Trefoil in Lawn
 

We've moved house recently and I'm now attacking the lawn. I've got quite a
bit of trefoil which is now in flower. As I don't want to use chemicals can
I remove this by raking the patches before I mow (as I've successfully done
previously with clover) each time. Also any idea what cause this to grow so
I can take some preventitive measures.

Regards
Andrew

In article , Andrew Newton
writes
We've moved house recently and I'm now attacking the lawn. I've got quite a
bit of trefoil which is now in flower. As I don't want to use chemicals can
I remove this by raking the patches before I mow (as I've successfully done
previously with clover) each time. Also any idea what cause this to grow so
I can take some preventitive measures.

Trefoil is a legume, legumes are able to 'fix' nitrogen and therefore
compete well in low-nutrient soils. Therefore, try to increase the
nitrogen levels in the soil so that the grass will compete better.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In message , Andrew Newton
writes
We've moved house recently and I'm now attacking the lawn. I've got quite a
bit of trefoil which is now in flower. As I don't want to use chemicals can
I remove this by raking the patches before I mow (as I've successfully done
previously with clover) each time. Also any idea what cause this to grow so
I can take some preventitive measures.

Its resistant to chemical treatments anyway IME so mechanical removal is
recommended. Although it spreads out over the surface of the lawn, it
has a single root so its not too difficult to pull out by hand. I think
that using a rake would remove the top growth while leafing the roots in
place to sprout again.

It seems to favour poor quality soil. Where I live its quite sandy and
all the goodness washes out. My own lawn is free from it because I hate
the stuff and religiously oik it out as soon as I see any but the
neighbours are not so conscientious and I get the "benefit" of their
seeds.

--
Paul Giverin

British Jet Engine Website http://www.britjet.co.uk

Paul Giverin wrote:
In message , Andrew
Newton
writes
We've moved house recently and I'm now attacking the lawn. I've
got
quite a bit of trefoil which is now in flower. As I don't want to
use chemicals can I remove this by raking the patches before I mow
(as I've successfully done previously with clover) each time. Also
any idea what cause this to grow so I can take some preventitive
measures.

Its resistant to chemical treatments anyway IME so mechanical
removal
is recommended. Although it spreads out over the surface of the
lawn,
it has a single root so its not too difficult to pull out by hand.
I
think that using a rake would remove the top growth while leafing
the
roots in place to sprout again.

It seems to favour poor quality soil. Where I live its quite sandy
and
all the goodness washes out. My own lawn is free from it because I
hate the stuff and religiously oik it out as soon as I see any but
the
neighbours are not so conscientious and I get the "benefit" of
their
seeds.

Not an answer -- that's been done already -- so much as a response:
Where a lawn is more for green appearance than for hard wear, there's
a fair case to be made for small-leafed clover: it needs little
feeding, and seems more drought-resistant than grass in problem
areas. Worth thinking about for some people when water-metering comes
in, and if one doesn't want to do so much mowing.

--
Mike.

In article , Mike Lyle mike_lyle_uk@REMO
VETHISyahoo.co.uk writes
My own lawn is free from it because I
hate the stuff and religiously oik it out as soon as I see any but
the
neighbours are not so conscientious

I'm not sure I would regard having purely grass as a matter of
conscience. Isn't it more to do with different tastes?
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In message , Kay
writes
In article , Mike Lyle mike_lyle_uk@REMO
VETHISyahoo.co.uk writes
My own lawn is free from it because I
hate the stuff and religiously oik it out as soon as I see any but
the
neighbours are not so conscientious

I'm not sure I would regard having purely grass as a matter of
conscience. Isn't it more to do with different tastes?

Not really. They all say that they would like a lawn like mine (and
don't get me wrong, it isn't perfect) but they can't be arsed to put in
the work.

We have been thinking of digging a section of it over and sowing it with
a meadow mixture but we can't decide if its the right thing to do.
There's no rush so it can wait for now.

--
Paul Giverin

British Jet Engine Website http://www.britjet.co.uk

Paul Giverin wrote:
In message , Kay
writes
In article , Mike Lyle
mike_lyle_uk@REMO VETHISyahoo.co.uk writes
My own lawn is free from it because I
hate the stuff and religiously oik it out as soon as I see any
but
the neighbours are not so conscientious

I'm not sure I would regard having purely grass as a matter of
conscience. Isn't it more to do with different tastes?

Not really. They all say that they would like a lawn like mine (and
don't get me wrong, it isn't perfect) but they can't be arsed to
put
in the work.

We have been thinking of digging a section of it over and sowing it
with a meadow mixture but we can't decide if its the right thing to
do. There's no rush so it can wait for now.

You hate your trefoil, but you do think a meadow mixture might be all
right? If you do want meadow flowers, don't dig it over: you'll need
to strip it down to subsoil, or you'll soon be regarding grass as a
lawn weed! I've found that even when you put down stone to grow the
wild flowers in, the grass takes over in a very few years.

--
Mike.

The message
from Kay contains these words:

In article , Mike Lyle mike_lyle_uk@REMO
VETHISyahoo.co.uk writes
My own lawn is free from it because I
hate the stuff and religiously oik it out as soon as I see any but
********

the
neighbours are not so conscientious

I'm not sure I would regard having purely grass as a matter of
conscience. Isn't it more to do with different tastes?

I think it depends on whether you treat your lawn religiously.

Janet

Harvesting your lawn
http://www.selfsufficientish.com/lawn.htm