How to Kill Clover in Lawns

Those little three-leafed patches creeping across your lawn might look harmless enough. Some people even consider finding a four-leaf clover lucky. But if you’re watching clover steadily take over your grass, you’re probably not feeling very fortunate right now.

The good news? Clover is very much beatable. But before you reach for the first weedkiller you find, it’s worth understanding why clover has chosen your lawn in the first place. Get this right, and you won’t just kill the clover – you’ll stop it coming back. Clover is one of the most common weeds in UK lawns.

Why Is Clover Growing in My Lawn?

Here’s something that surprises most people: clover isn’t random. It’s actually a sign that your lawn is struggling – specifically, that your soil is low in nitrogen.

Clover is a legume, which means it has a clever trick up its sleeve. It can pull nitrogen directly from the air through bacteria in its roots, essentially making its own fertiliser. Your grass can’t do this – it relies entirely on nitrogen in the soil.

So when soil nitrogen drops, your grass gets weaker and thinner. Clover, meanwhile, doesn’t care. It moves into the gaps, thrives without any help, and starts spreading. It’s nature’s way of fixing nitrogen-depleted soil – just not in the way you’d prefer.

Other factors that give clover the upper hand include:

• Compacted soil – Clover’s root system handles compaction far better than grass
• Mowing too short – Short grass can’t shade out clover seedlings
• Thin or patchy grass – Bare spots are an open invitation
• Soil pH imbalance – Clover tolerates a wider pH range than most lawn grasses

Clover often appears alongside other lawn weeds that exploit similar conditions. If you’re also noticing trefoil (which looks very similar to clover but has yellow flowers) or speedwell, the same underlying issues are likely to blame.

How to Get Rid of Clover in Your Lawn

Once you understand why clover is there, removing it becomes much more straightforward. You have two main approaches: manual removal for small patches, or treatment for larger infestations.

For Small Patches: Hand Removal

If you’ve caught the clover early and it’s only in a few spots, you can simply dig it out. Use a hand fork to get under the roots – clover spreads via creeping stems that root at intervals, so you need to remove the whole plant, not just the visible leaves.

After removal, prepare the bare patch for reseeding with a bit of topsoil and grass seed. This prevents clover (or other weeds) from moving straight back in.

For Larger Areas: Lawn Treatment

When clover has spread across larger sections of your lawn, hand removal becomes impractical. This is where a selective lawn treatment makes sense.

The key word here is selective. You want a product that kills broadleaf weeds like clover while leaving your grass unharmed. Look for lawn weedkillers containing 2,4-D or dicamba – these are the active ingredients that target clover and similar weeds. Most quality lawn feeds now combine weed-killing ingredients with nitrogen fertiliser – which is ideal, because you’re tackling the clover AND addressing the underlying nitrogen deficiency at the same time.

Apply treatment in spring or early summer when clover is actively growing. This is when the plant absorbs products most effectively, carrying the active ingredients right down to the roots.

The Long-Term Fix: Outcompete the Clover

Killing existing clover is only half the battle. If you don’t address the conditions that allowed it to establish, it’ll be back – either from seeds in the soil or creeping in from neighbouring gardens.

The most effective long-term strategy is simple: grow grass so thick and healthy that clover can’t get a foothold.

Feed your lawn regularly. A consistent feeding programme keeps nitrogen levels up, which benefits your grass and makes life harder for clover. Seasonal treatments in spring, summer, autumn, and winter each serve different purposes in keeping your lawn strong year-round.

Mow higher. Set your mower to at least 3 inches (7-8cm). Taller grass shades the soil surface, preventing clover seeds from germinating and blocking light from establishing plants. It also encourages deeper grass roots, making your lawn more resilient overall.

Aerate annually. If your soil is compacted, grass roots struggle while clover thrives. Aerating once a year – ideally in autumn – loosens the soil and lets water, air, and nutrients reach grass roots more easily.

Overseed thin areas. Bare patches are clover’s opportunity. If you notice your lawn thinning, overseed with quality grass seed before clover moves in.

What About Natural or DIY Methods?

You’ll find plenty of suggestions online for killing clover with vinegar, boiling water, or homemade sprays. Do they work?

Vinegar can damage clover leaves, but it’s non-selective – meaning it’ll also damage any grass it touches. It also doesn’t kill the roots, so the clover often regrows. You’d need repeated applications, careful targeting, and even then results are inconsistent.

Corn gluten meal is sometimes recommended as a natural pre-emergent, preventing clover seeds from germinating. It can help as part of a broader lawn care approach, but it won’t kill established clover plants.

The honest truth? For anything beyond a few small patches, a proper selective lawn treatment will save you significant time and frustration while delivering far better results.

Is Clover Actually Bad for My Lawn?

This is worth addressing, because attitudes toward clover have shifted in recent years. Some people now deliberately grow clover lawns for their drought tolerance and benefit to pollinators.

If you’re happy with clover in your lawn, there’s no rule saying you must remove it. Clover stays green in dry weather, attracts bees, and actually feeds nitrogen back to surrounding grass.

However, if you want a traditional lawn appearance, clover causes problems. It grows in patches rather than uniformly, dies back in winter leaving bare spots, and spreads aggressively if left unchecked. It can also be slippery underfoot when wet, which matters if you have children playing on the lawn.

The choice is yours – but if you’ve decided clover has to go, don’t feel guilty about it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clover mean my soil is bad?

Not bad exactly – just low in nitrogen. Clover is actually nature’s way of fixing this problem, as it pulls nitrogen from the air and deposits it in the soil. The issue is that while clover thrives, your grass suffers. Regular feeding addresses this imbalance.

Will fertiliser alone get rid of clover?

Fertiliser helps your grass compete more effectively and can slow clover’s spread, but it won’t kill established clover plants. For existing infestations, you need a treatment that targets broadleaf weeds. Many lawn feeds now combine both functions.

What is the best time of year to kill clover?

Spring and early summer are ideal, when clover is actively growing and absorbs treatments most effectively. Avoid treating during drought, frost, or when temperatures are very high. Autumn treatment can also work but gives less time for grass recovery before winter.

Will clover come back after treatment?

It can, especially if the underlying conditions haven’t changed. Clover seeds remain viable in soil for years, and new seeds blow in from elsewhere. That’s why combining treatment with ongoing lawn care – feeding, proper mowing height, overseeding – is essential for lasting results.

Is clover harmful to dogs or children?

Clover itself isn’t toxic to pets or children. However, clover flowers attract bees, which increases the chance of stings for anyone walking barefoot on the lawn. If bee stings are a concern in your household, that’s an additional reason to keep your lawn clear of flowering weeds.

Why does clover keep spreading even though I mow regularly?

Clover grows low to the ground and spreads via creeping stems that root at nodes – mowing doesn’t stop this spread at all. In fact, if you’re mowing too short, you’re actually helping clover by removing the grass that would otherwise shade it out. Try raising your mowing height to at least 3 inches.

The Bottom Line

Clover in your lawn is a symptom, not just a problem. Yes, you can kill it with the right treatment – but unless you also address the nitrogen deficiency and thin grass that let it establish, you’ll be fighting the same battle again next year.

The winning approach combines targeted treatment with consistent lawn care: regular feeding, proper mowing height, annual aeration, and prompt overseeding of any bare patches. Do this, and your grass becomes strong enough to crowd out clover naturally.

It takes a season or two to fully turn things around, but the payoff is a lawn that stays clover-free with far less ongoing effort. Your grass does the hard work – you just need to give it the tools to succeed. If you’re also tackling dandelions, daisies, or other broadleaf weeds, the same selective treatments work on those too.