How to Get Rid of Clover in Your Lawn (Naturally)

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about lawns, it’s that they don’t always do what you expect.

You spend hours mowing, watering, and fertilizing, only to spot those sneaky little clover patches popping up like they own the place. This is especially true for sod established lawns.

And let’s be honest, once you notice them, you can’t unsee them.

Some people love the look of clover and do establish a pure clover lawn, and in the right setting, it can actually be interesting.

But if your goal is a smooth, well-manicured, uniform lawn, clover can feel like an unwelcome guest that overstays its welcome.

The good news?

You’ve got options; both short-term fixes and long-term strategies to kick it out (or at least keep it under control).

What are Clover Plants?

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Before we dive into removal, let’s talk about what clover actually is. Clover (Trifolium species) is a perennial broadleaf plant that thrives in lawns with low nitrogen levels.

It’s pretty resilient and can bounce back from mowing, drought, and poor soil conditions. That’s why it often shows up in lawns where the grass is struggling.

Interestingly, clover wasn’t always considered a weed. In fact, up until the 1950s, it was a standard part of lawn seed mixes. People loved it because it fixes nitrogen into the soil, essentially feeding your grass for free.

That explains why your lawn often looks greener around clover patches. This often-unwanted plant is working overtime to improve soil health.

Still, if you’re chasing that lush, all-grass look, clover is competition you don’t want.

Prevention Is Always Better

It might sound cliché, but the best way to deal with clover (and most weeds, really) is to prevent it in the first place. This is because clovers tend to thrive in lawns that are underfed, mowed too short, or watered irregularly.

A few things I’ve found helpful:

Feed your lawn regularly: Clover doesn’t like nitrogen-rich soil, but grass loves it. A good fertilizer schedule can help grass outcompete weeds naturally.

Mow high: When you cut your grass too short, clover gets more sunlight and a better chance to spread. Keeping your lawn around 3–4 inches tall shades the soil and makes it harder for clover to thrive.

Water deeply and less often: Frequent shallow watering encourages weeds with shallow roots (like clover) to take over. Deep, less frequent watering helps your grass grow stronger roots.

Prevention might not sound glamorous, but it’s the long game that keeps clover from becoming a recurring headache.

If you want to explore more on how to give your grass some love, here are 11 easy lawn care tips.

How to Kill Clover in Your Well-Manicured Lawn

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If clover has already settled in, you’ve got a few strategies to deal with it. Some are quick fixes, while others focus on long-term control.

1. Hand-Pulling (For Small Patches)

If you just have a small patch or two, sometimes the simplest method works best: grab a weeding tool and pull it out by the roots.

Be sure to get the whole root system, or it’ll come right back. I usually do this after a good rain, when the soil is soft.

2. Smother It

Clover hates being deprived of sunlight. If you’ve got a larger patch, you can cover it with a black plastic sheet or a couple of layers of cardboard for a few weeks.

This method works, but it leaves you with bare soil that you’ll need to reseed.

3. Vinegar Sprays (DIY Option)

Some folks swear by homemade sprays, usually vinegar mixed with a bit of dish soap and water. Spraying this directly on clover can burn it back, but here’s the catch: it doesn’t discriminate.

If you overspray, you’ll damage your grass too. I see this more as a spot treatment than a whole-lawn solution.

4. Fertilize and Let Grass Do the Work

Because clover thrives in low-nitrogen soil, applying a nitrogen-rich fertilizer can tip the scales in your grass’s favor.

I’ve had success with this because the grass gradually thickens and chokes out the clover without me having to use chemicals.

5. Selective Herbicides

If all else fails, there are herbicides that target broadleaf weeds like clover without killing grass. Look for one that’s labeled safe for lawns (I’d always double-check before applying).

Just remember to follow directions carefully since overuse can stress your grass too.

Pro Tip: Most broadleaved weeds like clovers are resistant to many selective lawn weedkillers. Since non-chemical control methods are effective, even if time-consuming on large lawns, I don’t recommend the need to use a weedkiller. But I had to include it.

You may be interested in the best weed killers for lawns.

What About Other Lawn Weeds (Like Carolina Ponyfoot)?

Clover isn’t the only sneaky lawn invader out there. If you live in warmer regions, you might have met Carolina ponyfoot (Dichondra carolinensis). It looks like a heart or kidney shape, hence also known as the Kidney grass.

Besides this weed closely resembles a tiny clover but spreads fast, forming dense mats that smother grass.

Look at how it dominated my Arabic grass in the photo below.

The strategies are similar:

• Keep your grass healthy with proper mowing and fertilization.
• Hand-pull small patches before they spread.
• For larger infestations, selective broadleaf herbicides can help.

One difference with ponyfoot is that it tolerates shade better than clover, so you’ll often find it creeping in areas where grass struggles. If that’s the case, you might consider reseeding with a more shade-tolerant grass variety to give yourself an edge.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, clover isn’t the worst thing you could have in your lawn.

In fact, some gardeners keep it on purpose because it’s bee-friendly, drought-tolerant, and naturally improves soil health. But if you’re aiming for that clean, all-grass look, it can definitely feel like an intruder.

The key is consistency: feed your lawn, mow at the right height, and water wisely. For existing patches, choose the method that makes sense for your situation, whether that’s hand-pulling a small patch or using a targeted herbicide for bigger areas.

And remember, lawns are never “perfect.” A few clover leaves or ponyfoot runners aren’t the end of the world.

The trick is keeping them in check so your grass remains the star of the show.