Lawn clover debate

naneki – posted 04 July 2002 06:49

My husband and I have this running debate on the elimination of clover in our lawn. He pulls each patch up with the assistance of a weed removal tool, then tosses the weed back onto the grass and mulches it back into the lawn. I think once the clover has been removed it should be tossed in the garbage, not back on the lawn. Which way is best?

Also will cutting the grass so short that it looks brown cause weeds to spread across the lawn?Thanks in advance for any assistance you are able to provide.

frenchman – posted 04 July 2002 18:54

I would recommend using 2,4-D for the clover and also for any other broadleaf weeds you have. If your yard is brown when you are mowing you are waiting to long to mow. You should never take more than 1/3 of the grass at a time

WillR – posted 04 July 2002 21:28

Well the mowing height depends on the type of grass she has (which she hasnt told us).

As far as pulling the weeds, I personally wouldnt mulch them back into the yard as I think you would just be reseeding the yard with the weed.

tdkx – posted 12 July 2002 15:46

That is a debate isn’t it? Once again, I find myself agreeing will WillR. As general advice, it is not wise to reuse vegetative matter on a lawn or leave it there. It may contain seeds that could germinate, thus exacerbating the condition by encouraging weed growth. Frenchman is also correct in his assertion that no more than one third of the grass blade should be removed at any one time during mowing. If the grass is looking brown after you mow it, then you are getting way to close to the crowns. Yes, you are encouraging weeds seeds to germinate under such conditions. My question would be…why would you(or him in this matter) try to mow the grass so close to the ground? In addition to weed germination, diseases are also being encouraged by this practice. As for clover control, 2,4D is practically useless.(but it can work if you are willing to try and try again) There is a product on the market called “CONFRONT” that is lethal against clover in closely mowed turf. I’ve used Confront and it is a fine product. A mixture of 2,4D and Confront is what you might consider for clover and broadleaf control. And yes, you are right.:-)

tdkx

jefedu – posted 14 October 2003 12:48

I live in San Diego, and 2 months ago completed the landscaping of my entire property, which was just dirt, weeds, and common bermuda. We put in some bermuda sod (Greg Norman 1 or GN1), and some artificial lawn replacement and an artifical putting green, lined the perimiter with a wood chip planting bed with some trees and a few bushes, and also installed areas with rock gravel. Everything but the real grass is weed matted. The one weed that has sprung up on all surfaces, including lawn, beds, rocks and even fake grass is clover. I sprayed it with Roundup in the beds where it was away from plants, but it seems fairly resistent to this. I feel that pulling the weeds is my only solution in the beds close to my plants. Is there a better approach to controlling this weed all over, or is spot spraying and pulling best? If I merely pull weeds, won’t they continue to grow since nothing goes down to the root to kill all growth, or is a good regular pulling of these clovers on all surfaces as good as anything else?

ted – posted 17 October 2003 15:10

guys, guys, guys. pulling weeds is not the answer. whether you “throw them back in the lawn ” or not is irrelevant. you have to spray weeds in turf or beds, first while they’re actively growing with the right product. clover can easily be killed with roundup in flower beds- you probably didn’t have the correct strength-use the professional 41% stuff. as far as weeds in turf, 24d will work on the clover with the added ingredient of mcpp- that’s what the confront product refers to. make sure you’re mowing your grass tall 3-4 inches if it’s a cool season grass, or short 1-2 inches if it’s bermuda or st. augustine. the incorrect mowing height can play havoc with the weed control- basically you have to ask yourself ” why am i having weeds in the first place?” if you will follow normal maintenance practices, including watering and mowing and fertilizing you should have no problem. weeds are a symptom of a larger problem.

Akrom – posted 24 September 2004 15:49

Where can I buy CONFRONT in small quantity to remove the clover in my lawn?

landscapinglady – posted 26 September 2005 15:14

I have bee allergies and mave to be sure and remove all clover to reduce the chance of getting stings. This is what I have been following and it really works. Applying chemicals only works for so long..

Suggestion: Clover, which pulls nitrogen from the air, appears where grass is sparse and the soil is low in nitrogen.

Fast fix: Till soil to remove clover; then add compost to the soil to increase its fertility. Reseed bare spots with grass.

Prevention: Apply a slow-release organic lawn fertilizer in fall and leave clippings on the grass all season.

I hope this might help.