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How to grow a clover lawn
Growing a clover lawn will boost the health of your soil, is great for bees and pollinators and opens the door to a more sustainable approach to lawn care. Growing a clover lawn is as easy as growing regular grass seed and this guide will tell you how!
Benefits of growing a clover lawn
Growing a clover lawn is highly beneficial for those looking for a climate-smart, eco-friendly solution for their garden. A clover lawns' environmental benefits are plentiful, including providing a bio-diverse habitat for wildlife and pollinators such as bees and butterflies as well as acting as a natural fertiliser! Clover fights against nitrous oxide pollution and converts or ‘fixes’ nitrogen in the air and shares it through its roots, and then uses it to feed itself and any companion grass seed growing around it.
Read more on what is a clover lawn.
How to grow a clover lawn
- Dig the soil over to a depth of 20-25cm
- Remove weeds by hand or use a weed killer
- Add topsoil if you believe the soil to be poor quality
- Rake the area to get a level seedbed
- Allow the seedbed to cultivate for 10-14 days to encourage dormant weeds to come to the surface, then remove any weeds that appear by hand
- Sow the seed at our recommended rate of 50g per m2
- Rake the seed in after sowing so that the seed is in amongst the soil
- Firm down by foot or by using a roller to improve seed-to-soil contact
Sow between 5mm and 10mm beneath the surface. A good rule to follow is to have the seed covered in the soil with the thickness of three £1 coins stacked together.
If you are trying to decide when the best time to sow a clower lawn is, we would recommend sowing between March - September when temperatures are consistently at 8-10℃ or higher (just like sowing regular grass seed).
For further reading, check out our blog 'When to sow clover seeds UK'.
Why our clover is special
Our clover is a resilient, hardy and beautiful small-leaved clover that is drought tolerant and grows well in most soil conditions.
This enables our seedling to grow a tap root that forms deep inside the soil and breaks down, causing new stems to travel along the ground. These roots then spread out and create new plants along them. Unlike traditional white clover that would be left open to drought and cold conditions, the unique double rooting system enables roots to grow under the surface of these new plants. This allows them to grow in a broader range of climates and maintain growth even when water is limited!
Caring for your clover lawn after sowing
Essential lawn care: watering
The essential bit (at the start). Water your clover regularly for the first four weeks until you have a fully established lawn because keeping clover seeds moist speeds up their germination rate. Thanks to its clever rooting system, clover doesn't need to be watered as often as regular grass seed; this means it's ideal for those wanting to cut back on water usage!
Optional extra care: mowing
Clover lawns are low-growing, meaning you can keep their contact with your mower to a minimum. If you decide to mow your clover lawn, you only need to set your mower to the correct height for mowing your grass!
What to avoid when growing a clover lawn: feeding
Clover is a wild plant that outgrows typical garden weeds on your lawn, but for those pesky weeds that remain, take the time to remove them by hand and don’t be tempted to use a Feed, Weed & Mosskiller product because this will target the clover! Also, with its nitrogen-fixing ability, a clover lawn will convert more than enough nitrogen to keep your garden green and healthy without the help of any additional fertiliser!
Our post on tips for sowing a clover lawn and advice for scattering clover lawn seeds on grass provide further reading on this stunning and beneficial plant.
Want to compare clover to regular grass seed? Find out what grass seed is right for you!