White Clover - What It Is & How To Control It

White Clover (trifolium repens) is a common turf weed in the UK. Sometimes called Dutch Clover, it is a rapidly creeping perennial that produces stolon’s and then roots from the nodes. The leaves are made up of 3 or occasionally 4 tear shaped leaflets that alternate with one another and have a white crescent near the bottom of each leaflet. It has creamy white round flowers, sometimes with a slight pink tinge. The flowering starts in May and continues right through to October.

It favours heavy soils but will grow almost anywhere but is not often seen on peat or sandy soils. White Clover can produce an abundance of seed that can lay dormant in the ground for a number of years before germinating.

White Clover is in the Fabaceae or Leguminosae family (peas & beans) and fixes nitrogen into the soil. Therefore patches of White Clover often appear darker green in the turf. This effect can be masked by ensuring you keep the nitrogen levels of the turf at a sufficient level so that the variation is not so noticeable. For more detailed advice on turf nutrition and help with a bespoke nutritional programme, contact a qualified advisor at Collier Turf Care Ltd.

Removing White Clover from your lawn can be done by hand, however, this is not at all easy as although the roots are generally shallow each plant has a deep tap root and if not removed completely the plant can regenerate. It is far more practical to consider applying a selective herbicide to control White Clover. Control is best achieved when the White Clover is in full growth but ideally before it has a chance to produce seed. Although you may achieve a good control initially, it is likely that the White Clover will appear again from the seed laying in the soil.

Selective Herbicides That Control White Clover

Professional Use