How to Get Rid of Clover in St. Augustine Grass Lawns

Spray clover with a herbicide from a spray bottle that contains active ingredients such as 2, 4-D, dicamba or MCPP/MCPA. Pick a wind-free and rain-free day to apply the post-emergent herbicide. Cover any surrounding ornamental plants with a sheet of plastic.

Reapply the herbicide in six to eight weeks. It generally takes two months for clovers to die off. If clovers do not appear to be dying, do not spray the herbicide again. Signs of dying clovers include discoloration, wilting and browning.

Spray unaffected clovers with a herbicide that contains glyphosate. When other herbicides fail to kill clovers, spray clovers with glyphosate. Glyphosate kills clovers and any other vegetation by inhibiting their ability to produce proteins.

Install St. Augustine sod in bare areas where clovers used to grow five days after applying herbicide. Wet the soil and dirt part of the sod when laying over the soil. Cut pieces to fit bare areas with a sharp trowel. Push a lawn roller over St. Augustine sod to help establish good soil-to-sod contact.

Pour half of the amount of fertilizer you want to use into a drop spreader. Push the drop spreader horizontally across the lawn. Add the rest to the drop spreader and apply vertically to achieve even coverage. Fertilize the St. Augustine sod with a slow-release granule fertilizer containing nitrogen every six weeks. The nitrogen in fertilizer prevents clover growth. Use two to three pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet each growing season. Avoid using more than one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet at one time.