![]() She says the company has sold Dutch white clover seed for many years to incorporate into existing turf. However, this is an aggressive type of clover with growth that will need to be closely monitored.Įrin Dale is with Apache Seeds Limited, which is based in Edmonton, Alta. Not only will it produce many flowers and stay green throughout the years, but it is also popular with bees looking for nectar. While there are different types of clover, some varieties perform better for backyards and lawns.įor instance, Dutch white clover is probably the most common variety for lawns. Eventually a lawn could end up as a simple mixture of clover and perennial ryegrass, which allows the look of a traditional lawn with the benefit of clover providing food for pollinators and nitrogen to other plants. Late season nectar will allow honey bees to continue building their winter stores and late season pollen will provide nourishment to a developing brood, which will become long-living winter bees.”Ĭalling clover a “workhorse,” Kowalewski says it is so strong that it tends to shade out other plants. This is a tremendous benefit for overwintering pollinators, such as honey bees. “Clover lawns can flower late into the season, offering pollinators critical nutrition during an otherwise stressful period. “This is particularly important in the drier months of the summer (August and September), when other forage resources are minimal,” she says. Conversely, traditional grass lawns provide no benefits to a pollinator. So, weekly mowing might be preferred for those desiring a low-profile lawn.”Ĭarolyn Breece, senior faculty research assistant II, at Oregon State University, agrees and adds that a clover lawn - when allowed to flower - can offer pollinators nectar (carbohydrates) and pollen (protein). However, if you do not mow clover, it will grow up to several inches. “Conversely, turfgrass lawns require several nitrogen applications per year and relatively frequent irrigation for sustained growth and development. CloverĬlover is a sustainable lawn choice because it does not require nitrogen fertilizer and can survive with little to no irrigation in northern cool humid climates, such as the northern United States and Canada, says Alec Kowalewski, an associate professor at the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. A great alternative is a clover lawn, which is both versatile and low maintenance, and helps reduce the effects of pesticides, which is essential for our planet. While some may view clover as a weed, no one can argue that we must continue efforts to reduce the harmful effects of pesticides. And, if there’s a chance of finding a four-leaf clover or two, that’s an added bonus. In addition to being visually interesting with a texture that is quite different from grass, clover is easy to grow, drought-tolerant and will thrive in both sun and shade. In an effort to be more ecological, the interest in clover lawns is gaining in popularity. Growing a beautiful grass lawn requires a fair amount of water and sun. The clover acts as a natural fertiliser allowing the grass seed to flourish.Photo: DLF Some of numerous reasons for growing a clover lawn include drought tolerance, sustainability, and its ability as an organic fertilizer. JS11 Clover Lawn can also be mixed with grass seed. If this isn’t your style, instead of leaving the lawn to flower, it can be mowed to prevent the flowers from developing. ![]() Bees and other pollenators are very attracted to clovers in bloom. The clover stems aren’t resilient and do not bounce back as well as grass species.Īn additional feature of a clover seeded lawn is it can be left to flower. Clover lawns are best suited to lawns that receive little footfall traffic. However, unlike traditional grass, this deep-rooted system doesn’t increase a clover lawn durability. Clover is a very resilient legume plant, capable of withstanding long periods of drought and has a high disease resistance.Ĭlover’s deep roots mean the lawn requires less watering throughout the summer as they can reach deeper sources of water over other grass species. Clover roots are notoriously known for adding nitrogen back into the soil, enriching it and other plants. ![]() A 100% clover lawn means that allergy sufferers can spend more time out in the garden without fear of suffering runny noses and itchy eyesĬlover seeded lawns require very little maintenance as no fertilisers, fungicides or pesticides are needed. This can be managed with regular mowing as you would traditionally grass lawns. As a legume, there is no pollen present in clover unless the lawn is allowed to flower. A hypoallergenic lawn, clover lawns are especially beneficial to people that have allergies to grass pollen. The 100% Micro White Clover seed creates a beautiful organic alternative lawn for your garden.
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