Clover Patches Are Dying in the Lawn

Soil pH

• Conduct a soil pH test on your lawn. Use an auger to remove soil in 10 different spots in the yard at a depth of 3 inches. Mix up all of the soil samples in a clean bucket; otherwise, fertilizer residue could skew the results. Pour 1 cup of the soil into a container and mail or bring it into your local extension office. Wait two to three weeks for the results.

Amending Soil

• Apply lime or sulfur to your soil based on the soil recommendations from your local agriculture extension. Soils with a pH range between 5.6 and 6 need 50 pounds of lime per 1,000 square feet to raise the pH range, according to Cornell University's Cooperative Extension. Avoid applying more than 50 pounds of lime at one time to prevent burning your grass. Alkaline soils that range between 7.5 and 7.9 pH need 10 pounds of sulfur per 1,000 square feet.

Fertilizing

• Heavy fertilization programs will not support clover growth, according to the University of Minnesota Extension. Clover can use atmospheric nitrogen so avoid applying nitrogen to your clover patches. Because grass needs nitrogen to spread and grow, you may have to decide if you want a predominantly clover or grass yard. You can also apply fertilizer only to grass areas. For example, clover often grows in shady areas where grass cannot grow; therefore you can apply nitrogen only to the sunny, grass-growing areas.

Water

• Clover needs moist soil. Allowing your yard to dry out will kill off the clover as well as the lawn. Most lawns need 1 inch of water a week. To know how much natural rainfall is getting to your lawn, set shallow tin cans out in the yard. Cans that are half full in a week indicate that your lawn has received enough water; otherwise, supplement the natural rainfall with your irrigation system.