How to Get Rid of Clover in Your Lawn

September 2023

The All You Can Eat Buffet for Rabbits

There's a recent trend to encourage and propagate "clover lawns". But there was also a trend for super skinny jeans and before that shoulder pads - and we all know how they ended up!

If you're reading this it's likely because you're fed up with your lawn looking like an all-you-can-eat rabbits buffet.

Clover is a common lawn weed that can invade grassy areas for several reasons. It tends to thrive in areas where lawns are stressed or not properly cared for (Nutrition).

Why do I have clover in my lawn?

Soil Conditions: Clover prefers soil that is low in nitrogen and well-drained. If your lawn's soil lacks proper nutrients or has poor drainage, it can create an environment conducive to clover growth.

Mowing Height: If you're mowing your lawn too short, it can weaken the grass and allow the clover to establish itself.

Fertilisation: Using a fertilizer with an improper balance of nutrients, particularly one that's low in nitrogen, can encourage clover growth. Compare fertiliser NPK values, as explained in this blog post "What is the best lawn feed?".

Compacted Soil: Compacted soil can lead to poor drainage and hinder the growth of grass, creating an opening for clover to take over.

How can I get remove clover from my lawn?

Improve Soil Conditions: Enter into a lawn care subscription plan from Mowd to ensure the right nutrients turn up at our door at the right time of year. Just applying products in one of our plans will prevent clover from growing.

Mow Properly: Set your lawnmower to a higher mowing height. Taller grass shades the soil, making it more difficult for clover to establish. Anywhere between 30-40mm is great for UK weather and grass types.

Aerate: If your lawn has compacted soil, consider aerating it to improve drainage and allow the grass to grow more effectively. You can solid tine aerate, such as with a garden fork, or hollow tine aerate, as I did in this law renovation video.

Overseed: Overseeding your lawn with the appropriate grass species can help fill in thin areas and compete with clover. Put shady grass seed in shady areas, and hard-wearing grass seed in high-traffic areas. Its essential you seed any areas you have removed clover from, to prevent it, or any new weeds establishing.

Weed Control: You can use selective herbicides specifically formulated to target broadleaf weeds like clover. The Turfrise Weed Feed & Moss Killer treatment is perfect for targeting clover as it contains Dicamba, Mecoprop-P and 2,4-d. It is available in our Level Up and Advanced lawn care treatment plans from £4.26 per month, or as a one-off purchase.

Improve Sunlight: If possible, trim back trees or shrubs that are causing excessive shade in your lawn - like I did in this video to prevent my grass from thinning out more and risking a clover invasion.

Regular Maintenance: Regularly water, fertilise, and care for your lawn to create an environment where grass can thrive and out-compete weeds like clover.

Maintenance is the best form of Clover Defence

Remember that maintaining a healthy and dense lawn is the best defence against weeds like clover. Prevention and consistent care are key to keeping your lawn weed-free. This can be complicated to plan, so why not let us take the stress out of it by subscribing to one of our DIY lawn care plans? We will send you the right amount of the product, at the right time, to your door - meaning no more clover!

By following these steps, you won't just be fending against clover, but other persistent and destructive weed types such as yarrow. Poor drainage, short mowing heights and poor nitrogen values are perfect weed-growing conditions, do prevent this and get your lawn Mowd.