clover lawn

How to Grow a Clover Lawn—a Low-Maintenance Turf Alternative That Only Needs 4 Mowings Per Year

Turf lawns may be replaced with low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and environmentally beneficial clover lawns. Clover is perfect for parts of your yard where grass seed won’t grow because it’s quicker to establish than turf and can tolerate some shade. Additionally, the blossoms of clover provide pollen for butterflies and bees, increasing the richness of your garden.

We chatted with professionals who offered advice on how to cultivate and maintain clover, a ground cover plant, if you’re considering replacing your grass.

What Are Clover Lawns?

A ground cover plant known for its tiny white blossoms and shamrock-shaped leaves is clover. Clover lawns can be made entirely of clover or a mix of clover and conventional turf grass. Jen McDonald, a co-founder of Garden Girls, explains that clover is actually a legume, meaning that it pulls nitrogen from the air to the ground, which is very good for the surrounding plants, grass, and soil. USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 10 are ideal for clover growth, depending on the species.

The Pros and Cons of Growing a Clover Lawn

Clover is a drought-tolerant, low-maintenance plant that has numerous landscaping uses, but planting it as a ground cover instead of a lawn has some disadvantages.

Pros

Clover lawns are incredibly resilient. “They are disease- and pest-resistant, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides,” says Carrie Spoonemore, co-creator of Park Seed’s From Seed to Spoon app. “But that’s not all—another big appeal of clover lawns is their ability to help prevent soil erosion and improve soil health.” Clover also attracts pollinators, which supports biodiversity and provides food for bees and butterflies.

You’re in luck if having a lush, lovely lawn is your top priority. Unlike turf, clover maintains its green colour even throughout the hot, dry summer months when other grasses appear yellow and patchy. Plus, clover can flourish in partial shade, so it may grow in regions where grass is more obstinate.

Cons

Even though Clover Lawns has some good points, it also has some bad points. Clover doesn’t wear down evenly when a lot of people walk on it. Additionally, some homeowner groups may have limits against clover, so make sure you check your neighborhood’s rules before planting it.
Another critical consideration is that clover is primarily insect-pollinated, which means that it attracts honeybees. So, if a family member is allergic to bees, don’t plant a clover lawn.

Clover Lawn Varieties

If you’re considering adding clover to your yard, here are a few great varieties to consider, each with its charm and practical benefits.

• One of the most common choices for natural, chemical-free lawns is white Dutch clover (Trifolium repens). It spreads quickly when planted in the spring and typically grows to about 8 to 10 inches (ca. 25 cm) tall, though you can keep it shorter with regular mowing. It’s a classic for a reason—easygoing and ideal for filling in bare spots.

• Micro clover (Trifolium repens L.) is a smaller, tidier version of Dutch white. It’s ideal if you want the lush, green look of clover without giving up that neat, well-kept lawn vibe. It’s drought tolerant, grows densely, and stays low—usually between 4 and 6 inches (ca. 15 cm)—so it handles mowing well and looks great all season.

• Red clover (Trifolium pratense) has a more relaxed, meadow-like feel. It grows taller—about 12 to 18 inches (ca. 46 cm)—and pairs beautifully with turf grass or other clover types. It’s low maintenance, hardy in zones 4 through 8, and perfect if you’re going for a more natural, wildflower-style lawn.

No matter which variety you choose, clover can be a beautiful, eco-friendly addition to your landscape.

How to Plant a Clover Lawn?

Although you might already have some clover growing in your grass, spreading the seeds across your lawn can help to produce a richer thatch. Spoonemore advises, “A clover lawn can be planted in the spring but will be more successful if planted in the fall.” Use the Spoonemore guidelines below to grow clover in your yard.

• Remove any grass, weeds, rocks, and rubbish from the area where you want to plant the clover lawn.

• As directed on the packaging, evenly distribute the clover seeds over the soil at the suggested sowing rate. You may change this pace according to the density you want.

• To guarantee excellent contact, lightly brush the seeds into the soil without severely burying them.

• Until germination, keep the area wet and give it plenty of water. Clover seedlings will start to settle, spread, and eventually become denser and thicker as they emerge.

How to Mix Clover With Turf Grass?

Try combining your current grass with clover if you do not want a whole grassland of it. The ideal species of clover to mix with current turf grass is microclover; it will look more consistent and can withstand regular mowing.

Reseed your lawn in autumn using clover seed instead of grass seed to blend with current grass. It will nourish the grass and provide nitrogen to the ground, therefore negating the need for fertilizer.

How to Care for a Clover Lawn?

Although once-grown Clover needs little care, there are several things to consider when tending to it.

Sun

Spoonemore says Clover tolerates slight shade but thrives best in full to partial sun.

Water

Until it becomes established, Water Clover will need regular watering; thereafter, it will only need to be watered once or twice a week in times devoid of rain.

Soil

Clover is flexible enough to fit a variety of soils and can even withstand poorly drained or compacted ground. Said otherwise, it prefers soils with a pH exceeding 6.0. Lime can help you to correct excessively acidic soil.

How to Mow Clover?

Generally speaking, clover keeps itself and requires little maintenance, including mowing. Though this may be changed according to your inclination, you may mow it three to four times a year. Some homeowners may mow more often before the clover blossoms and want rich, green clover lawns. Conversely, if you want an English garden look, let your clover grass grow to its 8-inch maximum height.