A lawn requires consistent maintenance of a healthy and beautifully looking lawn. Sometimes a low -growing plant, clover, can appear between the grass. If you don't like the idea of small whitish flowers that are scattered in the grass, it can be frustrating to see clover. The good news is that this plant is not harmful and there is a way to remove it without harmful chemicals that can contaminate the soil, water or wild animals.
We talked to a gardener about what Klee is, how to remove and prevent it and the surprising advantages of growing in the grass.
- Cory Tanner is the team director of the Horticulture program for Clemson University Cooperative Expansion.
What is Klee?
Clover is a perennial that grows in cooler weather and grows slightly on pastures, meadows, near the roadside and on the lawn. Klee, part of the sleeve family, can “repair” nitrogen, a significant nutrient for plant health, into the soil. “Nitrogen is the mineral nutrient that plants and especially lawn grass need in the highest frequency,” says Cory Tanner, team director of the horticultural program for Clemson University Cooperative Expansion. “A lack of nitrogen is often a limited factor for the growth of lawn.”
Klee grows low and sometimes produces small white flowers with a hint of pink in the warmer months. It grows well in areas where fertilizer is not used, so that areas can indicate areas that are not so fertile. Klee is often seen as weeds, but a better way to imagine a weed is an “system outside the square”, since Clover is used to improve soil quality, the erosion control has been supported and previously added to lawn mixes, according to the Clemson Cooperative Extension Extension Home and Garden Information Center.
How to remove clover
As soon as Clover has flied and the flowers bloom, you will easily recognize this perennial. The best way to remove clover and not rely on chemicals is to pull it out by hand. “Hand ditch and hand pull from clover is the main method to remove it without herbicides,” says Tanner.
If you have a large area full of clover, you can dig it out and lay down new lawn. “Larger spots can dug out and the area reproduced or reproduced,” he says. If Clover is something that you don't want in any part of your lawn or landscape, it is best to manage the facility instead of concentrating it to completely remove it.
So they prevent clover in their lawn
Clover is not a bad plant that grows in the grass. However, some people do not look at flowers that are aesthetically scattered. Prevention is the best medicine and the same principle applies to the garden and the landscape. “The best prevention for clover is to maintain a healthy, strong and dense lawn,” says Tanner.
Grass care
Maintaining the lawn is the key to reducing clover, a robust and resilient plant, the correct height of the suggestion and maintaining rac. “Make sure you know the right mowing height for your specific types of lawn,” says Tanner. “Mowing heights vary depending on the species and variety of the grass grass growing by them and also in the season.” Mowing too little or too much can have adverse consequences for the health of the lawn and can also encourage unwanted plants to grow. According to Tanner, mowing a lawn that enables more sunlight to reach the floor surface (e.g. “scalping”), and emphasizes the lawn, which both offer weeds the opportunity to take up. ”
Pour
Just like her flowers, shrubs and bushes, the lawn must be watered regularly. How often is it influenced on the basis of the season, the type of grass cooling season compared to warm season and geographical location. “Most lawns need about 1 inch water per week during the vegetation period,” says Tanner. Usually you can reduce how often you pour. In the warm and hotter months, irrigation for a healthy and happy lawn is essential. “The provision of more or less than this amount, through irrigation, precipitation or a combination of both will lead to stress on the lawn and another opportunity for weeds.”
Why clover is an advantage for the lawn and the landscape
Clover is not a harmful plant that grows in the grass. “Personally, I don't mind having clover on a lawn,” says Tanner. “For me, a small variety of plants is a good thing and I particularly like clovers spring flowers.” Before you start removing or preventing clover on the lawn, take the advantages of this multi -year flowers into account.
Fixed nitrogen in the soil
Klee can put more nitrogen into the ground. “As legumes, Clover has the ability to” repair “nitrogen from the air and make it available to nearby plants in the ground,” says Tanner. “Thanks to a symbiotic relationship with a useful bacterium called Rhizobium, you can do this in specialized nodules on the legumes.”
Offers nectar for pollinators
There is a lot of talk about making gardens and landscapes more insects and pollinators. After all, insects experience a sharp drop and we need these creatures to pollinate flowers and plants to grow. A meta -analysis with the analysis of 16 studies published in 2023 shows that “insect populations have decreased by 45% in the past 40 years.” Simple actions to grow clover on the lawn and plant local flowers, shrubs or trees can have a major impact on insects. Growing plants that attract pollinators such as local bees, butterflies and moths is an easy way to help them provide them with food. Small blossoms deliver important nectar sources. “Sleep blossoms are very advantageous for pollinators and other useful insects,” says Tanner. “The nectar can also support small insects that feed on other insects and help pest control in a natural environment.”
If you decide to let some clover grow on the lawn, it depends on the aesthetics and preferences of every person. “Ultimately, it is a personal decision whether you can remove, tolerate or promote Klee in your own lawn,” says Tanner.