Whenever weeds begin to take over a yard, it can be frustrating for the property owner to try and figure out what happened. Usually, there are certain causes that lawn care professionals can pinpoint. Certain weeds such as clover may grow because of other underlying reasons.

Here at Patriot Lawn and Landscape, we help you combat clover and other weeds through our lawn care and health services in areas such as Haymarket, Bristow, Manassas, and nearby areas. Learn more about clover and the reasons it may be in your yard.

Clover may be cheap to grow but has several disadvantages.

Some property owners love the idea of clover lawns. Clover is cheap to grow, resistant to droughts, and doesn't require fertilizer applications to thrive. However, other property owners try to avoid it because of disadvantages such as:

• It stains more easily than other kinds of grass do
• It's a short-lived perennial that requires reseeding every couple of years
• On its own, it isn't durable enough for areas that experience heavy traffic

Rather than a functional and aesthetically-pleasing groundcover, most people view clover as an annoying weed that invades their lawn.

Your soil requires aeration and seeding services.

Clover thrives off of nitrogen. It takes in this essential nutrient from the air rather than from the soil. Because clover doesn't need nitrogen from the soil it's growing in, it tends to grow in lawns that don't have a lot of nitrogen.

Clover doesn't require any sort of fertilizer to grow. Similar to other legumes, clover takes nitrogen from the air and thrives off of it. Because of how it thrives, clover tends to take root in nitrogen-poor soil, so it's a good idea to have your soil tested. If it turns out to be deprived of nitrogen, you can remediate it by recruiting aeration and seeding services. After regular attention, these services will restore the state of your soil and ward off clover.

Overwatering can cause your soil to become deprived of nitrogen.

Excess water will draw nitrogen away from your soil. Heavy rains, overlapping sprinkler system patterns, and general overwatering can cause your soil to become severely deprived of nitrogen, which is very inviting to clover. To discourage clover from taking over, adjust your watering schedule to minimize pooling in your yard.

If you have a component of your current irrigation or sprinkler system that's broken, you can recruit our repair services to promote more even water distribution throughout your yard.

Cool weather invites clover into your yard.

If your area is experiencing cool weather, clover may be more likely to take root in your yard. Cooler temperatures mean that your lawn's soil microbes will take longer to become active and move nitrogen to your grass. This lack of activity gives clover, which doesn't require nitrogen from the soil, a powerful advantage.

Clover thrives on sunlight.

Clover grows very well in direct sunlight. While you don't have to shade your entire yard, consider adding some dense trees or bushes to minimize the chances of clover taking root.

Are you interested in lawn care and health services for your yard? Call us today.

If you are interested in lawn care and health services for your yard in Manassas, Haymarket, Bristow, or a surrounding area, our team is here to help. Call us today at (703) 244-7798, and we will help you get rid of clover or other weeds that are infiltrating your lawn.