Organic Solutions - Clover Mixed Lawns

Weed or wonder plant? Clover is commonly considered a weed in grass lawns, but should it be? Clover attracts pollinators, protects your vegetable garden, and keeps your lawn lush and green even through drought. There are so many reasons why clover would be an amazing addition to your lawn - let’s count them!

Clover attracts all kinds of pollinators, like bumblebees!

1 - It enriches and naturally fertilizes the soil it grows in.

Clover is a plant in the legume family which is an amazing family of plants, including peas and beans, that provide a unique ecosystem service - nitrogen-fixing. Clover moves into areas with nitrogen-deficient soil to fertilize and improve the soil conditions it lives in naturally.

The process is two-stepped:

1. The roots of the clover plant improve the friability of the soil. A high friability means the soil will likely break apart into smaller pieces. Friability in the soil is a measure of how well aerated it is. Clover achieves this aeration with a combination of tap and fibrous roots that break apart compact soil layers, leading to abundant air pockets.

2. The air around us is mostly composed of nitrogen gas, but plants do not readily use this form of nitrogen. Nitrogen gas must be ‘fixed’ into a different compound that the root systems can absorb. Clover partners with a specialized, beneficial bacteria called Rhizobia. This bacteria grows in rounded nodules along the plant’s roots - then it converts the nitrogen it encounters in the abundant air pockets that clover creates into an organic compound that plants can use immediately for growth and photosynthesis.

2 - Pollinators love clover!

Bees! We cannot live without them! They pollinate about 75 percent of flowering plants and 35 percent of crops [1, 2]. Our world and our health would change drastically if bees were to go extinct. Unfortunately, the bee - honeybee in particular - populations continue to decline. Ecologists link this decline to the pursuit of eradicating clover, dandelions, and other flowering weeds from lawns [3].

Honey bees love clover so much that if you have ever eaten honey, it was likely clover honey! Supporting pollinator populations while improving soil health? Count us in!

3 - Decreased garden pests.

Lady bugs, minute pirate bugs, lacewings, and parasitoid (special non-stinging) wasps are all attracted to clover. Once these beneficial bug predators are there, they feed on aphids, whiteflies, scales, cabbage worms, and other garden pests!

The creepy crawly pests will not be the only ones kept away from the garden. Rabbits and deer love to eat clover - they will satisfy themselves with the clover growing in the lawn rather than on the vegetables and fruits in the garden.

4 - It brings biodiversity.

Ecologists agree that lawns are not well-suited for habitat because it lacks diversity. Clover brings in pollinators and beneficial bugs and tangentially sustains fruit trees, flowers, vegetables, and other plants. Greater biodiversity ensures that our habitat is sustainable for future generations.

5 - Clover stays green!

Clover has a strong root system that ventures deep into the soil. The deep roots can access a consistent water source even during drought. That makes it more resilient to adverse weather and heat that cool-season grasses are vulnerable to.

Because it withstands heat well, it maintains a healthy coverage over the soil. The dense foliage intercepts the sun, which moderates the soil temperature and allows for increased moisture retention. These conditions are ideal for maintaining the grass parts of the lawn longer than they could have withstood the heat and drought conditions without clover.

6 - Clover outcompetes hard-to-manage weeds.

The dense crop coverage and resilient root system structure have another advantage - less advantageous weeds do not stand a chance against these hardworking plants. The coverage of the clover plants prevents weed seeds from getting the sunlight they require to begin germination, and the dense root system prevents germinating seeds from establishing in the soil. This system eliminates unwanted weeds from the lawn without using environmentally harmful pesticides.

Are you ready to create a clover-mixed lawn?

With more than 300 species of clover, there are bound to be a few that fit your lawn requirements. The hundreds of clover varieties fill the spectrum from full sun to full shade! Some of them prefer water-logged environments, and others want dry soil.

It is easy to establish clover even on a pre-established grass lawn. Spread seeds over the cut grass and keep it watered for a few weeks to allow the clover to establish. Note: be careful of applying too much clover. Please consult a professional before undertaking this task, as it is easy to create lumpy patches of overseeded clover. However, once a clover-mixed lawn is established, it will require less or no fertilizer to maintain a healthy, lush lawn!