Most gardeners think they’re cursed with bad luck once they notice uninvited clovers popping up in their gardens. However, before considering eliminating these shamrock-shaped plants, contemplate their benefits as the best grass alternatives. So, why choose clover over grass? Read on.
The reasons to choose clover over grass include saving on water bills, drought resistance, no fertilization, and minimal mowing. Additionally, a clover plant attracts beneficial pollinators, acts as an excellent groundcover, is tolerant to dog urine, and has inexpensive seeds. Clover lawn also repels pests, thrives under shade, and requires no aeration.
11 Reasons Why a Clover Lawn is Better Than a Grass Lawn
Here are 11 unquestionable reasons why you need to choose clovers on your lawn over grass:
1. Saves on water bills
Grass lawns require at least two watering sessions per day or 1½ inches of water weekly to grow healthy. On the other hand, clover requires less water to germinate and establish fully.
2. It’s drought-resistant
Clovers have deep root systems, enabling them to access and store much water, making them highly drought-resistant. So, if you have clover on lawn, you don’t have to worry about grass turning brown during summer.
3. Requires no fertilization
To avoid the stress of adding fertilizer to your property, plant clover as a grass alternative in your compound. With 100% clover in the lawn, you don’t need any fertilizer to keep your yard green throughout.
4. Clover needs little or no mowing
There is no need to mow a pure clover lawn. However, doing it three or four times a year will be enough if you decide to cut.
5. The seeds are inexpensive
Unlike pretty costly turfgrass seeds, clover seeds are cheap. You require just $1 to buy clover seeds that can cover 1,000 square feet yard.
6. No aerating
Clover’s deep roots grow as they loosen compacted soil, thus no need for aeration.
7. Attracts beneficial pollinators
This plant produces striking flowers which attract pollinators such as butterflies and bees.
8. Tolerant to dog pee
Unlike grass which turns brown due to nitrogen in dog urine, clover is resistant to this pee.
9. It repels pests
Growing pure clover in a lawn discourages pesky insects and pests like chinch bugs and grabs as they prefer grass lawns.
10. Handles shade
Clover plants are shade tolerant and thrive both in partial or full shade.
11. Ground cover
Planting 100% clover in lawns gives homeowners exceptional drought-resistant groundcover for food crops.
Types of Clover Used for Lawns
Although there could be several clovers for lawns, two are common. The first of these is Dutch white clover and the second is Microclover.
Dutch white clover – also known as dwarf white clover thanks to its size, is identified by its small but stunningly white flowers. Bees love these flowers, thus you can find them sucking the nectar from the flowers the whole day.
Because of its extensive root system, Dutch white clover becomes one of the most durable clovers for lawns.
Microclover – you can identify this clover for lawn from its small size with tiny leaves. The plant grows few flowers compared with dwarf white clover but it also has sparkling white flowers.
Unlike their larger clover counterparts that grow in clumps, microclover grow sparingly, thus creating space, making them the best clovers for foot traffic. The other thing you will appreciate about microclover is they are soft on bare feet.
How to Use White Clover
Here are the ways you can use white clover;
i. The plant’s blossoms have a sweet aroma; you can use them for cooking white clover iced tea.
ii. Use the clover’s flowers and dried leaves to bake cookies and other delicacies. These parts are sweet and give the baked goods a vanilla-like flavor.
iii. Add this plant’s raw leaves to green smoothies and salads.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Is clover edible?
A: Most parts of clover plants, like blossoms, sprouts, seed pods, and leaves, are edible and beneficial to humans. However, wild clover may be harmful or poisonous for human consumption, especially when taken in large quantities.
Q: How long does it take clover to grow?
A: Clover seeds propagate in 7-10 days during the off-season. The plant develops fully and produces flowers within a month. However, this time varies considerably depending on the area’s environmental conditions. After flowering, the seeds will take about seven weeks to ripe.
Q: Is there anything wrong with having a lawn of clover instead of grass?
A: There is nothing wrong with having clover for lawn. In fact, clover may be a good grass alternative for it requires less maintenance, minimal watering, fertilization, weeding, composting, and application of herbicides.
Conclusion
Most homeowners see clover on lawns as destructive intruders. However, these plants can be your yard’s best ground covers and grass alternatives.
Therefore, you can choose clover over grass as it requires less water, it’s drought-resistant, requires no fertilization, and needs less mowing.
Besides, the plant attracts beneficial pollinators, acts as an excellent groundcover, is tolerant to dog urine, and has inexpensive seeds. Furthermore, clover lawn repels pests, thrives under shade, and requires no aeration.
