CLOVER IN THE LAWN GOOD OR BAD

Malcolm Beck

Clover is a legume, the roots have the nodules containing Bacteria that collect nitrogen from the air. Clover is an annual. It dies out each summer leaving a deep reaching root to decay into nitrogen rich humus for the lawn grass to feed on. The tunnel left from the decaying clover root allows rain and irrigation water to quickly soak into the soil instead of running off. These tunnels allow oxygen to get into the soil and soil gasses to escape. The grass roots eventually follow these tunnels down and it too becomes deep rooted.

For an inexpensive soil building, aeration, fertilizing program I even suggest planting clover in a poor lawn. You could buy a quicker lawn building program but not as good as the clover will give you for free, all it costs is patience.

So if you don't mind the appearance, don't herbicide the weeds, especially the clover. When you kill weeds you are only treating symptoms and ignoring the cause of a poor lawn, which is usually poor soil conditions.

Follow good watering and mowing practices, ignore the weeds and sooner or later they will build the soil up to a condition to where the lawn becomes so healthy it crowds out the weeds.