White Clover Lawn Substitute

Soil pH

• White clovers need a soil pH of 6.4 to grow, according to the University of Kentucky. To test your soil, collect 10 soil samples taken 3 inches deep in different parts of the lawn. Mix up all of the soil samples in a bucket. It is important to use dry soil samples that are free of any vegetation. Pour 1 cup of soil into a container and mail it to your local cooperative extension office.

Seeding Preparation

• Amend your soil based on the results mailed to you from your local cooperative extension office. Gardeners use lime to amend soil that is over 6.4, or sulfur for lawns that are under the clover's preferred pH. It takes roughly three months to see changes in your soil's pH. Throwing clover seeds over a lawn full of weeds and other vegetation slows down your establishment time. Remove vegetation using a broad-spectrum herbicide that contains glyphosate before seeding. Seed in five to 14 days to prevent any herbicide residue from harming your clover seeds.

Seeding

• Seed your lawn with white clover seeds at a rate of 8 oz. per 1,000 square feet, as recommended by the University of Minnesota. Mix the clover seeds with sawdust, as they are small and will not uniformly cover the soil if used alone. Push a lawn roller filled halfway with water over the white clover seeds. Rolling over the seeds will create adequate soil to seed contact. Water the lawn area to keep the soil moist.

Care

• Keep the soil moist to encourage seed germination. Once white clovers emerge and establish, you can reduce your watering schedule. White clovers do not need nitrogen. In fact, heavy fertilization schedules will kill off your white clovers. White clovers use atmospheric nitrogen to grow and spread over the lawn. Furthermore, retest your soil's pH every year to ensure that it is within the correct range. White clovers may need overseeding if large patches succumb to winter injury.