Ann wrote:
"Doug Kanter" expounded:


Me??? You're either very young, or you forgot to read the newspapers since
1960. Knucklehead. What makes you think yard chemicals are safe?


It's a troll, Doug, they always kick up around the end of the summer.
Don't feed it.

And I suppose you're going to tell us that your **** doesn't smell like
a dead tuna.

"Buck Turgidson" wrote in message
...
I have some clover in my lawn here in DC that is out of control. I
understand that some clover is beneficial, but this is definitely too much
of a good thing.

Is there something safe that I can put on it? I have 2 little ones, and I
am not about to put anything toxic on the lawn.

On a side question, my neighbor, who lot is slightly higher than mine,
uses
chemicals freely, like Weed-B-Gone. Should I worry about runoff from his
lawn?

The only truly organic method of clover control is hand pulling. I know,
this is probably not the solution you were looking for but other than this
method, the only effective control is through the use of specific
herbicides. Not all herbicides recommended for use on turfgrass are
effective - look for one that contains MCPP (mecoprop) or triclopyr.
Products which are based on 2,4-D (Weed-B-Gone) are not effective on clover
and avoid heavy use of dicamba around desirable plants as it can affect the
roots of shrubs and trees. Timing of the use of these products is critical
as well - clover is best approached during the spring or fall when growth is
especially lush or the seeds are germinating. Temperatures should be below
80F and avoid using when rain is predicted within 24 hours.

Clover proliferates in lawns which experience compacted soils, are thin or
are deficient in nitrogen or phosphorus. Once you have clover under control,
keeping the lawn well aerated and healthy through the use of proper
fertilization, watering and mowing techinques will help to prevent further
infestation. Corn gluten meal is a safe and organic pre-emergent control
that will revent weed seed germination as well as provide a source of needed
nitrogen. Also, if you live in an area where cool season grasses comprise
the lawn mix, allowing the lawn to go dormant in summer (no irrigation) will
help supress clover, as it is not drought tolerant and will die without
regular irrigation. The grass will return to its normal green and lush
appearance with the return of fall rains.

You are correct to avoid overusing herbicides around children. Small
children and pets are much more sensitive to herbicide contamination than
are adults. But most common lawn herbicides breakdown fairly rapidly, so if
you can keep the kids and pets off the lawn for a couple of days after
application, you should be OK. Spray-on applications will be faster to
metabolize and dissipate into the soil than granular applications. Runoff is
typically not an issue with spray-on applications (like Weed-B-Gone), but is
much more likely to occur with granular applications and products like
weed'n feed.

BTW, upto the early 50's, white clover was often included in lawn seed
mixes, as it was considered an attractive and beneficial addition to lawns
:-))

pam - gardengal

"Pam - gardengal" wrote in message
news:f81Xc.307515$a24.227190@attbi_s03...


BTW, upto the early 50's, white clover was often included in lawn seed
mixes, as it was considered an attractive and beneficial addition to lawns
:-))

Quite a few ag extensions still suggest it as a cover crop, even for small
home gardens which might lay bare for a period of time.