Do I Need Japanese Clover Treatment Services?
What is Japanese Clover (Lespedeza)?
Common Lespedeza, often referred to as Japanese Clover, is a weed species native to China and Japan. Known in Asia as Kummerowia Striata, the plant was first observed in the U.S. in the 1840’s. By the 1880’s, and partly due to the civil war, it had covered a lot of ground and taken over much of the natural vegetation in the south. Now, it can be found almost everywhere.
Part of the legume family, Japanese Clover is a perennial plant that propagates via seedlings. You’ll most likely notice it when the plant begins to branch out freely and experience exponential growth in the heat of the summer. Difficulty with Japanese Clover comes when it’s found in lawns. Known for being competitive, Japanese Clover grows quickly and, given its woody stems, overcomes turf almost without resistance.
How Do I Identify Japanese Clover?
Japanese Clover can be identified by Its round, oblong leaves. Examine the plant for smooth, green foliage growing in triplets (trifoliate). Its woody stock and branches that harden as the summer moves on help to differentiate it from other weeds. Provided a close enough inspection, you may find the green to purplish stems of the plant covered in miniscule, white, downward pointing hairs. Little white, pink, or purple flowers (usually no larger than an inch) with lipped petals can be found where the leaves meet.
Can I Prevent Japanese Clover In My Lawn?
Japanese Clover flourishes in full sun. Planting shade trees to prevent weeds with deep tap roots is one recommendation. Easier preventative measures include mowing your lawn high to prevent weeds from growing through the turf.
Wet, compacted soil makes a perfect home to Japanese Clover, so you may want to consider an aeration service that loosens the soil. This will provide more oxygen and sunlight to the ground level, and allow grass roots to recover and strengthen. You may want to consider recalculating the watering needs of your lawn – allowing enough time in between drenchings for the ground to dry out more. Remember, your lawn only needs about 1” of water each week!
Our last recommendation is to pretreat your lawn in late winter with herbicides known to control Lespedeza before its seedlings can even take root.
How Do I Get Rid of Japanese Clover?
Hand-pulling Japanese Clover when still small is possible, but if your lawn has more mature plant growth and flowering stocks it often means your Lespedeza has an extensive root system, with a taproot too deep to remove without risking regrowth.
In instances like this, Senske’s Lawn Care professionals can offer total Japanese Clover eradication that won’t destroy your lawn. We know how to kill Japanese Clover weed and will get rid of persistent growth in lawns just like yours all the time. Senske’s 75 years of experience – combined with our incredible promise – guarantee your grass will be free of Japanese Clover and have your lawn thriving again!
If you want to get rid of Japanese Clover, contact a Senske Lawn Care professional. We’ll kill Lespedeza and get your grass healthy. Call (877) 944-4007 or click to request an estimate online for FREE!
