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Clover infesting lawn - when to kill it?

18 years ago

I am in NJ and the home I recently purchased has a fescue lawn with about 30% clover mixed in. The little white clover flowers have been popping up everwhere for the last month.

I really want to kill the clover with Weed-b-Gon now so it doesn't spread any more seed, but I also think waiting until late summer before I overseed might be a better time so that any bare spots left over would be filled in with fescue.

What's the right move?

Comments (12)

  • 18 years ago

    You shouldn't apply WBG when the temperature is over 90 degrees. If I were you, I'd wait for it to drop below 85. You also need to wait at least 3 weeks after applying it before you can reseed.

  • 18 years ago

    I have a lot of clover in my KBG lawn. If you let it be, will it eventually choke out the grass? Is there any better organic way to control it versus using Weed Be Gone?

    30% doesn't sound that bad. You sure not a better idea to leave it, assuming my first question isn't a problem. Clover is nitrogen fixing, adding a lot of fertilizer to the soil from the air.

  • 18 years ago

    I have a lot of clover in my KBG lawn. If you let it be, will it eventually choke out the grass?

    As long at it's clover, no. Clover and grass co-exist very happily together. If it's black medic, that's quite another story.

    Clover's not bad as long as you like it. I don't, others do. Even I don't mind a small amount stitched in with the lawn, but alternating patches are annoying until the grass incurses a bit.

  • 18 years ago

    "If you let it be, will it eventually choke out the grass? Is there any better organic way to control it versus using Weed Be Gone?"

    If it's actually clover, I don't think it will choke out the lawn. If it's black medic, it probably will.

    If it's dutch white clover, one organic approach is to be thankful it's in your lawn. It doesn't need as much water and it takes nitrogen from the air and fixes it into the soil, reducing fertilizer needs.

    If it's not dutch white clover, or it is but you still want to get rid of it, you can manually pull it, use a weed hound to pull it, or spray it with vinegar (but be aware that vinegar will kill any plant, not just broadleaf weeds).

  • 18 years ago

    It sure looks like clover to me but I've never heard of black medic. Does it closely resemble clover? Some sections don't seem to show the white flowers of clover - would that be a clue to BM?

  • 18 years ago

    Black medic has yellow flowers and seeds that look like tiny grape clusters. It spreads low on the ground and chokes out grass.

    Here is a link that tells how to differentiate clover lookalikes.

  • 18 years ago

    Clover is relatively hard to kill, I have read that this is because of its substantial root system.

    If you plan to overseed in the fall, I would start with the WBG now, assuming temperatures are not around 90 as already mentioned. I suggest this because it likely will take two or three applications to get it under control, and this takes time, so if you start late it will interfere with your overseeding.

    In my case, the clover was so thick in spots that the grass has suffered. I don't think it is dead, but will take a few weeks of sunlight and moisture to come back, now that it is no longer competing with the Clover for those things.

    Ortho has a Clover-specific product that I assume works well, but a few applications of the regular WBG Max has wiped out most of mine. Good luck!

  • 18 years ago

    Thanks for the advice - I am thinking of applying WBG now.

    Does the temp have to be under 90 only on the day I apply it or does it need to be under 90 for the entire time it is effective on my lawn (7+ days)?

  • 18 years ago

    I found a label online and it says "Spray when temperature is below 90ð F."

    I take it to mean that it should be below 90ð the day you spray. It would probably be safest to do it when it's going to be below 90ð for a few days, though.

  • 18 years ago

    You should wait! I am in the same predicament with some clover patches but I am waiting. Last summer (late June) I tried to eridicate some clover patches using Weed B Gone. The temps went above 85-90 in the coming days and I soon had dead patches all over my lawn. Maybe you'd have better luck but in my opinion clover still looks better than large brown/dead areas. Go for it in September and then again next Spring. Be patient and tolerate a little clover for a while if you can.

  • 18 years ago

    As Ron Calhoun, weed specialist at Michigan State University, says, "Say 10-4 good buddy!". Hit your clover in early October for the most effective control. The Weed-B-Gone with the purple label (triclopyr) will work, but I've had excellent results with Spectracide Weed Stop 2x, a modern 4-way herbicide.

    A.J.

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