How to Grow a Clover Lawn

Clover is a legume that is increasingly popular as a ground cover for front yards and backyards. Its growing popularity is due to its affordability, ease of care, drought tolerance, and low maintenance needs. In addition, clover attracts pollinators like honeybees and is also a food source for deer. It requires no fertilization, can thrive in poor soil, and doesn’t need mowing. You can also sow clover seeds into an existing grass lawn, where it will blend in well. To cultivate a healthy, thriving clover lawn, it’s essential to prepare the soil and monitor the seedlings during their early growth stages. Make sure your yard and climate conditions are suitable for clover before planting.

Check the soil pH. Start by testing your lawn’s soil to determine whether it’s suitable for clover growth. Most clover varieties thrive in soils with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0, although some varieties can grow well in soils with pH as high as 8.5. You can purchase a soil testing kit from a garden center, which will also help identify any nutrient deficiencies in the soil.

• If the soil pH is too low, you can raise it by adding lime.
• To lower a high pH, you can mix in peat moss or sawdust.
• It may take up to 6 months for adjustments to show results, so it’s best to test the soil well in advance of planting your clover.
• Find the right type of clover that matches your soil’s pH. You can research online or ask garden centers for recommendations.

Treat the soil with weed killer. Before planting clover, it is essential to remove any weeds. You can use herbicides to eliminate unwanted weeds or plants.

• Some herbicides, such as systemic weed killers or broadleaf weed killers, may require you to wait up to two weeks before planting new grass. Always follow the instructions on the label carefully. If you plan to allow animals to graze on the clover, attract pollinators like bees, or have concerns about chemicals leaching into groundwater, it’s best to avoid products like Roundup.

Till the soil one month before sowing the clover seeds. Clover seeds grow best when they are not competing with weeds as they establish roots. To clear any weeds, rocks, and debris from the soil, till the soil to a depth of about 20 cm.

• Tilling the soil one month before planting gives weed seeds time to germinate, allowing you to remove them before planting the clover.
• This also helps you to amend the soil more easily if the pH is not ideal.

Water daily. To encourage weed seeds to germinate, water the soil lightly every day. When the weeds sprout, you will be able to remove them within two weeks, just before sowing the clover seeds.

• If there is enough rainfall during this time, you may not need to water the soil yourself.

Remove the weeds. A few days before sowing the clover seeds, use a hoe or spade to dig up all the weeds that have sprouted since you tilled the soil. This will ensure that the clover is not competing with unwanted plants and will have the best chance of thriving.

• You can also use a sickle to cut the weeds.

Mix clover seeds with sand. Clover seeds are very small and light. To ensure even distribution across the lawn, it’s best to mix the seeds with a medium that helps spread them more easily through the soil. You will need about 60 grams of seeds to cover an area of approximately 100 m2. Before sowing, mix the seeds with one of the following materials:

• Soil (preferably soil without fertilizers to prevent weed growth)
• Sand
• Sawdust

Scatter the seeds. Evenly distribute the seeds by hand over the lawn. For larger areas, you can use a fertilizer spreader available at gardening stores. Alternatively, you can use the underside of a rake (with the tines facing up) to spread the seed and sand mixture across the ground.

Use a rake to level the soil. Clover seeds will not germinate if they are buried too deep, but a thin layer of soil over them will help keep the seeds in place and prevent wind or animals from disturbing them. Walk across the seeded area and use the back of the rake to lightly incorporate the seeds into the top layer of soil.

• Do not rake deeper than 0.5 cm; otherwise, the seeds will not be able to grow.

Keep the seeds moist until the clover establishes roots. Water the seeds immediately after sowing. This will help them adhere to the soil and create favorable conditions for germination. Lightly water the seeds each day if it does not rain, until the young plants develop their leaves.

• During spring, summer, and the warmer months of autumn, water the clover with about 4-5 cm of water per week.
• If sowed during the warm spring and summer months, the clover seeds will sprout within 1-2 weeks.
• Ensure the seeds do not dry out during the day, as the seedlings will not survive.

Avoid fertilizing. Clover can produce enough nitrogen on its own as long as it has good contact with the soil (you can promote this by using nodule-forming bacteria when planting). Fertilizers often encourage weed growth, which is not beneficial for clover.

• Use a soil test kit to check for any missing nutrients and adjust the soil before planting the clover.

Occasionally check the soil after planting grass. Once your lawn is established, it’s a good idea to take soil samples every 2-3 years. This will allow you to assess the nutrient and mineral levels in the soil and make adjustments if needed.

• It’s recommended to take a soil sample in spring of the previous year and again in autumn the following year. This way, you can determine which nutrients are most needed at different stages of the growing cycle.

Buy clover seeds. You can purchase clover seeds from nurseries or online. You will need about 60g of seed to cover 100 m2.

• The most common varieties of clover used for lawns are Dutch White (a perennial variety that grows up to 20 cm tall) and Microclover (a hardy variety with small leaves and short stems).
• Seeds inoculated with nodule-forming bacteria are also popular, as they allow the clover to produce nitrogen naturally. These seeds should be stored in a cool, dark place.

Plant grass at the right season and weather conditions. The best time to plant clover is in spring or summer. For spring planting, ensure that the last frost has passed, and that nighttime temperatures stay above 4°C. The ideal window for sowing clover is from mid-March to mid-August.

• In warmer climates, clover can be planted in September and October, but make sure to plant at least 6 weeks before the first frost.
• In the mildest climates, where winters are usually free of snow and freezing temperatures, clover can be planted year-round.

Choose a sunny area. Depending on the size of your lawn, light conditions can vary significantly across the area, and some spots may not be ideal for planting clover. Clover is a hardy plant that can tolerate some shade, but it thrives best when exposed to 4-6 hours of sunlight daily.

• If possible, trim trees, fences, and shrubs to ensure the clover gets enough sunlight.

• To help maintain your established clover patch, mow the grass to a height of around 4-5 cm. This height is more beneficial for clover than for regular grass varieties.
• Occasionally tilling the soil in early spring will be advantageous for your clover lawn.