Controling Clover

CONTROLING  WHITE CLOVER

 

For those who don’t like clover in their lawn but want to maintain a natural approach to eliminate Clover in the Lawn this option is a bit limited. The most effective method of controlling clovers is to maintain a dense and healthy turf area. It also helps if the Ph and nutrients levels are at their optimum. The right mowing height and frequency of mowing will also help to deter these weeds.

Alternatively one can continue pulling the Clover out by hand which will work in small lawns.

 

If you can’t keep up with the work, the chemical control with a selective weed-killer is sometimes necessary especially when managing large areas.

To chemically control White Cover you must treat it with a Selective Herbicide broad leaf weedkiller it must contain either "mecoprop" or dicamba  benzoic acid".

 

1) Irrigate / soak the lawn well a minimum 2.5 to 3cm water.

2) Apply (phosphorous free) Nitogen fertilizer at the rate of 25 to 30 grams per m2 and water in for a minumum of one week till you

see the grass greening up.

3) Make sure you don't cut the lawn you want  the Clover to grow actively and have as much foliage visible as possible.

4) Select the product available at the nursery, there are a few on the market, Over the years I have always used a product called    TURFWEEDER and found it to be most succesfull.

5) Apply the product you have chosen and follow the instructions.

If you deceide to use TURFWEEDER: take a look at http://www.dowagro.com/PublishedLiterature/dh_015b/0901b8038015b141.pdf?filepath=/011-10197.pdf&fromPage=GetDoc.

 

The best is to spray in spring or autumn, when temperatures are expected to remain cool. Do not use it when temperatures are predicted to reach +/- 30 degrees Celsius within 24 hours. Usually you will notice after 10 day to 2 weeks wilting and yellowing will take place. In total it can take 6 to 8 weeks for the clover to disappears completely.

Using A selective broad-leaf weed killer such as Turfweeder may need to be re-applied after 6 to 8 weeks, to keep the Clover under control in your lawn.

 

If you decide to use chemicals, always read and follow the directions on label and keep pets and children away until the application is dried up.

Apply carefully! I recommend adding 5 to 10 ml of dishwashing liquid to a 5 liter Selective weed killer application mixture to help it better adhere to the clover's waxy type leaf. "Turfweeder" will reduce the clover but a 2^nd or 3de application may be required to eliminate the clover for one year.

It is recommended to apply no more than a maximum of 3 successive spray applications once a year

 

Clover is invasive only when conditions exist that are unfavorable for grass growth, such as low soil fertility, compaction and poor soil aeration. Maintaining healthy grass keeps clover from spreading aggressively.

To improve your lawn, water the grass thoroughly every week to week and a half to encourage deep roots. Irrigation watering should be deep. Frequent light watering encourages clover, which is shallow-rooted. Mowing your lawn no shorter than 5 to 7 cm also encourages deeper grass roots.

Aerate/ core your lawns in early autumn to promote better drainage in heavy, compact soils. Have your soil tested to determine soil fertility and fertilize accordingly.