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Siwsan

(27,659 posts)
Sun Aug 17, 2025, 09:58 AM Aug 17

I've decided to start replacing a section of my back yard lawn with clover

I have a big and very shady maple tree that has defied every attempt to re-grow the grass. My niece suggested buying some bags of clover seeds and let that take over. Sounds like a great and environmentally friendly solution.

Does anyone have any experience with doing this? I figured I'll put down a layer of fresh soil and mix in the seeds just before Winter arrives.

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I've decided to start replacing a section of my back yard lawn with clover (Original Post) Siwsan Aug 17 OP
Been mixing micro clover in with grass seed for years... MiHale Aug 17 #1
I have spruce trees and the roots choke out the grass bucolic_frolic Aug 17 #2
I get clover from outside pride store. They supply farmers.. viva la Aug 17 #3
We have it growing JustAnotherGen Aug 17 #4
There are some mosses that might work unc70 Aug 17 #5
I love a patch of clover EYESORE 9001 Aug 17 #6
Bees will love you! cbabe Aug 17 #7
Native species of bees also love clover Kaleva Aug 18 #10
Well, maple trees do eventually rot out, perhaps your tree is getting old enough to take out, before the limbs SWBTATTReg Aug 17 #8
I seeded my yard with clover a couple Luciferous Aug 17 #9
What about moss, you would never have to mow it. Emile Aug 19 #11

bucolic_frolic

(52,084 posts)
2. I have spruce trees and the roots choke out the grass
Sun Aug 17, 2025, 10:07 AM
Aug 17

I chopped out the surface roots and the grass grew back. Can't cut all the roots it would harm the tree but a few in an area seemed to work well.

viva la

(4,252 posts)
3. I get clover from outside pride store. They supply farmers..
Sun Aug 17, 2025, 10:07 AM
Aug 17

I've had some success this summer with crimson clover. But then the utilities company came and tore the whole neighborhood, and it mostly died. My ground is rock hard though, and I'll try your technique of mixing with fresh soil. I think there's a kind of perennial clover that is for fall planting.

There are other groundcover plants also, like creeping thyme, but I haven't had much success with those.

Shady lawn, sandy ground-- nothing much works.

JustAnotherGen

(36,743 posts)
4. We have it growing
Sun Aug 17, 2025, 10:14 AM
Aug 17

In the spurs where the ivy has been pulled and killed under a very large for tree.

Our Maltese seems to like the way it feels on his paws.

unc70

(6,460 posts)
5. There are some mosses that might work
Sun Aug 17, 2025, 10:15 AM
Aug 17

I had one house where we encouraged a small patch of moss to takeover much of the yard where even weeds would not grow.

EYESORE 9001

(28,871 posts)
6. I love a patch of clover
Sun Aug 17, 2025, 10:23 AM
Aug 17

I guess I’m OCD, since I won’t tolerate grasses trying to gain a foothold in that clover.

cbabe

(5,463 posts)
7. Bees will love you!
Sun Aug 17, 2025, 11:25 AM
Aug 17

irescuebees.com
https://irescuebees.com › how-to-grow-clover-for-bees.html

How To Grow Clover For Bees?

Jun 15, 2025To plant clover for honey bees, prepare the soil by removing grass, weeds, and other vegetation. Seed can be spread and raked in, with the

Four leaf clover

https://m.


SWBTATTReg

(25,627 posts)
8. Well, maple trees do eventually rot out, perhaps your tree is getting old enough to take out, before the limbs
Sun Aug 17, 2025, 02:20 PM
Aug 17

and such start falling off, branches breaking off. This is not counting when the maple tree starts sapping (it feels like a mist under the tree). We had a maple tree but the reason we took it out was that it grew in a spot we didn't really want a tree at (between us and the neighbor (maples do get bigger, prone to branches and such breaking off, not good if you park a vehicle underneath)).

Good luck to you on the clover. If anything, you'll attract rabbits and such, they love the clover.

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