How can I lose the clover in my yard?
My wife pointed out that we are the only yard on our street with clover. The Chem Lawn guy has been around, offering services. We don't have a lot of money since we just bought the place in the fall. I'd like to get my lawn looking nice and green. No clover, no dandelions. Where do I even start?
Last year, I had discussions with another member of the forum
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16158
In August of last year, I removed clover in some (but not all) areas with nons elective week killer and then reseeded.
This year, my lawn is NOT as bad as last year, even where I did not apply hot water, or non selective weed killer and reseed it. There are not any white clover flowers in the yard.
Why clover has NOT re-appeared - I think - is because I added Corn Glutten Meal twice this year. Apparently it will take years before CGM reduced clover, but I have less clover than last year. Also, there is not the wild variations in the growth this year unlike last.
Most of the solutions for clover appear to be non selective, although sarritor may remove it . The company that applied Sarritor last year seems to be unaware that sarritor removes clover but according to sarritor's website and promotional material - it does
https://www.sarritor.ca/PR2010.pdf
I have sarritor applied on my lawn four times (twice by the weed kill company and twice by myself and) for dandelion and plantain and it only once did it seem to work.
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16158
In August of last year, I removed clover in some (but not all) areas with nons elective week killer and then reseeded.
This year, my lawn is NOT as bad as last year, even where I did not apply hot water, or non selective weed killer and reseed it. There are not any white clover flowers in the yard.
Why clover has NOT re-appeared - I think - is because I added Corn Glutten Meal twice this year. Apparently it will take years before CGM reduced clover, but I have less clover than last year. Also, there is not the wild variations in the growth this year unlike last.
Most of the solutions for clover appear to be non selective, although sarritor may remove it . The company that applied Sarritor last year seems to be unaware that sarritor removes clover but according to sarritor's website and promotional material - it does
https://www.sarritor.ca/PR2010.pdf
I have sarritor applied on my lawn four times (twice by the weed kill company and twice by myself and) for dandelion and plantain and it only once did it seem to work.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Browse around and read some of The Helpful Gardener's posts in the lawn care forum.
Personally, I'm not much taken with the whole golf-course lawn ideal. The clover is nitrogen fixing and helps feed your lawn. Dandelions are deep taprooted and bring up subsurface nutrients. If you dig the dandelions and compost them, then all that nutrition becomes available and they are great for your compost pile.
In the meantime, the dandelion leaves are edible and you can make dandelion wine and in the spring the yellow dandelions with the purple wild violets make a beautiful lawn. I keep my lawn mowed frequently enough that the dandelions don't have a chance to go to seed, so I always have a few, but never a lot.
Corn gluten meal is a good choice for feeding your lawn and reducing weeds. Spread compost on the lawn. Work on keeping your lawn and soil healthy enough that the grass out competes the weeds...
Personally, I'm not much taken with the whole golf-course lawn ideal. The clover is nitrogen fixing and helps feed your lawn. Dandelions are deep taprooted and bring up subsurface nutrients. If you dig the dandelions and compost them, then all that nutrition becomes available and they are great for your compost pile.
In the meantime, the dandelion leaves are edible and you can make dandelion wine and in the spring the yellow dandelions with the purple wild violets make a beautiful lawn. I keep my lawn mowed frequently enough that the dandelions don't have a chance to go to seed, so I always have a few, but never a lot.
Corn gluten meal is a good choice for feeding your lawn and reducing weeds. Spread compost on the lawn. Work on keeping your lawn and soil healthy enough that the grass out competes the weeds...
This may be as good a place as any to ask:
1) *Why* is clover so hated by lawn people?
I definitely understand the antipathy toward dandelions, plantain, etc.
But clover smells great, is great to play with (I remember from when I was a kid), brings nitrogen from the air into the subsurface to benefit the grass, etc.
Why is it so hated?
2) After reading the PDF on Sarritor (allowed in Canada, so not an environmental or human health disaster), I also wonder *why* clover is classified as a broad-leaf weed? It emerges from the ground on those skinny stems and later throws the shamrocks and flowers from the ends of the skinny stems.
Just wondering...
Cynthia H.
A peaceful day so far with Vergil, whose state of mind seems to be wonderful after getting his sutures and stapes out yesterday, also at least 250 cc's of fluid drained from the knee. Sleeping contentedly in his ex-pen while I'm at the computer, fewer and less crushing deadlines this week. (I'm actually on a lunch break!
)
1) *Why* is clover so hated by lawn people?
I definitely understand the antipathy toward dandelions, plantain, etc.But clover smells great, is great to play with (I remember from when I was a kid), brings nitrogen from the air into the subsurface to benefit the grass, etc.
Why is it so hated?
2) After reading the PDF on Sarritor (allowed in Canada, so not an environmental or human health disaster), I also wonder *why* clover is classified as a broad-leaf weed? It emerges from the ground on those skinny stems and later throws the shamrocks and flowers from the ends of the skinny stems.
Just wondering...
Cynthia H.
A peaceful day so far with Vergil, whose state of mind seems to be wonderful after getting his sutures and stapes out yesterday, also at least 250 cc's of fluid drained from the knee. Sleeping contentedly in his ex-pen while I'm at the computer, fewer and less crushing deadlines this week. (I'm actually on a lunch break!
)Clover can have a white flower on it and I guess why its called white clover. My lawn looked ok as long as the white flower was NOT present. Also on my lawn, where there can be patches around grass that does not have clover, it grows faster. This resulted in an uneven or untidy looking lawn as there is a difference in height and appearance in sections where the clover was present and where it wasn't.cynthia_h wrote:..., brings nitrogen from the air into the subsurface to benefit the grass, etc.
Why is it so hated?
This year, I have not noticed the white flower not as much and don't have problems uneven grass. I removed some of the clover in the front yard late summer last year and planted grass a few days later. This year I have applied CGM twice and plan on applying it at least once in the fall.
My wife has NOT complained about the clover this year unlike the previous two years but has complained about Dandelions. I have had a lawn care company take care of them twice last year and it appears the dandelions have re-appeared. I could not find CGM last year.
Interestingly, I only have plantain in areas where I did not apply CGM in early spring.
If Sarritor was cheap, if you could get for the price and Fertilizer in the same quanity, I would try it. The granuals have to be applied to the leaves of the plant. There is plenty of broad leaves with Plantain and Dandelion, but little to place the granuals on the leaves of clover. Furthemore, Saritor needs water to work and I would think a heavy rain, wind, or watering would wash it off.cynthia_h wrote:..
2) After reading the PDF on Sarritor (allowed in Canada, so not an environmental or human health disaster), I also wonder *why* clover is classified as a broad-leaf weed? It emerges from the ground on those skinny stems and later throws the shamrocks and flowers from the ends of the skinny stems.
I have my worse patches of clover under control now, and I think continuing to use CGM may eliminate it completely.