Clover in your lawn can be challenging because it can creep and proliferate in adverse conditions. As a company that provides reliable lawn mowing services Gold Coast, we understand that clover growth can be frustrating for many Australian homeowners.

This blog will explain how to get rid of clover in lawn, offering timely and practical tips for gardening enthusiasts who want to maintain lush greenery over time.

What Is Clover?

Clover is a group of small, low-growing Mediterranean plants with shamrock-shaped leaves. Many Australians use clover, including crimson, strawberry, red, white, and microclover, to spruce up and enhance their lawns’ aesthetics.

Clover has several unique advantages, including less mowing, water, and fertilisation requirements. This plant also attracts insects that pollinate many fruit and vegetable plants, increasing your lawn’s biodiversity.

However, clover also has several drawbacks, including:

• Durability: Clover plants aren’t as durable as grass. Since the former succumbs to heavy foot traffic, we recommend that households with children or pets use traditional turf grass instead.
• Replanting: Clovers have short lifespans—the crimson and subterranean species live for just one year. Other varieties live two to three times longer. Consequently, many homeowners must replant their clover plants every two to three years.
• Staining: Rolling and tumbling on lawns stains clothing. Since clover is a delicate plant, it releases pigments that discolour apparel, increasing washing frequency.

How do you get rid of clover in grass? This section will discuss several strategies that will help homeowners achieve this goal.

Herbicide Sprays

To eliminate clover patches, we recommend spraying your garden with post-emergent herbicide. This strategy requires less time and effort than other methods.

If clover has significantly proliferated on your lawn, use systemic herbicides such as triclopyr, dicamba, MCPP, or quinclorac.

Exercise caution when spraying systemic herbicides, as they can harm other grass types. Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines to ensure your garden’s health and safety.

Can I Use Organic Herbicides on My Clover Garden?

We don’t recommend using organic herbicides on clover gardens because they will only eliminate the clover’s top growth, allowing it to regrow after several weeks.

Try these other strategies instead:

Herbicides with chelated iron

These herbicides use iron toxicity to kill clover without harming other grass types. Chelated iron herbicides may help other grasses thrive and proliferate in your lawn because these plants tolerate iron better than clover. It’s a win-win situation for many Australian farmers and homeowners.

Salt

Salt dehydrates clovers by drawing water out from their cells, eventually drying and killing them. People have used salt for generations because of its high success rate in eliminating garden clover.

Dilute one part table salt, two parts water, and several drops of dish soap (this helps the solution adhere to clover). Use a spray bottle or a brush to apply the solution to the clover.

Be careful when spraying the solution on your lawn. It can kill other plant types and compromise soil quality.

Recommended Clover Herbicide Spray Frequency

We recommend spraying herbicide on clover during the Australian fall season from March to May because these plants store nutrients in their roots to prepare for the upcoming winter. Spraying during this time of year helps facilitate herbicide transport to the clover roots.

On the other hand, homeowners can use an organic herbicide in the spring when the weeds have just sprouted. We don’t recommend spraying from December to February in the Aussie summer months because the clovers will regrow and proliferate.

Pulling Clover by Hand

Manual pulling is a feasible DIY strategy for lawns with only a few clover patches. Pulling clover also doesn’t compromise other grass types.

However, the drawbacks are time consumption and labour. Uprooting is more laborious than spraying clover, so you must exert the extra effort.

Remove all the roots because clover can regrow from root fragments. White clover’s shallow root system makes it easy to remove manually, while red clover’s deep roots make it challenging to remove with bare hands.

Here are the recommended steps for manual clover pulling:

1. Dampen the soil after watering your garden. Moist soil is more conducive to clover pulling than the dry version.
2. Loosen the soil around the clover patch using a spade.
3. Uproot the clover plants carefully. Ensure you pull out each clover’s entire root system.

Smothering Clover

Smothering clover with a garbage bag or opaque plastic sheet deprives this plant of air and sunlight, eventually killing it. A tightly sealed covering will ensure a clover’s demise in four to six weeks.

Here are the recommended steps for smothering clover on your lawn:

1. Look for the clover patch and put a garbage bag or plastic sheet over it. Ensure you don’t cover too much of the other adjacent grass types.
2. Secure the covering by placing large bricks or rocks on the ground. Remove the plastic cover after four to six weeks.
3. Plant grass seeds on the patch after removing the dead clovers.

Avoid smothering clover on small or irregular patches because you may compromise other grass types. Instead, we recommend this strategy for gardens that require clearing to give homeowners a fresh start.

Contact Us

Although clover has several advantages, many Australian homeowners consider it a weed with a negative aesthetic impact. Purging expansive lawns of clover is daunting and requires professional assistance.

If eliminating clover from your garden seems intimidating, always remember that experienced professionals are always available. A reputable contractor can help eliminate clover and make your garden look stunning and appealing. At All Lawns & Gardens, we have provided reliable lawn care services to numerous Australian clients for almost two decades.

Contact us today to discuss your unique objectives and lawn mowing franchise for sale Gold Coast opportunities.