Content

• Steps
• Advice

Clover is a legume plant that is increasingly grown in popularity in front of homes or backyards instead of grass, mainly because it is affordable, easy to live, does not require much care and is able to drought tolerance. In addition, clover also attracts flower-pollinating insects such as honey bees, which attract deer, do not need fertilizer, can live on dry soil and need no pruning. You can also plant clover seeds on existing lawns, and they can grow very well with grass. For a lush clover, prepare soil and keep an eye on it while it is sprouting. Before planting, make sure your yard and climate are suitable for clover.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Soil preparation

1. 

   Check the pH of the soil. Start by identifying your yard soil type to see if the soil is suitable for clover growth. Most clover varieties thrive in soils between pH 6.0 and 7.0, but there are also a few varieties that do well in soils with pH up to 8.5. You can go to the nursery to buy a soil tester. The soil tester will also help you detect nutrient or mineral deficiencies in the soil.
   • If the soil pH is too low, you can correct it by adding lime.
   • Adjust the pH too high by mixing more mud moss or sawdust.
   • It can take up to 6 months for every adjustment to be fully effective, so it's a good idea to test the soil before planning to plant the lawn for a long time.
   • Find clover that matches your soil pH. You can do a search online or ask nurseries about clover varieties.
2. Treat the soil with weed killer. Before planting clover, you need to remove all weeds. You can use herbicides to remove weeds or other plants that you do not want to leave.
   • Some, such as endophthalmic herbicide or broad leaf herbicide, may require you to wait up to 2 weeks before planting a new lawn. Follow all directions on the label carefully. If you want to feed your animals clover, let bees pollinate grass flowers, or risk the drug seeping into existing groundwater, you should avoid compounds like Roundup.

3. 

   
   
   Till the soil one month before sowing. Clover seeds do best if they don't have to compete with weeds while taking root. To remove all the plants, rocks, and debris from the soil, you need to plow the soil to a depth of about 20 cm.
   • When you plow the soil a month in advance, the weed seeds have time to grow and you can remove them before planting the clover.
   • Tilling at this point will also make it easier to adjust the soil if the pH is not right.

4. 

   
   
   Water every day. To stimulate weed seed growth, you need to gently water the soil daily. Once the weeds are in, it should be removed in 2 weeks, just before sowing the clover seed.
   • If there is enough rainfall during this time, you don't have to bother with watering.

5. 

   Get rid of weeds. A few days before sowing the grass, use a spade or a shovel to dig through all the weeds that have grown since you plowed. This way, the clover will not compete and have the best growing conditions.
   • You can also use the sickle to mow the grass.
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Part 2 of 3: Sowing clover seeds

1. 

   
   
   Mix the grass seeds with the sand. Clover seeds are very small and light. To make sure the seeds are evenly spread across your lawn, it's best to mix the seeds with an intermediate material to make it easier to distribute the seeds in the soil. You need about 60 g of seed to cover a plot of about 100 square meters. Before sowing, mix the seeds with one of the following materials:
   • Soil (preferably soil free of fertilizers so as not to allow weeds to grow)
   • Sand
   • Sawdust

2. 

   Sprinkle the seeds. Use your hands to spread the seeds evenly on the lawn. If your lawn is large, use a fertilizer spreader from a garden store. You can also spread the seeds over a large area by using the underside of the rake board (the teeth to scratch up) to evenly level the seeds with sand mix.

3. 

   Use a rake. Clover seeds will not grow if buried in the ground, but a thin layer of soil will help the seeds stay in place and prevent wind or animals from disturbing them. Walk through the area you just sowed and use your upside-up rake to mix grass seeds into the topsoil.
   • Do not scratch more than 0.5 cm deep; otherwise, the grass will not grow.

4. 

   Keep the seeds moist until the grass takes root. Water the seeds right after sowing. This step will help the seeds stick to the soil and create favorable conditions for the seeds to germinate. Gently spray the seeds with water each day if it doesn't rain until the young grass has sprouted.
   • During spring, summer, and the warm months of autumn, you need to water your lawn about 4-5 cm per week.
   • When sown during the warm spring and summer months, clover seeds will sprout in 1-2 weeks.
   • Make sure the seeds are not in danger of drying out during the day, otherwise the sprouts will not survive.

5. 

   Do not fertilize. Alfalfa can produce enough nitrogen on its own, as long as they have a good bond with the soil (you can facilitate the use of the rooting bacteria when growing). Fertilizers often cause weeds to grow, but not clover.
   • Use a test kit to check if the soil is deficient in any important nutrients and adjust it before planting the grass.
6. Check the soil from time to time after you've planted the grass. Once the lawn has taken root, you should take soil samples at least every two to three years. Check the nutrient and mineral levels in your soil to make adjustments if needed.
   • You should take soil samples the year before in the spring, and next year in the fall. This will help you know which nutrients are most needed during the different stages of the growing cycle.
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Part 3 of 3: Choosing the right time and place to plant grass

1. 

   Buy clover seeds. You can buy grass seeds at the nursery or online. You will need about 60g of seeds to cover an area of ​​100 m2.
   • The most popular lawn clover varieties are Dutch White (a perennial grass that grows up to 20 cm tall) and Microclover (a tough, durable clover with small leaves and short stems).
   • Alfalfa seeds that have been inoculated with nodule bacteria are also preferred, as you won't have to go through the process yourself. Nodule culture is the process of wrapping the seeds in nitrogen-fixing (nitrogen) bacteria to help clover produce its own nitrogen. You need to store these seeds in a cool, dark place.

2. 

   Planting grass suitable for the season and weather. The best time to plant clover is spring or summer. To grow your lawn in the spring, make sure the last frost is over, and the night temperature stays above 4 ° C. The best time to sow clover seeds is mid-March to mid August.
   • In warmer climates, clover can be planted in September and October, but must be planted at least six weeks before the first frost.
   • In the warmest climates, where winters are mild, snow rarely occurs and the temperature doesn't freeze, you can grow clover all year round.

3. 

   Choose a sunny area. Depending on the size of the lawn, conditions in different areas may also vary widely, so some locations may not be ideal for growing clover. Clover is strong and can survive in partially shaded areas, but will do best when exposed to the sun every 4-6 hours.
   • When possible, prune trees, hedges, and bushes to make sure the clover gets enough light.
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Advice

• To facilitate an already grown three-leaf patch in your yard, trim the grass so that it is only about 4-5 cm high. This height is more beneficial for clover than common grasses.
• Occasional tillage in early spring will be beneficial for clover.