Clover is one of the most underestimated plant in the world. They are considered as persistent weed and most people just kill it whenever it sprouts in their lawns or yards. The fact is, this plant indeed can grow easily everywhere all around the globe, with Northern hemisphere having the most diverse species of it.
But clover is actually more than mere weed, since some of the species are cultivated as fodder plant. The most cultivated species for this purpose are white clover or Trifolium repens, and red clover or Trifolium pratense.
Not only that, Shamrock, traditional Irish symbol, is closely associated with clover which according to legend was coined by Saint Patrick. Many people also consider this plant as a good luck charm, especially the four leaf clover. Four leaf clovers are so rare since it only appears occasionally out of the usual three.
After all, in this article we are not going to talk about the plant itself, but rather about how to make your lawn more beautiful with this plant. Interested? You must be, because beauty is not the only thing that clover can offer to your lawn.
The Trend
Before talking about the plant, let’s talk about the newest trend about planting clover. In early industrial age, clover was an important part of agricultural world. It was used to improve soil quality by the farmers before using chemical fertilizer was a trend.
In fact, clover is a nitrogen fixer, meaning that this plant can enrich the soil by taking nitrogen from the air and adding it into the soil. The roots can also help to aerate the soil without any hard work. Not to mention the plant can also become fodder for the cattle.
But apparently, in modern era this plant is mostly considered as weed and people just want to get rid of it without getting the most of it. Fortunately, this trend is coming to the end, since clover is making a comeback to plantation.
Not for agricultural plantation, yet, but for lawns. Yes, people are planting clover for their lawns instead of grass. Chris and Rick Alexander, West Vancouver residents who were interviewed by Vancouver Sun said that replacing grass with clover has been the best decision they ever made.
They sowed microclover, a newly developed kind of clover with softer stems, mixed with grass seed to re-turf their lawn. “I wish we could have done it all in clover. The clover has been fantastic, it is the grass that is the problem now because it doesn’t look like the rest,” Rick said.
The Benefits
Chris and Rick Alexander apparently are not the only ones to bring back this plant into plantation. It has been a trend recently, replacing grass with clover to make the lawn green. The reason is because it has so many benefits.
First benefit, as mentioned many times above, is improving the quality of your lawn soil. It absorb nitrogen from the air and adding it into the soil, making the plant grow well even without additional fertilizers. This plant can also prevent annoying weed growth, since it can easily out-compete their growth. Thus, you don’t need to pour any chemicals into your lawn in the first place.
Secondly, the plant is pretty easy to maintain. It can grow well in any kind of soil, requires little to no mowing, and stay green all the time with little to no watering. It suits well with you who want beautiful lawn without intensive work.
This plant is also very affordable, costing only about $4 to cover 4000 square feet. That $4 will last for about two to three years with least maintenance, and might last longer if you take good care of your lawn. In this case, taking a good care is supporting the reseeding process.
Planting this plant is also beneficial for the environment, since the flower of the plant attract wild bees. The bees will not only visit your clovery lawn, but will also help you to pollinate other plants that you and your neighbors have. You will have healthier and more beautiful environment because of this.
Enjoyable
Planting clover instead of grass will not only give positive effect to your environment, but also to your heart because this plant is simply enjoyable. It grows quickly, satisfy you faster than growing traditional grass lawn.
Unlike Bermuda grass and traditional bluegrass which are usually planted on lawn, this plant can grow flowers. This is why we said that the plant can attract wild bees. So, this plant can help you decorate your lawn by itself every spring.
You don’t need to mow so often too because the plant can only grow up to 2-8 inches tall. Naturally, clover can also keep its tidiness. Once it is sown, the plant will fill the spaces itself as it grows. In fact, when planting this plant, lush is guaranteed.
Not only that, walking barefoot on clover field feels great because it is softer and cooler than grass. Not to mention the smell that those little crushed leaves have, you will feel like walking in heaven. And you can get the sensation just a few steps outside your front porch.
Your dogs will love the sensation too, because they can freely run and roll on the soft clover field without worrying of being scolded. This plant is pretty friendly with pets. Even you don’t have to worry about ‘dog patches’, because the urine of your dogs will not discolor the plant.
Things You Should Notice
It is particularly easier to plant clover, not much difference from traditional lawn grass. The only difference is maybe how frequent you should water it, because this plant has higher drought resistance than grass.
But there are some things you should notice when you plant clover. First thing first is how to prevent kids stain their clothes with the saps of clover. Clover stain is hard to get rid of while this plant stains clothes easier than grass.
Clover field is also not durable enough for high traffic unless mixed with grass. You’d better put some stepping stones in high traffic areas to avoid destroying your beautiful lawn. Another thing to notice is careful where you step, since there might be bees like mentioned above.
And the last but not least, if you want some good luck charm, maybe you should look for any four leaf clover growing in your lawn. Because, why not?
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