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How do you get rid of clover from your lawn?

Clover.jpegCloverleaf is quite invasive and is an indicator that there is an imbalance of nutrients in your soil. Clover is a legume plant and it actually draws nitrogen from the air and stores it in its roots. The general method of eliminating clover from your lawn is to use a weed and feed product such as Yates 2.4L BuffaloPro Weed 'n' Feed Hose On Weed Killer. Please note that not all weed and feed products are Buffalo lawn friendly so make sure to check the label before grabbing the product.

 

To prevent the clover from coming back, I suggest a vigilant watch for the first signs of growth and make sure to cut down any sprouts going past the soil line. Preventing photosynthesis from occurring will starve the roots and will cause them to eventually die. Of course, don't scalp your lawn, only the clover. - EricL

 

Keep the lawn mown but not to the point of scalping!  Regular cutting off of any clover that protrudes above the turf height will assist in control.

 

In addition to weed and feed products, there is a lawn weeder available that is buffalo-friendly - Scotts Lawn Builder Bindii, Clover & Broadleaf. It will kill the weeds without adding fertiliser at the same time.  Apply it to the areas that are infested with clover and other weeds.  Then in a couple of weeks' time, apply a lawn fertiliser to the entire lawn (Lawn Builder Buffalo Slow Release granular lawn food would be appropriate). - Noelle

 

Do not mow it down before treatment. Most products actually recommend not mowing before or after applying.
As these products work by absorption through the leaves there's no point applying any product to a totally scalped lawn. AEric said, always use a buffalo friendly product & I'd add do not overdo it as that will damage the buffalo, not just the weeds. Vigilance is important and repeat applications may be needs too.

 

Probably worth explaining a little how these products work too. They are 'selective' herbicides based not on some magical formulation but almost completely on dosage with a little bit being about individual biology. You'll often see them described as 'broadleaf' weed-killers. Basically, grass blades are reasonable narrow. Most weeds have larger leaf areas. These products are absorbed through the leaves so when applied at the correct rate the plants with the bigger, broader leaves, the weeds, receive a larger dose per plant.


Even at the exact rates any lawn grass will suffer a little from the application. That's why there is a feeding component in many of these products - to help green the lawn up & speed its recovery. From knowing this you'll then understand why not mowing and getting the application rates right is important. - Adam_W

 

Lawns are often a monoculture of just one plant, and that's a bad thing for the soil.  Clover (or a mix of grasses) is far better for the soil and for the environment.  In the end, it's your yard. If you don't like the way that the clover looks then you can attempt to get rid of it, but it is helping keep your lawn healthy. Also, if you have family that are allergic to bees, or small children who inevitably attract bee stings, then reducing the amount of clover is probably going to be a good thing. You can use the boiling water to kill the plant method - just don't get boiling water on your lawn because it'll die too. - bluebec

 

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