Want a healthy lawn without all the hassle? Give yourself and your mower a break by growing clover instead of (or in addition to) your regular turf grass. 

Planting clover as a ground cover is a great way to reduce the time and energy you spend on lawn care. Clover requires less water, brings in beneficial insects, improves poor soil, helps with weed control, and so much more.

Benefits of planting clover:

• 1. Reduces erosion

• 2. Reduces weeds

• 3. Fixes nitrogen

• 4. Creates green manure

• 5. Low maintenance

• 6. Good for the environment

How to plant clover

Pure clover yards are suggested for lawns that experience light foot traffic. If you have kids or pets, consider including clover seeds in your grass mix. A grass-clover lawn can provide many of the benefits of clover and stay durable against heavy foot traffic.

If you have existing clover…

If you already have clover patches in your yard, you can encourage that existing lawn patch to grow by avoiding using herbicides that kill broadleaf weeds. Mowing with blades set between 1.5-2 inches also will help encourage clover growth since that height is considered low for most traditional grasses.

How to plant clover from seed

The best time to seed is from mid-March to mid-April. Clover does not need to be planted deeply, sprinkling or raking in the seeds gets the job done. If you have a shady lawn, you’ll want to use twice the amount of seed to promote full growth. Mist with water daily until you see the clover sprouting up.

Avoid mowing during the summer to allow the clover florets to bloom and produce seeds.

Problem: My Clover or Microclover has grown taller/larger than expected!

Possible Causes:

• There has been irregular or lack of mowing (this is especially true for microclover because it requires regular mowing to train the dwarf growth habit)
• There may be an excess of nutrients in the soil, particularly nitrogen
• The weather may be warmer and/or more humid than usual