Unfortunately, clover gets a bad reputation, with most people simply assuming that it is a harmful weed that reflects laziness on the part of the lawn owner. This myth was perpetuated with the rise of synthetic weedkillers, which include clover among the “weeds” that are killed by the product. For this reason, it is not uncommon to see ads or commercials mention that they kill clover, implying that it falls within the same bracket as weeds that actually are bad for your lawn—this is pretty ironic considering that four leaf clover is supposed to be a good luck charm. To be sure, there is any number of reasons why you may not want clover on your lawn, but it is important to gain an accurate understanding of exactly what it does to and for your lawn. For this reason, in this post we review the benefits of clover and in the event that you do want it removed, we discuss some safe practices for getting rid of it.
Is Clover Okay for Your Lawn?
Benefits of clover
One of the main reasons why clover is so useful is that it requires very little effort to maintain. You will not need to water it nearly as often as you would with your lawn, and it is exceptionally adept at avoiding insects and diseases. Those lawn owners who dislike mowing should really appreciate it, as it grows very low and rarely needs to be mowed. Clover is also very versatile, as it can withstand drought far more effectively than. Because it holds nitrogen, it is also great at stocking nitrogen in the root systems. Finally, this may be a result of its poor reputation, there may be some who just don’t like the appearance of clover, but it could also be argued that it is more attractive than grass—in any event, it is better-looking than crabgrass or other weeds and lawn diseases.
How to get rid of clover
If you really want to eliminate clover, it’s best to apply a nitrogen-based fertilizer during the growing season. It is also acceptable to apply a selective herbicide. Alternately, you could just dig it up directly from the soil. If you do this, though, be sure to fill holes with topsoil.
There really is no need to view clover as harmful, and with all of its benefits, you may want to plant it on your lawn. It may not look as nice as grass and so you may not want it to replace grass altogether, but with all of its environmental benefits and easy maintenance, it’s a great idea to plant a patch of clover on your lawn.
