Clover is a genus of the pea family found around the world. While there are around 300 species, white clover is the species most commonly found in North American yards. Generally viewed as weeds when found in yards, clover is often hardy enough to recover from being mowed over, but is susceptible to a number of plant diseases and may introduce unwanted issues to your otherwise pristine lawn. Due to its small size, clover can spread throughout your yard quickly and take over your lawn before you’ve even noticed.

Once you know what it looks like, clover is pretty easy to identify. Each stem has three small, rounded leaves (four, if you’re lucky!), often with white markings that create a simple inner pattern where they meet. It tends to be crowded with white, yellow, pink, or purple flowers, and is an attractor of honey bees – something never fun to step on while trying to enjoy your backyard.

Your Soil May be Suffering

Clover in your lawn indicates your soil is suffering from poor nitrogen levels. It’s likely that your grass has been slowly dying out and making way for the obtrusive weed. Unlike grass, clover carries a bacteria that helps it gather nitrogen from the air, allowing it to flourish even where grass can’t. 

It’s a Perennial Plant

If you were unable to tackle the clover in your yard from the prior year, keep in mind that it’s a perennial plant and will come back again and again until completely eradicated.

Your Grass May be Stressed

Grass gets stressed under short trims, while clover is strong enough to recover quickly. It enjoys reaching the sun and recovers from mowers quickly. If you keep your mower deck low, it could be one reason why the clover in your yard is thriving.

Slow Release, Nitrogen Rich Fertilizers

To help rebalance your soil, try supporting your lawn with a slow release fertilizer rich in nitrogen. Complete coverage is essential to properly bring nutrients back to the earth and will perk your browning lawn up rather quickly. Watch for growth in areas that were thinning out before. 

Hand Pulling

If your clover patch is small, you can try pulling it out where possible. Grip the base of the stem as close to the soil as possible to lift the roots from the soil. If your lawn has been taken over by clover, however, no amount of pulling is going to fully relieve your soil of the weed. In these instances, it’s best to contact a Senske Lawn Care Professional.

Regular Lawn Maintenance

Try keeping your grass between 3”-4” long so it stays healthy, recovers quickly from the shock of mowing, and keeps sunlight from reaching the clover below. This will also help grass repopulate in areas it was thinning.