Time to Nuke the Clover?
Tom Newton
I live on long island, Ny ... and the temps are just about ready to start
dropping below 80 consistently... I have nearly a 1/3 acre of lawn, and have
a sprinkler system
As a first year homeowner I'm relatively new to this game. Here's my
problem: I have clover, lots of clover, and I'd like to know the best
strategy to rid the lawn of it and replace it with nice grass.
Currently, clover and various other weeds (perhaps chickweed) make up about
50% of the lawn, although its dispersed pretty evenly with nice grass... or
I'll say decent grass. The house is 90 years old, and the lawn landscaping
had been neglected for quite a few years. I get good sun.
Anyway, on a recent trip to Home Depot.. the gentleman there pointed me
towards using an Ortho product called "Chickweed / Clover / Oxalis Killer"
... which is used with a sprayer, which I also bought. I tried one bottle,
which took care of test area about 25X50 ft. That was two weeks ago. Wow.
This stuff is serious! The product wiped out 100% of the clover and killed
not one blade of grass. Cool.
Anyway, now that that proof of concept succeeded, and I only tested it on
perhaps 1/10 of the area that needs fixing, I have a few questions about
timing, and the steps I should take:
1) It's August 28, should I go out, buy nine more bottles, and nuke the
whole place right now? Or is it too early? Given the fact that fall growing
season starts mid-late september here, isn't it a good idea to nuke the
place of the clover now?
2) After its all brown and dead, with all that fluff... what should I do? My
gut tells me that when everything's dead, I should a) rake up all the dead
and fluffy stuff with a stiff metal rake so the surface is fairly clean and
the top layer of soil is looser, b) overseed the whole place on September
15th or so, c) and put down starter fertilizer with that seed, and d) run
the sprinkler system at half the run times, but nightly (instead of the
normal every other day) untill germination
Is this a good attack plan? Any help on methods, timing is appreciated.
Thanks
Tom Newton
Starlord
seen lawns at big time hotels where they've gone to great cost to get clover to
grow in with the grass. Why? Because clover will fix Nigon into the soil and the
grass will be better off for it. Plus you will get a nice carpet of clover
flowers when it blooms. I wish I could get it to grow out here in the mojave
desert.
--
"In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening
towards an east that would not know another dawn.
But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning
lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go
again."
Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars
SIAR
www.starlords.org
Bishop's Car Fund
http://www.bishopcarfund.Netfirms.com/
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"Tom Newton" <thne...@nospam-hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bijmrs$fmt$1...@ngspool-d02.news.aol.com...
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B & J
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are broad leafed herbicides that eventually remove clover from a lawn, but
this was not a good place to ask that question or what they are or where to
get them. Clover is persistent and requires numerous applications of
herbicides to remove it. Check with your local extension agent or garden
centers if you really want to remove it. BTW, clover does have its pluses in
a lawn.
John
Frankhartx
>problem: I have clover, lots of clover, and I'd like to know the best
>strategy to rid the lawn of it and replace it with nice grass.
Get rid of the grass--keep the clover
SugarChile
clover in my lawn, apart from the other benefits, distracts the rabbits and
helps keep them out of the vegetable garden.
Cheers,
Sue
"Tom Newton" <thne...@nospam-hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bijmrs$fmt$1...@ngspool-d02.news.aol.com...
Tom Newton
As per my post, I found a product that works, want to get rid of it, and
would like my described method validated or commented on. Let me check
google for other ng's where this Q might be applicable
Tom
----------------
Hi Folks -
I live on long island, Ny ... and the temps are just about ready to start
dropping below 80 consistently... I have nearly a 1/3 acre of lawn, and have
a sprinkler system
As a first year homeowner I'm relatively new to this game. Here's my
problem: I have clover, lots of clover, and I'd like to know the best
strategy to rid the lawn of it and replace it with nice grass.
Currently, clover and various other weeds (perhaps chickweed) make up about
Beecrofter
What's wrong with clover? It only became considered a weed when the
herbacides began to kill it, prior to that it was included as a part
of turfgrass.
It feeds bees, birds, and butterflies, provides nitrogen back to the
soil without it leaching into an allready polluted sound.
Tom Newton
I've indicated a potential plan to eliminate the clover. I am looking for
advice or suggested modifications to my plan to eleminiate clover.
Oh brother ;-)
Tom
"Beecrofter" <bam...@localnet.com> wrote in message
news:23e8adb1.03082...@posting.google.com...
Dwight Sipler
>
> I've found a product that eliminates clover, I'd like to eliminate clover.
> I've indicated a potential plan to eliminate the clover. I am looking for
Here's a guy who apparently doesn't like clover. Since most of the
others on this newsgroup really like clover, we are trying to convert
him to our point of view. That's to be expected: it's human nature. He,
being convinced of the correctness of his opinion, resists conversion.
Again, human nature.
Who knows? maybe he has really good reasons for not liking clover. Maybe
he should try to convert us. I haven't seen him try yet. At any rate, we
have put him in a position where he has to put up with the conversion
attempts or ignore this newsgroup (with all its *valuable* discussions)
for a while. Just think what he'll be missing!
BattMeals
> I've found a product that eliminates clover, I'd like to eliminate clover.
> I've indicated a potential plan to eliminate the clover. I am looking for
> advice or suggested modifications to my plan to eleminiate clover.
A number of people *are* suggesting modificatons to your plan -- don't
eliminate the beneficial clover! ;)
You might try alt.home.lawn.garden for advice. They talk a lot about
eliminating weeds without excess concern about the environment.
-matt
Tom Newton
Don't worry folks, I have more clover than you've ever seen and will
continue to have lots. Around the garden in the back is nice, even around
the walkway circling the garage -- believe me - I have tons and will still
have tons (thank god it's not the rare endangered "spotted clover" LOL ...
or I'd wind up with 20 rusty microbusses out front with graying hippies
holding hands around the lawn!
Don't worry, I'll preserve some... but where I don't want it... I will nuke
it mercilessly ;-) how's that?
Tom
"BattMeals" <spa...@spammmattandodile.com> wrote in message
news:3F4E15BB...@spammmattandodile.com...
Lar
thne...@nospam-hotmail.com says...
:) Don't worry, I'll preserve some... but where I don't want it... I will nuke
:) it mercilessly ;-) how's that?
:)
:)
For those who seem to go the middle ground..good job.
For the other 10% on the extremes...well grab either
wieners or marshmallow and grab a front seat for the
roast.
--
http://home.comcast.net/~larflu/owl1.jpg
Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!
simy1
>
> I live on long island, Ny ... and the temps are just about ready to start
> dropping below 80 consistently... I have nearly a 1/3 acre of lawn, and have
> a sprinkler system
>
> As a first year homeowner I'm relatively new to this game. Here's my
> problem: I have clover, lots of clover, and I'd like to know the best
> strategy to rid the lawn of it and replace it with nice grass.
>
> Currently, clover and various other weeds (perhaps chickweed) make up about
> 50% of the lawn, although its dispersed pretty evenly with nice grass... or
> I'll say decent grass. The house is 90 years old, and the lawn landscaping
> had been neglected for quite a few years. I get good sun.
>
wrong group to ask this question. Most people here do not approve of
polluting for the silly reasons you have. Also, if your lawn is full
of clover, it is because it is low in N. Unmixed lawns are not
sustainable. Keep what you have and thank god for having a lawn that
stays green through the summer.
Heidi
Heidi
Derryl Killan
Continue to kill all the clover ASAP. You'll be able to top dress the
bare spots and over seed. Adjust your sprikler times to keep the
seeded sarea damp. You should be able to do the first cut by the end
of September.
Derryl Killan
Horticulturalist
derryl...@shaw.ca
Starlord
it would be number one on the list, and it it happen to meet my other wants (
larger area for garden, large area for Telescope Building, even larger area for
rocket flying ) why then I'd buy it.
Oh ya, forgot one, noone else within a mile of the place.
--
"In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening
towards an east that would not know another dawn.
But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning
lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go
again."
Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars
SIAR
www.starlords.org
Bishop's Car Fund
http://www.bishopcarfund.Netfirms.com/
Freelance Writers Shop
http://www.freelancewrittersshop.netfirms.com
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
"Heidi" <outoutd...@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:T3r3b.34595$5H4.1...@twister.southeast.rr.com...
> I'll defend the desire to get rid of clover. I don't mind a little bit,
>
C.Swartz
says...
> Why does everyone want to kill off clover?
Well, in my case it's bees. Bees and kids don't mix well. Kids love to
run around barefoot. My children are not allergic, but not sure about
the neighbors.
-Chris Swartz
Chris Owens
Well, actually, a mixed-species lawn is likely to be healthier,
stay green longer, and require less maintenance than an all-grass
one. But, if you are fixiated on pursuing the icon of an
all-grass lawn, and are willing to put in BOATLOADS of work and
money, here goes:
Yes, go kill all the clover now. Then, water very well for the
next few weeks; this will cause unsprouted seeds to germinate.
Repeat the killing-off. Now, get delivery of enough compost --
guaranteed sterile -- to cover your lawn about an inch deep.
Spread it out and rake it in. Don't remove the dead material; it
will provide protection for the grass seed and in-place
fertilizer. Next, overseed the lawn in the last two weeks of
September. Use about twice the recommended density of a
good-quality mixed grass seed. Gently rake that in. Water the
whole lawn every single day for 15 min until the ground freezes.
Hand-weed diligently. Keep everyone off of the grass. Next
spring, start cutting the grass when it reaches 3". Cut to 2"
and repeat every time it grows to 3". Weed diligently. Spread
an inch of compost every fall, and lightly overseed. Make sure
the lawn gets an inch of water a week; preferably in one or two
big doses rather than several small ones. And, most of all, keep
everybody off the grass . . . it reacts poorly to compacted soil
and being walked on.
Chris Owens
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