How to plant white clover for the lawn. Clover lawn: pros and cons. What is this plant

One of the main tasks of landscape design is landscaping and gardening. Clover lawn is the most popular and modern solution in this design. G A stable green carpet will not only decorate the garden area, but will also eliminate many problems. Clover is also a great honey plant, and during flowering, the lawn has a wonderful aroma.

Which clover is right for your lawn?

Clover is an unpretentious plant in the legume family. It is a perennial with miniature dark green leaves and small spherical flowers. Today there are over eighty varieties of clover. The most popular of these are varieties with red and white flowers.

Most often, white Dutch clover is used for landscaping gardens. This is a stunted plant that does not need to be trimmed. White clover lawn is not only decorative, but also easy to care for. Unlike other varieties, after mowing, it does not lose its decorative effect and looks neat.

White shamrock grows best on sandy or loamy soil with low acidity. The first flowering occurs in the second year after sowing the seeds. The first wave of flowering occurs in May-August, the second - from the end of August to the end of October.

Features of a clover lawn

Clover grows rather quickly, thanks to its numerous creeping shoots, which are very easy to root. This plant is capable of covering all bald spots and inconspicuous places on the site in a short time. Clover displaces weeds and other unwanted vegetation on the site. The big advantage in creating such a lawn is the cheapness of the planting material.

Using clover, you can create a decorative green carpet in any problem area where there is no good drainage or lighting. It is a drought tolerant plant that improves soil structure and nutrition. It is also important that this culture is an excellent raw material for feeding bees. Therefore, many gardeners try to mow the clover lawn as late as possible. Some don't cut it at all.

In addition to being highly decorative, a clover lawn has other advantages:

In addition to the advantages, the clover lawn has some disadvantages. Such a lawn is not resistant to fungal diseases and frost. The root system of plants is an excellent treat for many pests. A massive invasion of harmful insects negatively affects all vegetation in the garden. Clover is one of the fastest growing plants that infest neighboring areas. Getting rid of this overgrowth is quite difficult.

Such landscaping is not very suitable for outdoor activities. In wet and rainy weather, the clover lawn becomes slippery and dries out for a long time after being wet.

Considering that this plant attracts bees, it is not recommended to walk on such grass barefoot. Clover lawn is not suitable for a children's lawn.

Despite the fact that clover belongs to perennial ornamental flowering plants, its lifespan is only two to three years. Regular haircut interferes with the natural self-seeding process, which is why, after this time, you will have to re-sow the area.

How to get a beautiful and even lawn?

The lawn of white clover, as well as of red, is created according to a certain technology:

• Purchase of seed material.
• Site preparation.
• Planting seeds.
• Follow-up care of a young lawn.

The life expectancy of the future lawn, as well as its decorative effect, will depend on how high-quality planting material is used for planting. To create a green carpet, you can use not only white, but also red clover, which blooms with pink or dark red flowers, however, it will have to be mown more often. This plant is tall.

Preparation of the site for sowing clover is carried out in early spring. As soon as the last frosts pass, and the soil warms up well, the site is leveled. Clover can be planted at any time of the year, except in winter. This plant easily tolerates drought, heat, but not frost. Therefore, it is best to plant a shamrock one and a half months before the onset of the first frost. During this period, the plants will have time to take root and prepare for wintering.

Clover grows in almost any soil. Its seeds are mixed with garden soil and sown evenly throughout the plot.

After this, the planting is sprinkled with a centimeter layer of earth and the soil is leveled so that the covering earth layer is no more than one centimeter. Under a thick layer of earth, clover seeds may never break through.

The seeded area is spilled with water using a spray nozzle. This moisturizing of the seedlings is carried out throughout the week. Do not allow the soil to dry out, otherwise the crops will sprout unevenly. If everything is done correctly, then in two weeks there will be massive shoots in the form of two-leaved shoots.

Lawn care rules

To get a thick and beautiful lawn, you need to properly care for it:

• Regular watering, especially at the initial stage of lawn formation. Watering such a lawn is necessary at least once a week.
• To facilitate the care of such a composition, experienced gardeners recommend using specially bred low-growing varieties to create lawns. They do not bloom so abundantly and easily take root on existing lawns.
• Before planting, the seed is immersed in water for one hour. This procedure increases seed germination.
• Clover tubers are enriched with nitrogen, so this plant does not need feeding.

For neatness and decorativeness, the clover lawn needs to be mowed regularly - once every fifteen days. In this case, the cut should be no more than four centimeters.

By adhering to all of the above rules, you will be guaranteed success in creating a clover lawn.

The lawn in the country is like a symbol of the well-being of the family; it immediately resembles a beautiful well-groomed lawn in front of palaces and castles. Every woman probably wants to have this miracle. And when neighbors have such glades, then even more so you start to think about landscaping your site.

Empty space is allocated under the lawn, especially when weeds flaunt there, with which you are constantly trying to fight. The simplest option would be a lawn made of white or red clover, or you can compose it. It refers to where you need to make the smallest effort. Pairs well with.

The advantage of clover is that it is a "convenient" plant that is not demanding on the soil and conditions of maintenance. It can be planted on loamy, slightly acidic or sandy loam soil. It tolerates a short drought and small frosts without problems. And most importantly, it grows quickly and beautiful patterns and lawns are obtained from it.

Of the undersized varieties, they are distinguished: Rivendel (especially popular), Matvey, Charodey.

Tall: Raya, Titus, Maro, Vichai.

White (creeping) clover for the lawn is more suitable than others, it has a lot of advantages:

- you can sow seeds in the spring and until the end of summer, at any time, before the cold weather;

- well tolerates a haircut, which needs to be done extremely rarely due to the ability to grow on the ground, and not compete who will grow taller;

- blooms twice a season;

- white clover accentuates flowers in a flower bed or lawn and creates a bright shade;

- there is a strong root system that is able to squeeze out weeds;

- does not require watering and feeding;

- is not afraid of trampling, even if you want to specially trample the path - it will not work, after a couple of days it will overgrow;

- enriches the soil with nitrogen and strengthens the soil;

- Blooming clover attracts pollinating insects (bees, bumblebees).

However, not everything in our clover lawn is so happy. Clover is able to kill not only weeds, but also other plants. Having planted it in a flowerbed with flowers, growing after 2-3 years, it will begin to dominate and, in the end, will simply crush everyone.

After rain, you cannot walk on the clover lawn, as the moisture stagnates, and it becomes slippery, you can fall. White clover is undersized, it is practically not necessary to cut it, therefore, faded inflorescences make the appearance of the lawn unkempt. And in the fall, snails appear inside the clover.

If the shortcomings of clover did not bother you, then we move forward and begin to sow the lawn. By the way, if you plan to get evidence for breeding bees at your dacha, then a clover lawn is a must!

Sowing clover on the lawn

We clean the selected area in a sunny meadow from household and plant debris, stones. We level it, if possible, we import black soil and leave it to rest for 1 month, tamp it slightly, and then proceed to sowing. If there is no such opportunity or desire, then we plant it in ordinary garden soil. First, the earth is lightly tamped, then after rain or abundant watering, seeds are sown chaotically and sweepingly, taking a handful of seeds and simply scattering them over the selected area. Sprinkle with a light layer of earth (up to 1 cm), the seeds may not break through the deep layer of earth.

Until the period of active growth, clover cannot be dried, you need to make sure that the soil is constantly moist, it is better and more convenient to water from a sprayer. Adult plants will no longer need such watering. When the clover begins to grow, there will be bald spots that need to be sown.

At a height of 10 cm, the clover is cut with a lawn mower (it is inconvenient and more difficult to do this with a trimmer or an ordinary scythe), if this is not done, then cutting taller grass will be complicated by dampness inside the plants.

In the first year of planting, the clover may not bloom, but already in the second year it will pamper you twice, ending the season at the end of September.

The small-leaved clover known as Microclover is a revolutionary professional discovery by breeders.

It is a dwarf variety of creeping clover with small leaves and a low plant height.

Indeed the same variety marketed under the Microclover brand. One of the smallest - up to 5 cm in height. Compared to other varieties of creeping clover, there are much less similar representatives of this species in their size.

It differs from the traditional lawn in slow growth, wear resistance, drought resistance, attractive appearance.

Microclover

Compared to a regular lawn, microclover is able to stay green all year round, and its incredible drought tolerance keeps the lawn fresh and juicy even in hot and dry conditions.

Saturates the soil with nitrogen, tolerates low mowing well (minimum height - 3-4 cm, maximum - 10-12 cm). The dense growth of microclover provides weed protection.

This miniature clover can be combined with any variety of lawn grasses or sown neat. Slow regrowth, rich color and durability determine the attractive appearance of the lawn. This is very important, especially in frequently trampled areas where it is difficult to maintain a quality surface.

Microclover

Withstands frequent mowing, resistant to trampling and other types of intense loads. No other type of clover is as resistant to low mowing as microclover. This is ensured by the dense structure of the microclover rhizomes. The resulting bald spots heal very quickly.

Not picky about care, constant feeding and watering. Requires minimal maintenance.

Clover blooms only in the second year, twice during the warm season - from May to October.

Good honey plant. With proper care, the clover lawn may not be renewed for 7-8 years.

Seeding rate 8-10 g / m2.

Sowing can be carried out throughout the season, but it is advisable to finish the work by the end of August. After sowing, the seeds must be covered with a rake. Before emergence, crops are regularly watered.

Information from DLF TRIFOLIUM

MicroClover

DLF TRIFOLIUM is the world's largest producer and distributor of grass seeds. With subsidiaries in Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Great Britain, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, the United States, China and New Zealand, and an extensive network of distributors and customers, the company can provide markets all over the world.

Microclover

DLF-TRIFOLIUM specializes in the selection of white clover for lawns. White clover mixed with fine grasses makes the lawn greener and healthier without the addition of nitrogen. Conventional white clover forage varieties are not suitable for this purpose. They do not tolerate repeated mowing.

A new type of clover, Microclover, with very small leaves, is a breakthrough in creating an environmentally friendly lawn that tolerates low mowing.

Lawn revolution

Like the players, sports turf is always under great pressure. A recent breakthrough in breeding has relieved this pressure. This revolution in sports turf is the small-leaved clover, Microclover®, which is now included in turf mixtures due to its many benefits. Microclover® (Trifolium repens) is a legume species. Legumes are capable of fixing nitrogen from the air. Nitrogen fixation is due to the root nodule bacteria of the genus Rhizobium.

Microclover

The continuous process of dying off and decaying parts of the roots makes nitrogen available to the surrounding grasses.

Microclover® has stolons, with the help of which it spreads evenly over the area. Adding only 5% Microclover® to the lawn mixture significantly improves the appearance of the entire field.

Growth conditions

Microclover® is suitable for most climatic and soil conditions; it already grows successfully from Sweden to France and from the UK to Turkey. Microclover® is resistant to damp conditions and shade as well as drought.

However, it is unstable to long-term flooding of territories. The shade found in parks and golf courses is not a problem for Microclover®. In addition, with the help of stolons, the plant can regenerate after damage.

To keep the proportion of Microclover® in the lawn below 50%, it is necessary to apply a small amount of nitrogen in the spring and early summer. Nitrogen will stimulate the growth of cereal components.

Depending on the growing conditions and the level of load, it is necessary to apply up to 100 kg / ha of nitrogen, usually about 40 kg / ha of nitrogen is sufficient. Summer and autumn additions are unnecessary.

Fertilization is especially important in the year of laying.

Since Microclover® does not fix phosphorus, potassium or magnesium from the atmosphere, the introduction of these elements is necessary.

Wear resistance

Microclover

The appearance of a lawn containing Microclover® is much better than that of a regular lawn.

Clover constantly fertilizes the herbage, which increases its wear resistance. In addition, it interlaces cereals with its stolons, spreading evenly and incorporating its leaves into the grass stand. Microclover® improves the condition of even the most wear-resistant varieties.

Experiments at Bingley in 2004/05 show how Microclover® improves quality when added to the mix.

Test results in Germany (BSA) confirm excellent wear resistance.

The data show that wear resistance is improved even in resistant grains when Microclover® is added to the mix (Micro-0 is cereal only, Micro-1 and Micro-2 are two different varieties of Microclover added to the same mix).

The improved durability of the lawn with Microclover® is very important, especially in areas such as the goalkeeper's court where the quality of the turf is difficult to maintain.

Microclover

Consumers across Europe have confirmed these results and have increased the use of Microclover® in their fields.

In addition, the density of the stolon microstructure increases the mowing tolerance, allowing for a lower cut height.

Belgium - sports fields

“I was mainly interested in reducing the amount of fertilizer and water used on sites. In the spring of 2007, we decided to sow half of the field with Microclover® and half without, ”says Mr Frans Vercammen, field master at FC Genk (Belgium). “The first thing we noticed was fast rooting in half of the field with Microclover®.

Within two months we could use it. Also, there were much less weeds in this half. The field has been heavily used since July 2007. The stability of the field is amazing.

Lawn mowing with Microclover® is easier and the result is always excellent. Soon we decided to renew all our fields, and especially in the area of ​​the goalkeeper fields, and not only in the training fields of our juniors, but also on the main playing field. "

Denmark - lawns

Landscape designers Mette and Lars Krogh have recently established their business on the Zeeland Peninsula in Denmark. There are seven employees on the staff and all of them work mainly with private clients. But often the company takes contracts for landscaping and large clients.

It will be easier for our clients to look after it, as it needs less irrigation and fertilization in comparison with ordinary lawns without Microclover®. ”

Netherlands - park

Menno van de Bose works for Krinkels in the Netherlands and is responsible for all lawns in the famous Vondelpark in Amsterdam. “We started working with Microclover® in 2006. Lawns in Vondelpark are used intensively and Microclover® really improves their durability.

Even two years after overseeding Microclover®, they look fresher and greener than other lawns. At the same time, they need less fertilization and care for them is generally easier and safer for nature. This is a good product, especially when high wear resistance is required. "

Growing in a mixture with cereal grasses, Microclover® provides them with nitrogen. Nitrogen enters the soil throughout the growing season until the first night frosts. Therefore, nitrogen is there and when it is needed, and there is no risk to the soil or the threat of damage to plants.

Microclover

The presence of Microclover® is equivalent to the application of up to 180 kg of nitrogen per hectare per year. For lawns, Microclover® is an excellent permanent nitrogen supplier. In addition, Microclover® is an aggressive type that quickly fills in damaged areas of the lawn.

It competes successfully with weeds, which reduces the need for herbicides. Herbicides should generally be avoided as they can harm Microclover®. Since nitrogen is always available throughout the season, the incidence of red filamentousness, rust and fusarium disease is reduced. Microclover® fertilizes crops and helps maintain a healthy lawn.

Profitability

In addition to being durable and environmentally friendly, Microclover® is also very economical. The price of a mixture with Microclover® easily pays off within a year after sowing, as the costs of fertilizers and their application, weed control, mowing and irrigation are reduced. Better results for less money.

Better appearance

Clover stays green much longer than cereals in both dry and cold conditions.

Microclover

The grass with Microclover® turns green earlier, has a rich color in summer, and is especially resistant to droughts due to its deep root system. Regular white clover is not suitable for lawn use, but Microclover® has such small leaves (one third of the size of a common variety) and short stems that it looks like a common cereal from a distance of two meters.

In shaded areas, Microclover® feels good even in low light throughout the day. Microclover® evenly spreads over the area. It does not look speckled and clogged like a regular white clover.

Microclover®
- increases wear resistance
- environmentally friendly
- profitable
- easier care
- improves the appearance of the lawn
- excellent results

How to make a clover lawn and is it worth doing at all.

It is usually not interesting to read articles about lawns, they are all kind of dry in an accounting manner. "Remove 10 centimeters of turf, put 10 centimeters of turf. Put 100 grams per 100 square decimeters" ... No, for people with creative ambitions, this is all bad?

To begin with, I am never a professional on lawns. If I was a professional, I would write about 10 centimeters of turf. Anyway, I never wanted a lawn, didn’t make it and didn’t see it. Well, there are many men who dream of a lawn as a kind of symbol of domestic well-being or something like that. And for sure, there are many women who dream of a lawn. But all my life I was indifferent to lawns.

Lawn for me to do had to. Since there is a certain amount of empty land around the newly built house ... After the construction, it is not clear what began to grow there - a prickly thistle, quinoa, some grains of human growth ... which is unacceptable to me. Or a lawn. The lawn is acceptable for me, although I have never done it.

Again, neighbors. Then you will go to one. then to another. They proudly display their lawns. I look ... well, grass and grass shaved under a beaver. Delov something. "No, I will be original - I will make a lawn from clover" - I decided, because I had a pack of white clover seeds lying around, for an area of ​​500 square meters. (For comparison, the cost of lawn mixtures for the same area would cost 10 times more.)

But before sowing clover, it was necessary to give the surrounding soil at least some semblance of a plane and pour at least a small fertile layer.

For leveling, about 50 cubic meters of sand were used and the same amount of black soil was dumped from above. The result is a relatively fertile layer in the region of 10 centimeters. The workers hastily leveled this business with a rake. Finally, before leaving, the last and most important worker betrayed a professional secret (almost in a whisper, when the rest of his colleagues were already sitting in a running car, ready to leave) - it turns out that before sowing grass, this whole black soil also follows tamp ... I somehow did not attach much importance to these words - well, it will be necessary - we will ram it.

The rain has passed ... In some places the black earth has somehow compressed itself, and in some places it has not. It became clear that the option "to scatter the seeds now and wait" will not give a very good result.

I had to go online and read about trampling and ramming lawns. All kinds of funny ways were not there. And pour water into the barrel and roll it. And take a sheet of plywood, lay it on the ground and jump on this plywood, preferably with a family of at least three people. Special rollers for lawns were also considered.

I liked the idea of ​​the ice rink. Went through the garden shops. In one of them there was a skating rink, three hundred kilograms, weighing and measuring half a car. In another they said that it was not the season yet, but they would soon be delivered ... And it was already May. There was no point in waiting for their season to begin.

Well, then I would have applied the method with an impromptu skating rink - half of a pole from high-voltage lines was lying on the site. What this pillar was doing there - I don't know. But it was adapted by me just as a skating rink. The drive is foot. That is, you go and push this log with your foot, and it rolls for some distance. We slowly rolled the log for a week in turn, as many as they wanted. Somehow they rammed it, not perfect, of course. But I didn't have a task to do it perfectly.

As for the "seeding" itself, then everything was simple with him. He picked up a bag of clover seeds and walked around, sprinkling it sprawling. Then I found a few more bags of grass seeds in the bins, also scattered them in places - not to waste the good. I sowed alfalfa along the fence, for greater beauty. The lawn is so lawn! I walked over the top with a log, rolled the seeds ...

Sowing lawn grass, even clover, should be done before the rains. To do this, we look at the weather forecast, and if precipitation is not expected, then you will have to water, otherwise nothing good will grow.

It was not very damp in May, but still it rained sometimes. Clover and some of the grass sprouted pretty quickly, and I periodically walked and sometimes rolled this thing with a log. When it became clearly visible the places where the bald spots had formed, I sowed more grasses. And clover.

From the numerous recommendations I read on the Internet, I knew that the grass should be mowed when it reaches a size of about 10 centimeters. But firstly, I had no time, and secondly - laziness. And thirdly, I didn't have a lawn mower. There was a trimmer, like a "brushcutter", with a fishing line. I used it to mow the second part of the site, where the lawn has not yet been planned, and is not planned, there we have something like a natural meadow.

So, due to the lack of a mower and laziness, until August I did not mow clover at all. Well, I didn't cut the grass either.

Cons and disadvantages of a clover lawn.

By August, the clover had grown so much that it was obvious that the need to mow this business arose. I must say that I hoped that the white creeping clover would form a beautiful flat rug, no more than 10 centimeters in height. Peaceful buzzing of bees, emerald green clover leaves and blue sky, ah-ah ... Something like that should have turned out according to my calculations.

But we liked the clover on the site. I liked it very much. White creeping clover was a success, he was about 30 centimeters tall, bloomed profusely and did not squint with a trimmer with a fishing line, because in the depths it was always damp.

In addition, if it was not damp, but dry and hot, then the clover became lethargic and lay down with all its 30 centimeters, so it was again difficult to mow it.

Another disadvantage of such mowing with fishing line was the rather obscene appearance of an impromptu lawn - brown dry foliage, petiole sticks and other remains of clover look untidy a few days after mowing. This is probably the main disadvantage of the clover lawn. Although, already three days later, the clearing was covered with fresh bright leaves.

• The second minus - if you have slopes on the site, then keep in mind that the mown clover becomes sooo slippery.
• The third minus is rather relative, it may be a plus for someone. Consider that this is a clover creeping... He quickly tightens all sorts of bald spots, but at the same time seeks to get out wherever he was not invited - to the beds, to flower beds, etc.
• The fourth negative - by the fall, there were a lot of snails and slugs in the clover. And mowing in wet weather is bad.

Now let's look at the benefits of clover as a lawn grass.

1. Clover forms a very dense, well-knit sod.
2. If you mow infrequently and let it bloom, then the clover provides food and attracts bees, bumblebees and other pollinators to the site.
3. The clover lawn is beautiful in principle. But not for an amateur.
4. Clover is unpretentious, grows quickly and grows quickly.
5. Clover is resistant to trampling. I didn’t manage to trample the path, no matter how hard I tried.
6. Clover enriches the soil with nitrogen. And from the mown clover it turns out wonderful.

Our sea pig Gavryusha was very positive about planting clover. All summer, he devoured a huge amount of clover with great pleasure, looked askance at all the other vegetables and ate them reluctantly.

Conclusions. It’s too early to call what I have achieved as a lawn. But if you compare with what happened before, then this is not bad at all.
Next year I will try to transform part of the lawn with clover into a regular grass one. There are fewer snails with grass. But I'm not going to give up clover completely.

By the way, in September I still bought a normal gasoline lawn mower, and tested it on clover. It turned out much faster and better than a trimmer.

Next summer I plan to make something out of the existing lawn, much more deserving of the name "Lawn".

Supplement from 2013.

Supplement dated June 6, 2015.

This year, almost the entire June was absent, the lawn, accordingly, did not mow. I thought that upon arrival I would see a terrible picture of total desolation and stupefaction. But it never happened, the lawn was quite decent, and the clover finally bloomed this year (the summer was dry and cool, so it bloomed so late). So for those who do not like to mow often - clover is what you need!

Please enlarge the photo, they seem to work out well

p.s. Thank you for your feedback on the material, let your clover lawns bring you joy!