Keep that White Clover in Your Lawn!

Posted by Chris Field
June 24th, 2009
Filed in Soil and Fertilizer
Tags: clover, lawn seed, lawns

Get your White Clover Seeds here!

Lucky clover. You’ll usually see three leaf clover, but sometimes, just sometimes, you’ll be lucky and find a fourth. Actually, contrary to modern belief, you’re a lucky gardener if you find white clover in your lawn! Yup, clover is one such “weed” that gotten a bad rap, and I’ll explain further on (it involves a juicy corporate conspiracy theory!)

Why Would I Want White Clover in My Lawn?

Clover is one of those legume plants, like fava beans and alfalfa, that actually sucks nitrogen from the air and stores it in its roots. As the roots die back, the nitrogen is replenished into the soil. Think of clover as free fertilizer storage bins for your lawn.

In fact, a lawn consisting of just 5% clover will actually produce 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet, or half the recommended nitrogen per year. With clover producing half your lawn’s nitrogen needs, and by leaving your mulched lawn clippings on the lawn after mowing, you will likely not have to apply any other nitrogen fertilizer source.

Here are some other benefits of including clover in your lawn:

• Nitrogen provided by clover will not leach out of your lawn, and will not change your soil’s pH like synthetic can do
• Clover will often outcompete other weeds, acting as a weed shield for your lawn
• Strong, deep roots makes it a hardy and resilient plant – it’s very low maintenance, making it ideal for the “lazy” organic lawn gardener (which, I admit, I am!)
• Clover remains green all year, even without water or fertilizer, adding to the aesthetic beauty of your lawn in times of drought
• The presence of clover indicates good soil fertility, so if it is not thriving, it means you need to build-up the health of your soil
• Honeybees (which are vital to plant fertility) love clover – though this could be a drawback if you accidentally step on one!

Once upon a time (before World War II), clover was a highly valued addition to anyone’s lawn. Most grass seed came with a good mixture of white clover, (also known as Dutch or Irish clover), and part of the “keeping up with the Jones’” mentality was comparing the clover content of lawns! So, what the heck happened?

So Why is Clover Considered a Weed?

This is where the juicy corporate conspiracy theory enters the picture. You see, the first large-scale synthetic pesticide, 2,4-D, had the unfortunate effect of killing clover, along with other broad-leaf plants. Think of clover suffering from “friendly fire.” Dr. R. Milton Carleton, who helped introduce 2,4-D, was even publically apologetic that his product killed clover. So, what ultimately happened?

Most of you can guess – to help sell 2,4-D, corporate marketers began to publicize clover as a weed. The campaign was so successful that nearly every conventional gardening book ever since lumps clover in the chapter on weeds. The suburban cultural move towards (frankly, unsustainable) perfectly colored monoculture lawns didn’t help the white-flowered plant either.

Today, finally, clover is getting some respect. With the pendulum shifting back to more natural lawns, gardeners are beginning to re-learn the benefits of clover. So, if you find it in your lawn, encourage its growth. To achieve an efficient 5% clover mix in your lawn, evenly spread about 1 ounce of seed per 1000 square feet of lawn.

Clover only begins to convert nitrogen from the air when “infected” with beneficial soil bacteria called rhizobia, which builds nodules of nitrogen on the clover’s roots. Most good soils in temperate regions will have this bacteria, but if in doubt (for instance, if there’s no clover in your area at all), find a field with clover and dig up a bit of soil to add to your yard.

• Get your White Clover Seeds here!