Clover spreads rapidly in the lawn and weakens the grass roots, creating ideal conditions for the growth of weeds & co. Do not stop the growth, will increasingly displace the grass. With our expert tips you can remove clover effectively and permanently from your lawn.
Scarify as first measure
With the help of a scarifier, you aerate the lawn and inflict immense damage on the Trifolium (scientific name for clover) already. Lawn aeration, as well as superficial damage to the plant, is important in preparation for subsequent fertilization, so that the lawn fertilizer can better reach the soil and scarifying weakens the clover roots. In this way, an optimal effect of the fertilizer is achieved.
Fertilizing against clover – this is how it works
After scarifying, fertilizing the lawn follows. This can be done without prior lawn aeration, but the effect is more effective in most cases.
Why fertilize against clover in the lawn?
When clover spreads in the lawn, the cause is usually a deficiency in the soil or the lawn. As a rule, the soil contains too little nitrogen. This is mainly responsible for the healthy, dense growth of green plants. If there is a lack of nitrogen, the grass roots begin to weaken, the result is a soil quality that is ideally made for clover and the lawn loses the defenses that it urgently needs to fight clover.
What fertilizer helps with too much clover?
Due to a likely deficiency condition and the importance of nitrogen in fighting clover growth, a fertilizer with a relatively high nitrogen content is recommended. Horn shavings is an ideal fertilizer that gives resistance to the grass and at the same time is poorly tolerated by clover plants.
However, there are other fertilizers on the market, which are composed of various components. It should be noted that it should not contain phosphate, as this supports the growth of clover.
What amount of fertilizer is needed against clover in the lawn?
How much fertilizer you need depends on the extent of clover growth as well as the product in question. As a rule, about 50 grams of horn shavings per square meter are sufficient. For “ready-made” products, the amount of fertilizer depends on the manufacturer’s instructions. These should not be exceeded, so that no overfertilization takes place.
Since deficiency symptoms usually occur in larger areas, it makes sense to fertilize equally large areas. Ideally, the entire lawn area should be fertilized. If you restrict yourself only to isolated areas of the lawn, the fertilization area should be twice as large as the existing clover area or at least reach into the area where the grass still grows reasonably densely.
What happens after fertilizing?
Once the fertilizer has been spread, the fertilized lawn area should be watered somewhat unless rain is expected in a timely manner. This can be done by lawn sprinkler or garden hose. Due to the moisture, the fertilizer dissolves better and penetrates optimally into the soil. This results in a faster effectiveness of the fertilizer.
Depending on the effectiveness of the fertilizer, dead clover should show up after just a few days. In the case of smaller amounts of clover, it decomposes and pulling it out by hand is not necessary. However, this is recommended for larger areas so that the grass can spread again undisturbed.
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Combat clover with home remedies
If you do not have a suitable fertilizer at hand, you can use various home remedies. The following are shown to be very effective in their action against Trifolium. The prerequisite is that they are applied correctly.
Boiling water
Against many weeds, as well as against clover plants, pouring boiling water helps. Ideally, it is distributed with pinpoint accuracy, because the grass can also be damaged. After wetting, let the area dry. Then you can pull the clover plants.
Smother” with foil
All varieties of clover can exist only with a sufficient portion of light. If you deprive them of this with, for example, an opaque, dark film, they will die. Special weed film is best for this purpose. This is how it works:
- Cut the foil into suitable pieces
- Put it over the clover field
- Place a stone or similar to weigh down the foil
- Wait four to six weeks and then remove the film.
After that, all the greenery in the area will have receded, including the grass. However, this will quickly re-form. Larger areas can be reseeded with lawn seed. In most cases, however, fertilization is sufficient. The clover, on the other hand, has disappeared in the long run.
Weeder
If you prefer an unconventional way of removing clover, a weed piercer offers you the solution. This control method is a bit power consuming. You need to stab deep enough into the soil and close enough to the taproot that you can lift it out of the lawn. A little shaking will help loosen the roots.
Chemical clover control
Lawn owners who find the methods mentioned so far don’t work quickly or easily enough can opt for chemical clover control. However, you should take into account that chemical agents are basically a burden on the environment and can even get into the groundwater if used incorrectly.
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Free shippingTherefore, the use of chemicals is not recommended. Nevertheless, the market offers you a wide range of weed and clover killers for the lawn.
