Clover Lawn, How to Encourage?

Thargor · 17-06-2025 01:22PM #1

Right before that heatwave a while back I gave the lawn a buzzcut and it went a bit yellow in the sun, now after a couple of weeks of rain Ive got massive amounts of white clover.

I want to maximize it now and get it to take over but I also need to have a tidy looking lawn, my plan is to just mow the grassy bits around the clover patches leaving a fairly generous margin and let it keep flowering. Will it keep spreading by itself with this strategy or do I need to be raking it every time I mow/adding bought seed?

Is this permanent clover now or will the grass eventually outgrow it? The clover patches in this pic were last mowed about 6 weeks ago, the grass at the front got a high cut 3 days ago.

Delighted with it anyway after all my failed wildflower attempts, theres bumblebees all over it any time the sun is shining:

looksee · 17-06-2025 01:28PM

That's exactly what my lawn looks like. I was talking to the guy who mows the grass for me and he said that everyone is the same, this year is a bumper year for clover. Meanwhile, as I said in another post, the clover - identical variety - that I sowed a couple of seasons ago has almost all vanished, so maybe there is not much you can do to control it. Presumably your plan is the best chance you have, let it seed and hope it multiplies.

Thargor · 17-06-2025 01:55PM

I couldn't be happier anyway, a bit too windy today for them but whenever I go to check on the pond these patches are literally humming with bees especially bumblebees.

phelixoflaherty · 17-06-2025 02:05PM

Congrats.

I spread some seed on the lawn but no joy so far

Tree · 17-06-2025 07:43PM

Don't mow too short or often and you can keep the clover going. You can spread it by seed or wait for it to (slowly) creep around. I love red clover but it doesn't like to be short but you could try sow it around the edges.

All clover in my lawn is there by luck. PRevious owner kept it short so there wasn't much when we got here, and I usually don't mow it much, so eventually it started to take hold. Red clover in the other garden is there by intent (native wildflower mix, there, any grass is by accident (bird poop/wind)).

FlipperThePriest · 18-06-2025 09:19AM

Really noticing the white clover this year too. I have been trying for 3 or 4 years to let the lawn diversity develop. I gave it a good scarifying early this year and removed a lot of moss and thatch. Didn't overseed with anything, it was fairly bare in places. Since then, the clover has just really went at it. Lots of bees now too. Seeing other low flowering plants - daisies, speedwell, birdsfoot trefoil (I think), dead nettle. Some other taller flowers too when they get a chance - red clover, vetch of some sort, plantain, cats ear, dandelion.

Most of the above you'd really have to look for to find, maybe they'll be more prominent later in the season but it's 80-90% white clover I'd say. The taller stuff I'd often mow around, I've started only mowing about 50% of the lawn at a time too, and mowing on the highest setting.

Thargor · 03-07-2025 02:24PM

Some of the wildflower seeds from my many failed wildflower attempts are starting to push up through the clover now and I just found a patch of yellow rattle which I can encourage to expand, very happy with that.

I think this is the way to go, I get to have the tidy lawn look at the front which I love but also loads of clover and wildflowers for the pollinators surrounding my pond down the back which wil hopefully get better and better as the years go by.

Have to say Im absolutely delighted with how this lawn looks this year, I have zero gardening skills.

Thargor · 03-07-2025 02:24PM

Yellow Rattle patch:

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Clover Lawn, How to Encourage?

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