How do I let clover go to seed for next year?

[jgradyc]

Right now, I have a beautiful field of white clover blossoms. This is the best ever, probably because of all the rain.  I really like this look and I'd like to let it go to seed to get another good crop next spring.

 It's been about one week since I last mowed. Should I let the clover keep growing or can I just go ahead and mow now? I can probably wait another week before mowing, but not much longer than that. 

[jhc77]

If you have a good stand of it still, you can probably mow it. My neighbor enjoys it to keep spring weeds at bay until the burmuda kicks in and takes over. He doesn’t have to reseed for it either. It will burn off once the normal regularly programmed summer heat stays. My rye grass burned off the last few days finally. 

[Omega]

2 hours ago, jgradyc said:

Right now, I have a beautiful field of white clover blossoms. This is the best ever, probably because of all the rain.  I really like this look and I'd like to let it go to seed to get another good crop next spring.

 It's been about one week since I last mowed. Should I let the clover keep growing or can I just go ahead and mow now? I can probably wait another week before mowing, but not much longer than that. 

If your lawn is anything like mine, no matter what you do it will come back, seems I have more clover than grass.

[peejman]

I've got a bunch of clover in my yard and it comes back every year.   Letting it go until the blooms turn brown -ish before mowing should help it spread, but it should come back on its own. 

[Jeb48]

I always mix white clover with whatever grass seed mix I currently like. The clover puts out nitrogen and the grass starts to crowd it out, the clover slows down the amount of nitrogen and the grass slows down and the clover spreads again. Nice system, plus I like the look of clover. Never did anything special, just mowed when needed. I do tend to keep my grass on the long side so that may help to. 

[bersaguy]

My back yard and my neighbors back yard are both covered in beautiful white clover and every evening about 10 bunny rabbits come out of the fence row and feed in the yards. That is until Darby spots them if she is out..........LOL

[gregintenn]

I thought the object of the game was to keep clover out of one's yard. That is the solution I'm looking for.

[Jeb48]

I never was a conformist. My yard is more other things than grass, but it stays green even in a drought.

[peejman]

 

After trying everything to get rid of the weeds for a few years, I asked one of my cousins who's a pro landscape guy. He maintains one of the fancy gated communities near Charleston.  His advice was to call the Green Lawn, Tru Green, etc. folks. That's the most affordable way. They have stuff not available to the homeowner. If your neighbors have weeds, so will you.  

I gave up after he told me that. Now, my yard is green and I mow it. I try to keep the flower beds looking decent, but I don't have the time/money/energy/interest to mess with the yard. 

[Jeb48]

Last two houses spanning nearly 40 years we have had acres of woods around us so lots of interesting things grow and dig in our yard. Discovered if you have grubs skunks dig holes to get a midnight snack and they make a noise that almost sounds like they are singing. Took awhile to figure out what the strange noise was in the middle of the night.

[jgradyc]

I'm the OP of this 3-year old thread. I now have beautiful patches of clover in my 4 acre front "yard." With yard being a euphemism for field. Clover is everywhere now, but it's only thick in a few plots. I'd prefer to see a sea of white when it's blooming.

It's been 12 days since I last mowed. The clover tops are white and thick in a few places and it's been white for maybe 3-4 days.  I'd like to get the optimum amount of clover seeds, so how much longer should I let the clover grow before I mow it again? I want as much of it to go to seed as possible and spread, but I'm mowing the rest of the field to prevent other grasses from going to seed. 

It looks pretty... unusual... right now with patches of unmowed clover surrounded by mowed grass. 

Edited May 25, 2021 by jgradyc

[Alleycat72]

Seed the bare spots with crimson clover. Sea of red and white would be cool.

[Handsome Rob]

If any of y'all know how the hell to get rid of buttercups without spraying, I'd be all ears. My pastures are completely yellow this year. It's drowning out the grass I sowed in the spring & my horses are having to fight through the damn stuff to feed. 

On the up side, the bees are going nuts for it. 

[Alleycat72]

4 hours ago, Handsome Rob said:

If any of y'all know how the hell to get rid of buttercups without spraying, I'd be all ears. My pastures are completely yellow this year. It's drowning out the grass I sowed in the spring & my horses are having to fight through the damn stuff to feed. 

On the up side, the bees are going nuts for it. 

Disk it up and plant alfalfa.

[ReeferMac]

8 hours ago, alleycat72 said:

Seed the bare spots with crimson clover. Sea of red and white would be cool.

I had a fantastic bloom of red clover this year. Theres a long-stemmed yellow one I got from a place in Maine that did really well for me too. I've been planting all flavots of it for a few years out in the pasture area and its starting to really come in nice. Last weekend was the first time all year I mowed. Got seed at the Co-op and Knoxville Seed Co., 5-10 lbs at a time. Go out there during the rainy season, scatter by hand, step on/press the seeds into the soil (I usually buy the coated variety). I think if @jgradyc just keeps planting a little every year, after a few years you'll have a nice flush of color growing. 

[ReeferMac]

5 hours ago, Handsome Rob said:

If any of y'all know how the hell to get rid of buttercups without spraying, I'd be all ears. My pastures are completely yellow this year. 

I noticed a ton of it around here, too. The one field that doesn't, is the lady with all the goats. 

[papa61]

had friends in from Pennsylvania a few years back. I dropped part at the golf course while the rest of us went shopping, When I picked them up they were complaining about the clover on the fairways. I explained that we are in Tennessee, we have red clay, if it weren't for the clover the course would be brown or barren. 

So why won't mine cover the brown spaces where my dogs pee?

[Handsome Rob]

55 minutes ago, ReeferMac said:

I noticed a ton of it around here, too. The one field that doesn't, is the lady with all the goats. 

I would take prison rape over goats. 

No goats. 

Not now, 

Not ever. 

For srslys.

 

 

Also, you're not allowed to ever speak to my goat-enamoured wife. Ever. 

 

[Mark A]

6 hours ago, Handsome Rob said:

If any of y'all know how the hell to get rid of buttercups without spraying, I'd be all ears.

On the up side, the bees are going nuts for it. 

Sheep will wear it out...

[No_0ne]

As somebody who spent decades maintaining and growing hybrid bermuda ball fields, this whole thread makes me cringe.  On the other hand, when it comes to my yard, whatever sprouts is left to its own devices.  I, or often some neighborhood kid, mows it regularly, but that's the extent of my yardwork at home ...

[Omega]

1 hour ago, Handsome Rob said:

I would take prison rape over goats. 

No goats. 

Not now, 

Not ever. 

For srslys.

 

 

Also, you're not allowed to ever speak to my goat-enamoured wife. Ever. 

 

Has she heard of Goat Yoga? 

[pop pop]

My yard has more white clover, this year, than it ever has. Guess from all the rain?????

[peejman]

11 hours ago, papa61 said:

had friends in from Pennsylvania a few years back. I dropped part at the golf course while the rest of us went shopping, When I picked them up they were complaining about the clover on the fairways. I explained that we are in Tennessee, we have red clay, if it weren't for the clover the course would be brown or barren. 

So why won't mine cover the brown spaces where my dogs pee?

Dog urine has lots of nitrates.  It's essentially the same as mixing fertilizer too strong and burning the grass. 

[papa61]

16 minutes ago, peejman said:

Dog urine has lots of nitrates.  It's essentially the same as mixing fertilizer too strong and burning the grass. 

right. how do you counter that/ with all the rain it isn't water

[OldIronFan]

1 hour ago, papa61 said:

right. how do you counter that/ with all the rain it isn't water

We started giving ours Grass Green by Pet Honesty. 
Now we have really well fertilized bright green clumps of fescue everywhere he goes instead of burnt brown spots. 

I did notice that when things are really dry, like no rain in over a week and temps hitting 90 we are starting to get a bit of brown in his favorite spots. I am attributing that to the extended period without water to dilute. Still much better than we had before when he went once in a spot and it was already burning the next day.

https://www.chewy.com/pethonesty-grassgreen-snacks/dp/190533?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=f&utm_content=PetHonesty&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAjw47eFBhA9EiwAy8kzNCbMJqwOddPnUdS0Ck4awB_CZ7OtF1fvQG_5b2ZleDMbN21JWuss0RoCSUMQAvD_BwE