How Do I Get Rid of Clovers?

Four leaf clovers are often viewed as very lucky symbols in many cultures. Many gardeners and homeowners, however, view this plant as nothing more than a weed and they look for methods to get rid of clovers. Many times, small patches of clover can be removed by hand, sometimes with the help of a weeder. Certain chemicals have also been proven to get rid of clovers. Also, if the clover that you want to get rid of is in your lawn, keeping the grass at a certain thickness and height can keep clover from taking over your property.

Most clover plants have thin roots that do not grow into the soil too deeply. For this reason, they often pull right out of the ground. Sometimes, all you may need to do to get rid of clovers is pull the little stems right up from the ground.

For larger patches of clover or stubborn plants, many homeowners and gardeners find that wetting the soil around the plants helps. If you water the area and wait a couple hours, the soil will be looser, allowing the roots of the clovers to come out of the ground more easily. Using a hand weeder may also work well on stubborn clover.

To use these gardening tools, work the prongs of the weeder into the soil under the root of the weed. You can then pry up on the handle, causing the root of the plant to get closer to the top layer of soil. As you are doing this, you should pull up on the clover that you want to get rid of. It should come right out of the ground.

If there is a relatively large patch of clover that you wish to remove from your lawn, many companies make a special weed killer that targets clover plants. Many of these types of weed killers are safe for surrounding plants, but kill clovers. Many veteran gardeners believe that vinegar is good to have on hand to get rid of clovers. This can be poured on large patches of clover to kill it. The acidity in the vinegar makes it difficult for the clover to survive, while most other garden plants and grasses remain alive and well.

Another way to get rid of clovers in your yard and prevent them from coming back is to keep your lawn thick. Fertilizing and reseeding sparse patches of grass in your lawn during the fall can help more grass grow back in the spring. Also, you can set your mower deck higher and mow the yard more frequently, which will keep the grass a bit taller. Thicker and taller grass not only robs clover of needed sunshine, it also uses up most of the available nutrients in the soil, starving the clovers for nutrition.