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Does Fertilizing the Lawn Get Rid of Clover?

Clover steals the important nutrients in the soil meant for your preferred grass type. Because clover generally grows in the spring, the weed affects your warm-season grass. When you apply fertilizer either causes an influx of clover or helps limit the weed in the lawn.
  1. Mistakes

    • Fertilizing before your grass has had time to green up encourages clover growth, especially if it is already growing. Because grass is dormant in early spring, the clover absorbs the nutrients from the fertilizer to spread throughout the yard.

    Fertilizer

    • Applying a fertilizer high in nitrogen after the grass has started growing helps the grass compete with the clover growth. You can help the grass regain its foothold in the yard by waiting to fertilize after you see if green up for a few weeks.

    Fertilizer Amounts

    • The right amount of fertilizer can help reduce the amount of clover in the yard. Too much nitrogen burns grass and cause bare spots where clover grows. Too little fertilizer will not give the grass enough nutrients to compete against the clover. Typically, gardeners should use 1 lb. of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn when they are fertilizing.