How do you kill annoying clover leaf?

[Apapa7]

How do you kill annoying clover leaf overtaking my Palmetto buffalo lawn?

[EricL]

Hello @Apapa7

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's fabulous to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about how to kill cloverleaf on your Buffalo lawn.

Cloverleaf is quite invasive and is an indicator that there is an imbalance of nutrients in your soil. Clover is a legume plant and it actually draws nitrogen from the air and stores it in its roots. The general method of eliminating clover from your lawn is to cut it right down to the soil and use a weed and feed product such as Yates 2.4L BuffaloPro Weed 'n' Feed Hose On Weed Killer. Please note that not all weed and feed products are Buffalo lawn friendly so make sure to check the label before grabbing the product.

To prevent the Clover from coming back, I suggest a vigilant watch for the first signs of growth and make sure to cut down any sprouts going past the soil line. Preventing photosynthesis from occurring will starve the roots and will cause them to eventually die.

Let me call on our experienced members @Adam_W and @Noelle for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Apapa7]

Hi Eric, what do you mean by cutting it right down to the soil and use a weed and feed product? Do you mean mowing that section down to the clover roots then weed and feeding? If so when mowing down to the roots is it to my whole yard or just the section thats infested ie. leave the unaffected area mowing height higher? Also do I W&F my whole yard?

[Noelle]

Keep the lawn mown but not to the point of scalping!  Regular cutting off of any clover that protrudes above the turf height will assist in control.

In addition to weed and feed products, there is a lawn weeder available that is buffalo-friendly - Scotts Lawn Builder Bindii, Clover & Broadleaf. 

It will kill the weeds without adding fertiliser at the same time.  Apply it to the areas that are infested with clover and other weeds.  Then in a couple of weeks' time, apply a lawn fertiliser to the entire lawn (Lawn Builder Buffalo Slow Release granular lawn food would be appropriate).

[Adam_W]

Hi @Apapa7 , do not mow it down before treatment. Most products actually recommend not mowing before or after applying.
As these products work by absorption through the leaves there's no point applying any product to a totally scalped lawn.
As @EricL said always use a buffalo friendly product & I'd add do not overdo it as that will damage the buffalo, not just the weeds.
Vigilance is important and repeat applications may be needs too.

[EricL]

Hi @Apapa7

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Noelle and @Adam_W. Please make sure to follow the instructions printed on the label of the product. If it says don't cut the Clover, then you must leave it as is and apply the product. My apologies, I forgot to mention that you shouldn't scalp your Buffalo lawn only the clover, but you should skip this step as advised by our very knowledgeable members.   

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Adam_W]

Probably worth explaining a little how these products work too...
They are 'selective' herbicides based not on some magical formulation but almost completely on dosage with a little bit being about individual biology. You'll often see them described as 'broadleaf' weed-killers.
Basically... grass blades are reasonable narrow. Most weeds have larger leaf areas. These products are absorbed through the leaves so when applied at the correct rate the plants with the bigger, broader leaves, the weeds, receive a larger dose per plant.
Even at the exact rates any lawn grass will suffer a little from the application. That's why there is a feeding component in many of these products - to help green the lawn up & speed its recovery.
From knowing this you'll then understand why not mowing and getting the application rates right is important.

[Apapa7]

So disregard the yates product that Eric advised and instead treat the clover affected areas only with the 1st product Noelle advised which is scotts lawn builder bindii /clover which only kills weeds then follow up with a few weeks later with the lawn builder buffolo slow release, is that correct ?

 

[Apapa7]

Also are these products pet safe?

[EricL]

Hello @Apapa7

If you don't wish to fertilize your lawn and only wish to treat the Clover growth the answer is yes. You can then apply the slow-release fertilizer a few weeks later. In the interest of safety, I suggest keeping all your pets away from the area that's been treated with a spray. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric