Clover is a weed, member of the legume family, and closely related to alfalfa and sweet clover. There are many types of clovers, and all have small, round, white or pink flowers. They also have three round leaflets at the end of a long stalk. Luckily, this weed is manageable. Learn how you can get rid of clover and prevent it from returning next season.
How to Get Rid of Clover
- Keep Your Grass Taller: Clovers are short weeds with weak root systems, so you can starve them out by keeping your grass taller than normal. This will prevent the weed from getting enough sunlight to thrive.
- Pull By Hand: If you catch clovers early, you can pull them by hand. Just be careful once they start flowering! You don’t want to help them spread by sending seeds across your yard.
- Use a Weed Killer: If your yard is covered, your best bet is to use a weed killer because you will be able to get rid of it sooner without the risk of it spreading more.
How to Prevent Clover
As with many lawn weeds, the best way to prevent clovers from invading your yard is to make sure your grass is as healthy as can be. This includes:
- Giving your grass plenty of water: Your yard prefers long soakings about two to three times weekly instead of daily watering. Of course, check out the forecast to see if rain can do the job.
- Fill in patchy spots: Grass roots take up a lot of space, taking away the valuable real estate clovers need to thrive. Reseed spots without a healthy amount of grass to prevent weeds from taking advantage of the root-free zone.
- Aerating Your Soil: Soil compaction prevents grass roots from going deep into the soil, giving plants with roots that stick close to the surface, like clover, the chance to thrive. Aerating your soil can give your grass roots the space to grow and create a tight “net” in your yard that doesn’t leave space for weeds to thrive.
- Checking Your Lawn’s pH Level: If your soil’s pH level isn’t neutral (about 7.0), your grass doesn’t have the right environment to thrive, but weeds might. To balance the pH level, your soil may also need applications of lime.
To Get Rid of Clover and Prevent It Next Year, Call Us.
Shades of Green Lawn & Landscape knows how to make your yard the healthiest and greenest it’s ever been, and we know plenty about getting rid of and preventing clover with our fertilizing and weed control services. Call us today at 765-771-9998 for a free quote and to schedule a service.
