Plant a Clover Lawn

By Jason Earls

A great looking lawn is a must for most people, but unfortunately some individuals experience environmental problems that make having a traditional grass lawn almost impossible. A few examples: Perhaps you live in an area that doesn't receive enough rain, or maybe your soil drains poorly, or you have trees in your yard that provide too much shade. Maybe you are simply tired of fighting dandelions or crabgrass, or perhaps you don't feel like mowing your lawn every week. Whatever the reason, you should know there are a few alternatives to having a traditional grass lawn, with perhaps the best one being growing clover as a replacement.

Planting clover instead of grass has numerous benefits. First, it is very low maintenance (and also cost-effective) so you can spend more time doing other things (such as landscaping or gardening activities!) that you enjoy more. Clover will also naturally aerate and enrich your soil by taking nitrogen from the air, which is a good thing if you ever decide to switch back to a traditional grass lawn.

You won’t experience any weed problems with clover either, since it will choke out every other plant near it by consuming all the nutrients in the soil. It is drought tolerant too; because its roots are longer, they can reach water that hides at deeper levels in the ground. The flowers of clover are attractive to honeybees, which are beneficial for the environment as well. It also feels nice to walk on clover (as long as you keep an eye out for those honeybees). When working with clover, you won't need any fertilizer or pesticides.

Let's hope these benefits have convinced you to switch to clover instead of grass and you are ready to plant. We will mainly discuss Dutch Clover from this point forward since it is usually considered the best and most popular choice.

We'll assume you're starting the planting process with a lawn area that has been stripped, and you are left with bare soil. First, wait until spring arrives to plant your clover, then go to the feed store and buy about $5 worth of Dutch Clover seeds. This amount will be enough to handle an average-sized lawn.

Next, rake the soil as flat as possible, but it doesn't have to be perfect; just be sure most of the major hills have been eliminated. Mix your clover seed with some soil using a wheelbarrow as a "bowl." The soil you use can be common garden soil, or any kind of dirt will work. Mix in the seed until you have about four per square inch. Then spread this mix evenly over your entire lawn.

Once you complete this step, go back to where you started and cover everything you put down with another layer of soil - about 1/4 of an inch this time. Be careful not to pack it too tightly or the clover sprouts will have a tough time breaking through. Water the soil lightly, taking care not to wash away any seeds. Try not to walk on your newly planted lawn for at least a week. And remember to keep the soil moist at all times. Within two weeks, you should see clover sprouts all over your lawn.

Maintenance tips: After your clover is grown, don't water more than once per week since the clover has long roots that make it drought resistant.

After two or three years, the clover will stop re-seeding itself and you will have to re-plant again. Depending upon your area and type of clover, it can reach up to six inches in height or more (but usually a lot lower than that), then it stops growing. Because the cuttings from clover can become quite messy, some people simply let it grow to full height and don’t mow at all.

Drawbacks of clover (yes, there are a few!): It will stain clothing and be difficult to get out. Children should be careful about going barefoot on the lawn since they could step on the stingers of honeybees. If you have a certain area that gets heavy foot traffic, it might be best to put down some stones for walking since clover will get trampled easily and won't be great at springing back up.

If you decide to plant clover for your lawn, be sure to keep an eye out for any four-leaf clovers that you can pick, which will surely improve your luck!

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