MicroClover Lawn Pros and Cons

Microclover is a clover plant, meaning it originally belonged to the Trifolium genus of plants. Microclover, like all other clovers, is classified as a legume. Microclover lawns are a type of lawn that contains a mixture of grass and clover that helps to improve soil nitrogen levels and lowers the need for fertilizer. White clover was commonly used in lawn seed mixes because, as a legume, it added nitrogen to the soil, thereby improving grass growth. However, broadleaf herbicides utilized to control weeds in lawns ultimately killed white clover. Another disadvantage of this variety of clover is that it grows in bunches in the grass.

Microclover, on the other hand, blends beautifully with grass seed, grows more slowly, and does not form clumps. A key benefit of growing microclover grass is that it enriches the soil without the use of fertilizer. Rather than having only grass or only clover, the secret to growing a microclover lawn is to mix the clover and the grass together.

This provides you the appearance and feeling of grass without requiring a lot of fertilizer. Because of the nitrogen provided by the clover, the grass flourishes. A typical microclover lawn mix contains 5 to 10% clover seed by weight. There are not many differences between microclover care and regular lawn care. It behaves similarly to grass in that it goes dormant in the winter and returns to life in the spring. It can withstand a certain amount of heat and drought, but it should be watered if the weather is extremely hot and dry.

Lawns with microclover grass should be mowed to approximately 3 to 3.5 inches (8 to 9 cm) in height, but not any shorter. Keep in mind that microclover will bloom in the spring and summer. Mowing will get rid of the flowers if you don't like the way they look. As an added bonus, the flowers will attract bees to your lawn, which are important pollinators in nature.

MicroClover Lawn Pros

Microclover tolerates drought better than other lawn grasses and requires less fertilizer and maintenance. This means your lawn will remain green and luscious all the spring and summer. Microclover also blooms less frequently than white clover, lowering the risk of bee stings for youngsters (and adults) while playing outdoors.

MicroClover Lawn Cons

The seed is now expensive for main areas, but property owners can avoid this by combining it with grasses and other plants. Mixing can also help to compensate for the fact that micro clover will go stagnant in the winter in some areas and turn brown during this time. Due to the fact that microclover does not thrive in shade, it is only appropriate for growing in areas that receive direct sunlight.