Clover; a Sustainable Lawn Grass Alternative

Once included in lawn mixes as a nurse crop, then considered a weed, clover is now being considered as a low maintenance, lawn grass alternative.

If you have tried to rid your lawn of clover, you know it is a persistent plant. Like other legumes, clover is able to capture nitrogen from the atmosphere and move it into the soil, making it available for plants to use.  The deep roots make it drought tolerant and female dog urine won’t discolor it.

Clover attracts honeybees, bumble bees and other beneficial insects. This is great for our gardens, but may not be good for barefoot kids running through the lawn. Plus, it is not as tolerant of heavy foot traffic as lawn grass.

Before converting your lawn to low maintenance clover, start with a small patch where lower maintenance is needed and increased bee activity will be appreciated.

A bit more information: Consider a mixed lawn/clover lawn for areas with moderate to high foot traffic. You can overseed an existing lawn with clover. It will act as a nurse crop, adding nitrogen to the soil to feed your lawn. The lawn grass will tolerate dogs, kid play and sports activity better. Just be prepared to manage the clover stains that can be difficult to remove.

Tags

sustainable-gardening lawns beneficial-insects bees clover

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