Hi, in the UK here. My lawn has a few strong patches of clover which I’d like to encourage to take over the whole place.

For context, I am black-thumbed and the lawn is some rolled turf over terribly hard ?clay soil.

What do I do?

  • Gingerrific@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    OK so I’ve been experimenting for a few years now and this is what I have noticed

    • Clover doesn’t grow like grass does. Grass is a group of individual blades l, whereas clover grows in clumps that keep getting bigger. I have one clump that is 2ft x 2ft but if you were to look at the roots they are in a little 6" circle. Instead of growing up it will grow outward.

    • It’s aggressive. I planted flowers near a massive clover patch and last summer I was unable to cut the clover down and it suffocated EVERYTHING.

    • Does very well in all the places. Full sun to full shade, it is sprouting everywhere.

    • Harvest the flower, dry them for seeds and spread them.

    • Yarrow. Find a native species that grows in your area. It’s also an aggressive spreader that does well as a grass substitute.

    • I have had no success with grass alternatives that are essentially mixed flowers. They all died out in less than 4 years.

    • I planted mint in my grass. It seems phenomenal whenever I cut it with the lawnmower. WARNING. Mint is extremely aggressive.

    I’m in zone 3 so my options are limited, but I’m trying creeping thyme and a few moss options to see how they take.