is spreading in your garden, scarifying should be your first step. The scarifier can be used to effectively remove clover and then new grass can be sown. To prevent further clover growth, you should take good care of your lawn and ensure it has the ideal nutrient supply.