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Any natural remedies to getting rid of clover in my yard??

Posted: July 2nd, 2019, 9:19 am
by lj21
Hi everyone,

Newer home owner here. The previous owners used Tru Green, which I did not continue. Trying to be more natural with my two yound kids. Of course, the clover has come in patches in my back yard now. The area is right around the children's swing set. I really do not like to spray weed killer in their swing set area if possible. I've tried researching and have come up short. The vinegar/salt/dishwasher would kill my lawn too, right? Any suggestions appreciated!!!

Thank you!

Re: Any natural remedies to getting rid of clover in my yard??

Posted: July 2nd, 2019, 10:58 am
by TimmyG
Rabbits

Re: Any natural remedies to getting rid of clover in my yard??

Posted: July 2nd, 2019, 11:19 am
by andy10917
There are no selective products that will remove Clover from a lawn - you either have to live with the Clover, attempt to kill all in the area with horticultural Vinegar, or remove it manually and reseed.

There is, however, an herbicide that is a synthesized copy of a plant-based substance that has significantly-reduced risk of toxicity. Based on the Bottlebrush plant's ability to prevent other broadleaf plants near it, the herbicide "Tenacity" was awarded a "reduced risk" designation by the EPA. Now it's not as cheap as the stuff in the big-box stores (it costs around $60-$65, but an 8-oz bottle is used in tiny amounts). Do not look for it at the big-box stores, although a granular version is available combined with Starter Fertilizer there.

Sorry, but that's as close as you'll be able to come to a safer Clover-in-lawn selective killer. My personal experience is that the product is very, very good, but with Clover it may take a couple of applications to truly do the job.

Re: Any natural remedies to getting rid of clover in my yard??

Posted: July 2nd, 2019, 12:00 pm
by HoosierLawnGnome
Theres the weed torch things too, but I dont know how helpful they are against clover etc.

Once you get rid of it keep the turf strong and thick to keep it out.

Re: Any natural remedies to getting rid of clover in my yard??

Posted: July 23rd, 2019, 9:25 am
by gregt848
Good Morning, I'm in a similar situation with lots of clover and creeping charlie. Trying to avoid chemicals with the little ones crawling around.

I know its not exactly organic, but does anyone have any feedback of the Iron HEDTA products like Bayer Natria? I have read mixed reviews but I do think there are situations where it does work when applied heavier than lighter. I believe its a safer product as well.

Thanks

Re: Any natural remedies to getting rid of clover in my yard??

Posted: August 8th, 2019, 7:06 pm
by gregt848
Does anyone have any feedback on the Hedta iron weed killers? Like Bauer natria
Thanks Iā€™m advance!

Re: Any natural remedies to getting rid of clover in my yard??

Posted: October 2nd, 2019, 6:30 pm
by Dchall_San_Antonio
Why not keep the clover? It's a kids area, not a museum grounds. When I was little all lawns had clover. What I remember is that clover stained our jeans and our mothers got angry about that. Nowadays we have cleaning products like Oxyclean which takes out those stains. Grass does not stain like clover and other broadleaf plants.

Re: Any natural remedies to getting rid of clover in my yard??

Posted: November 4th, 2019, 1:28 pm
by gergev
I like clover in the grass as well unless it really starts to take over a large area. I've got a 6 year old 8oz bottle of tenacity which is still effective. I'll use almost 1 tsp per gal of water. One gallon is more than enough to spot spray for unwanted clover, creeping charlie, crabgrass on my 5,000 sf yard.

Re: Any natural remedies to getting rid of clover in my yard??

Posted: November 25th, 2019, 4:29 pm
by jimmo
I'd agree, embrace a little clover in the backyard. It's a kids area for playing. Leave it be.

Re: Any natural remedies to getting rid of clover in my yard??

Posted: January 31st, 2020, 8:23 am
by KB in MD (21740)
Clover is easy to pull out. Or, maybe add more nitrogen?
Found this:
Why Clover Is Taking Over Your Lawn
In fact, white Dutch clover is an indicator plant for low nitrogen - meaning that if you see it growing in your lawn, it probably means the soil is low in nitrogen. ...

Re: Any natural remedies to getting rid of clover in my yard??

Posted: January 31st, 2020, 8:42 am
by andy10917
I have never seen clover disappear with the addition of Nitrogen. It can outcompete grass in a low fertility environment, but is perfectly happy in a high fertility environment once established.

Re: Any natural remedies to getting rid of clover in my yard??

Posted: January 31st, 2020, 10:54 am
by TimmyG
KB in MD (21740) wrote: ā†‘
January 31st, 2020, 8:23 am
Clover is easy to pull out.
Oxalis is easy to pull out. White clover is absolutely one of the most challenging weeds to pull by hand, assuming you're pulling it out of grass.

Re: Any natural remedies to getting rid of clover in my yard??

Posted: February 12th, 2020, 3:38 pm
by Dchall_San_Antonio
KB in MD (21740) wrote: ā†‘
January 31st, 2020, 7:23 am
Clover is easy to pull out.
Oxalis is easy to pull out. White clover is absolutely one of the most challenging weeds to pull by hand, assuming you're pulling it out of grass
So this is an excellent point. Oxalis is very often confused with clover due to the shape of the leaf. If the OP has oxalis, then pull it out. If the OP really does have clover, then it is impossible to pull out. Oxalis gets little yellow flowers. Clover gets globular white flowers which attract bees. And as I search Google Images it is appalling how few good pictures there are of Dutch white clover. Here's the best one I found.

Image

Note especially the whitish ring embellishment in the leaf of the clover. This is a dead give-away that you're looking at Dutch white clover. Oxalis does not have that ring.