White clover is quite common. It is successfully used for landscaping and decorating modern flowering lawns and various areas landscape projects. And not without reason, because a blooming lawn looks very attractive. The plant is a honey plant and always lures a large number of bees and bumblebees, and besides, trampling clover does not inhibit it, but, on the contrary, promotes growth. Thanks to the reclining creeping stems, the lawn looks lush and curly, and there are practically no bald spots.
Description
This perennial crop legume family with a lifespan of about 3-5 years. Shoots are creeping and rooting. For this amazing property it was nicknamed creeping clover. The plant easily spreads over any area with its shoots - stems. He has a well developed root system, which can penetrate the soil to a depth of up to a meter. The trifoliate emerald leaves are relatively small. The flowers are small, spherical, and white. The flower head consists of small tubes collected into an inflorescence. Typically, the flowering period of a crop occurs only in the second year after planting.
White clover blooms twice a season with small white spherical heads with pleasant aroma: from early May to August and from late August to early October. Moreover, if in the second period you want to achieve abundant flowering, after the white clover has bloomed for the first time, it is advisable to mow it. By the way, for mowing it is better to use a trimmer rather than a regular lawn mower. This way the plant will react less painfully to forced cutting.
Varieties
For sowing, you need to use special varieties, the best option is white clover "Rivendell". Its peculiarity is short stature (about 10 cm), brightly colored shoots and abundant flowering. The stems are soft, branched and thin, without pubescence. The leaves are short, narrow, oval-shaped with white veins. It develops and grows well on sandy loam and soddy-podzolic soils.
This variety of clover tolerates mowing well and recovers quickly after it. It is resistant to soil compaction and mechanical damage. The first cutting should be carried out when the height of the stem reaches at least 6-8 cm.
Posting rules
According to their own biological characteristics This type of clover is significantly different from its counterparts - pink and red. It is quite unpretentious in cultivation; it can be planted even on clay soils, but creeping white clover feels best on sandy loam or loamy soils, with a neutral or slightly acidic acidity level, acidic soils the plant avoids.
The plant is light-loving. It should be noted that for white clover Excessive shading is destructive, so its shoots should not be suppressed by denser and taller grasses. The plant also does not tolerate excessive humidity. A clover lawn can be placed anywhere in the area being decorated, regardless of its topography, but especially this plant valued for securing slopes. To summarize, we can conclude that white clover is ideal for landscaping lawns. It is very beautiful and will easily give a noble look to any area.
Pre-sowing activities
Before sowing clover, it is necessary to first prepare the soil by digging it to a depth of about 22-25 cm, and also clean the top layer of soil from large lumps of earth, weed rhizomes, stones and other debris. If necessary, you can carry out liming and add a little sand. After this, be sure to level and loosen the soil. It is advisable to apply fertilizer about a week in advance to obtain optimal seed germination.
Landing Features
To get friendly shoots, sowing white clover should begin when the air temperature reaches 14-15 degrees Celsius. A lawn of white clover should be sown no later than the end of August - so that the crop can take root properly before the onset of the first cold weather. Seeds must be planted in calm weather in well-moistened soil, previously cleared of weeds, to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm, and on loamy soils - up to 1 cm. The sowing rate of white clover as lawn grass is from 2 to 4 kg per hectare .
To get a lawn without bald spots, sowing is carried out in two directions: half the seeds along the width of the area and half along the length. The final stage will be moving the top layer of soil with the sown seeds. Then the soil is slightly compacted and well moistened, while preventing the clover seeds from being washed out. It is recommended to cover the crops before the first shoots appear.
Conditions for friendly shoots
The first shoots, under favorable weather conditions, will make themselves felt within 6-12 days. After their appearance, it is very important to maintain an optimal level of soil moisture and produce fine-drip irrigation. The best time For watering, late evening and early morning are considered. White clover reaches full development only in the second season.
Agrotechnics of cultivation
Clover lawns are easy to care for. It consists of loosening the soil, removing weeds, and applying fertilizers. Special attention turn to watering. It should be moderate. Overmoistening of the soil is not allowed.
One of the main features of white clover lawn care is that it does not accept nitrogen fertilizers(sodium nitrate, ammonium nitrate and ammonium chloride, calcium nitrate), since biological feature plants - accumulation of nitrogen compounds in the root system. For the same reason, not only nitrogen group ingredients are unacceptable, but also green manure fertilizers. Before using fertilizers, be sure to carefully study the composition complex fertilizers purchased to care for a lawn on which white clover grows.
Plant properties
The benefits of white clover for lawns are obvious. Beneficial features allow it to be used as a fertilizer for the soil, thus increasing its fertility. Moreover, lawn white clover has high frost resistance - your lawn will look attractive from early spring to late autumn.
Intensive growth and the ability to “spread” allow you to create the necessary composition in the shortest possible time. In this case, the lawn will be uniform and rich, without bald spots.
Combination with various representatives of the flora
Clover can also be used to create lawns from grass mixtures, but not more than 7% of the total mass. Atmospheric nitrogen accumulated in the roots enhances the green color of cereal crops, and also increases the growth rate and the number of shoots, as a result of which the decorative appearance of the lawn is noticeably improved.
White clover goes well with bright colors, as well as with individual trees and shrubs. When compiling flower arrangements It is best to plant clover in separate groups, thus isolating it from other plants. Please note that this type of lawn will require special care: the growth of other plants will have to be stimulated mineral supplements, otherwise the shamrock will drown them out.
Application
White clover is successfully used in folk medicine in the form of infusion or tea in the treatment of colds, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and also as a diuretic. A paste of fresh leaves has hemostatic properties and is used for abscesses and various tumors.
Negative properties
However, creeping white clover as a plant for landscaping lawns is not without its drawbacks. First of all, a clover lawn, although resistant to trampling, is still not able to withstand heavy loads. It is not recommended to frequently run or trample on clover cover, otherwise the plants will quickly lose their aesthetic appearance.
As a rule, caring for a white clover lawn does not require much effort, but it does have its challenges. First of all, to maintain the necessary decorative appearance of the lawn, it must be trimmed frequently, since clover grows quickly. In addition, if faded, browned inflorescences are not removed in time, the lawn will look unkempt. This is not always convenient, since the dense carpet of leaves retains an increased level of humidity.
Lawn white clover is prone to fungal diseases, and the grass becomes quite slippery after rain or in wet weather. Therefore, clover lawns are not planted in areas active rest and on sports grounds.
Root nodules not only accumulate nitrogen, but also attract various weeds that have to be weeded out manually, since chemical treatment is unacceptable for white clover.
At its core, clover is an invasive plant. It grows very quickly beyond the boundaries of the lawn and is often sown in neighboring flower beds, automatically turning from decorative culture into the weed.
Creeping clover - familiar to almost every person living in countries with temperate climate. Previously, it was used as fodder, but now, due to its appearance, aroma and flavor, clover has become popular as a lawn grass. It is grown on lawns, rockeries and. This article will help you learn how to plant and grow white clover. You will see its photo, learn the pros and cons of this option, as well as the nuances of choosing and preparing a suitable place.
Biological features
Creeping clover belongs to the genus Clover, legume family, subfamily Moth family. It has a wide range, initially distributed throughout Europe, in Central, Asia Minor and Western Asia, in Transcaucasia and North Africa. 
This is a herbaceous perennial plant with a developed, creeping bare stem, compound trifoliate leaves with small elongated leaves and spherical flower heads collected in panicles.
Clover grows best in wet, cool climates and prefers loamy, rich soils with good moisture but not stagnant water. Did you know? Like other legumes, clover enriches the soil with nitrogen, so it is often used as green manure to improve the structure and composition of the soil.
Advantages and disadvantages of such a lawn
Like anything else, a clover lawn has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages. It is not without reason that they say that summer residents are divided into those who dream of having clover on their plot and those who dream of removing it from there. 
pros
So, let's talk about the positive:
- Unpretentiousness . White creeping clover is an almost ideal choice for beginners and its easy planting and easy care make it the best option for your first attempts at creating a beautiful lawn. Even if you forget about the lawns for the whole summer, nothing bad will happen.
- Decorativeness. Simple trefoils create a very soft and delicate coating. It will delight you with delicate greenery from May to the end of autumn. The gaps between trees, near fences and buildings, as well as other bald spots can be made more aesthetically pleasing with its help.
- Wear resistance. You get a thick, long-lasting lawn that quickly recovers from mowing and other “stresses.” Active games of children, running, playing with a ball, dog pranks, temperature changes and direct sunlight will not damage this grass; crushed leaves quickly return to their original appearance.
- Availability. Because the whole line varieties are used in agriculture as feed or seeds, you can buy seeds much cheaper by contacting the appropriate stores. And if you collect the seeds yourself, it will be completely free. In addition, you can save on feeding and.
- Ability to improve soil. Since clover enriches the soil with nitrogen, it is recommended to use it as a precursor before planting. In addition, thanks to its powerful root system, it survives well from the site.
- Honey production. With its fragrant blooms, clover will attract flowers, which will also pollinate others on the site. This fragrant carpet is especially suitable for people who keep an apiary.
- Pet food. Clover is an excellent food for, or, hamsters and guinea pigs will also be grateful for such a treat. This herb is not only tasty, but also healthy.
Did you know? The name of the clover Trifolium is translated from Latin as “shamrock”. The occasional quatrefoil is considered a symbol of good luck. However, there are varieties, such as Good Luck, which have all quadruple leaves.
Minuses
Often, the disadvantages of clover are a continuation of its advantages:
- Aggressiveness. It is not for nothing that this plant is called creeping. Not only does it quickly capture new territories, but, thanks to its powerful roots, it is also difficult to get rid of. If you do not take care to limit the area where clover is planted, it can take over all the plantings or.
- Inconsistent aesthetics. Immediately after mowing, such a lawn does not look very attractive. Although this grass grows quickly, you will have to look at the “underside” of the lawn for some time. In addition, fading flower heads also look untidy.
- Honey production. on the site - this is both an advantage and a disadvantage, especially for those who like to walk barefoot on the grass.
- Hygroscopicity. Under the leaf cover of clover, moisture is retained well and the lawn dries out for a long time after rain. Therefore, in wet weather it is susceptible to various fungal diseases. Various flowers, especially grapes and others, often gather under its leaves. After mowing, they all become visible, which does not add attractiveness to the lawn.
- Slippery. Such plants have a very slippery texture, so it is easy to slip and fall on such a surface, especially on wet slopes.
- Attractive to pests. The root tubers of the plant attract - these are the worm-like larvae of click beetles, which cause great harm.
- Frequent haircut. Many of the above-mentioned disadvantages can be solved by frequenting the lawn, so you will have to do it many times.
Use in herbal mixtures
Since clover is an aggressive plant, when grown on open ground You should not combine it with herbs that have a more fragile root system. He simply will not allow such neighbors to develop and will kill them in the garden. 
In addition, due to its specificity, this plant is not suitable for all types of lawns, so lawn grass it is recommended to be used in mixtures for playgrounds, decorative lawns, when strengthening slopes and slopes, and at the same time for ground floors and sports lawns it is unacceptable.
To create meadow lawns on relatively dry, infertile soils, the following grass mixture is recommended: red fescue - 25%, common bentgrass - 25%, meadow bluegrass - 25%, creeping clover - 25%. 
For sowing slopes and slopes, the following mixture is proposed: meadow bluegrass - 30%, meadow fescue - 30%, white bentgrass - 30%, creeping clover - 10%.
Selecting a location
As mentioned earlier, clover, despite its unpretentiousness and stability, has its own specific characteristics, and a place for planting it should be chosen with them in mind.
After choosing a place on the site for white clover, you need to prepare the surface for the lawn, since, despite its unpretentiousness, it is not recommended to plant it in uncultivated soil. 
The site is first dug up using half a shovel (15–20 cm), the soil is loosened and sifted, cleared of roots, debris and stones. Then they give a few days for the ground to settle. Seeds need to be planted in moist soil, and if the weather is dry, the soil should be
Neat lawns are nothing new these days, but growing one yourself is difficult and expensive. It is known that there is a simplified option for the lazy -. But the question arises: how to plant white clover for the lawn? What materials will be needed and how difficult is the process?
Clover, popularly called trefoil, belongs to perennial plants of the legume family. The plant is presented in the form of three leaves of emerald color with a small spherical flower. If you stick to the right technology planting it, as well as caring for it afterwards, the flowering lawn will delight you every year with an even and soft carpet. To do everything correctly, consider detailed instructions: how to plant white clover for the lawn? Simple tips and some nuances from specialists will allow you to get a green carpet as a result of the work done.
Advantages and disadvantages
By choosing white clover, you can get a whole list of advantages, since the plant has the following features:
- pronounced decorative qualities;
- a powerful root system will be able to suppress the growth of weeds for several years;
- a carpet of clover forms a dense grass mass of a rich green hue;
- the low growth of the stems eliminates the need for cutting;
- easy to care for: does not require frequent watering or fertilizing;
- high resistance to trampling;
- fast growth;
- saturation of the soil with nitrogen - a natural fertilizer;
- the ability to plant on slopes, banks and wastelands.
Important! White clover is often included when it is necessary to sow empty areas of a rock garden, rose garden or garden bed.
Despite this, a lawn made from white glue also has some disadvantages:
- the suppressive property will lead to the death of other flowers;
- rapid growth in all directions (clover is dominant);
- moisture retention leads to slipperiness - you should walk on it carefully.
Landing technology
As already mentioned, a tenacious plant does not require weeding or fertilizing. But, if you want to get an even and beautiful thick carpet, you should consider several recommendations. So, among preparatory work the location must be determined correctly. The best option is a sunny lawn or partial shade. Seeds are purchased at a specialized store for gardeners and gardeners: about 300 grains are needed per 1 m2. It is recommended to plant in spring or early summer.
- As in the case of a regular lawn, in order for the seeds to take root well and quickly, you should remove the top layer of soil (up to 5 cm) and level the area.
- Fast germination will be ensured by simple soaking for 1 hour before direct sowing. You can also mix the seeds with a small part of the soil and then scatter them evenly over the area.
- To prevent birds from pecking the grains, a thin layer of soil (about 1 cm) is poured on top.
- For watering, it is recommended to use a sprinkler nozzle, as strong pressure will wash away the white clover seeds or drown them. Soil moisture should be maintained for 7-10 days. The possibility of walking on the lawn is excluded. After 15 days, shoots should appear.
Important! Clover grows well in areas where cereals were previously grown.
Care
The unpretentiousness of the plant reduces all the conditions for caring for it. So, the basis includes only watering. Prolonged drought can negatively impact the growth of a white clover lawn. At the same time, severe waterlogging will also be disastrous. Experienced gardeners It is recommended to water once a week, provided that there has been no rain during these days.
You can trim the clover as desired - as the plant grows. In this case, it is recommended to use a trimmer, after which the lawn will quickly recover and bloom profusely. Carefully monitor the growth of the lawn; it is better to limit it, as it will be difficult to remove white clover.
Important! Trefoil easily tolerates sudden changes in temperature, but in case of high heat levels, additional watering should be carried out.
Video: white clover instead of lawn grass
Owners of private houses and country dachas They always want their site to be more beautiful than their neighbor’s. When arranging the territory, the entrance includes trees, flowers, gazebos and, of course, lawns. It’s hard to imagine a well-maintained property without them. The “green carpet” performs several functions at once, in addition to aesthetic appearance. You can play on it for children, have picnics, or lie around yourself.
If you have a piece of empty land at your disposal, then there are several options for its use: pave the ground with asphalt/concrete, plant it with flowers/trees, or sow a lawn. If the classic green lawn seems too boring to you, then you can replace it with a lawn of white creeping clover. Trefoil with emerald leaves and white spherical flowers from the legume family will become original decoration your site.
If your choice fell on the “green carpet” of white clover, then you can buy the seeds at any gardening store. A photo of the expected result can be seen on the box. The variety Rivendell is well suited for sowing.. You can take seeds from friends who have this plant on their plot, but such seeds, as a rule, are weakened and may not bring the expected result.
The price of packaging ranges from 650 rubles per 1 kg. Planting a lawn made from creeping white clover will cost much less than a classic lawn made from lawn mixtures.
How to plant creeping white clover correctly?
Those who are starting to plant a white clover lawn from scratch need to know about the growth characteristics of white clover:
- You need to sow seeds on the sunny side, or at least in partial shade. Before planting creeping white clover, you need to take into account that it is called creeping clover because it can fill a large area in a short time;
- The plant is unpretentious, so it grows well in sandy, loamy, neutral and slightly acidic soils.
- Clover does not need a lot of watering.
- It is advisable to plant clover away from plants with weak root systems., because it will suppress them and away from tall flowers, bushes and trees that will shade it from sunlight.
- Clover begins to bloom in the second year of growth. In total, clover has two waves of flowering.
- The plant saturates the soil with nitrogen, increasing its fertility.
Clover is an unpretentious plant, so it can be planted both in spring and autumn, when there is no frost. Before sowing, the soil must be loosened and cleared of weeds.
Important! An hour before sowing, the seeds must be soaked. You need to sow before the rains.
For uniform sowing, the seeds are combined with the ground in a 1:1 ratio. Sprinkle them with a small layer of earth and carefully water them from a watering can. You cannot walk in the sown area. After 1.5-2 weeks at proper care and moderate (once a week will be enough) watering, expect the first shoots to appear.
All about plant care
One of the main advantages of white clover is its unpretentiousness. Special care it is not required. As the plant grows, trim it; a trimmer is perfect for this purpose. You need to cut the grass once every two weeks. You can feed the plant with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
Cons and pros
Before planting clover on your site, you should consider all the advantages and disadvantages of this plant. In addition to being unpretentious, it has the following advantages: 
- A clover lawn is resistant to trampling and grows quickly.
- Clover - a honey plant will attract bees from all over the area, this will increase pollination fruit trees. Walking barefoot in the greenery is not recommended. Insects can sting.
- Clover saturates the soil with nitrogen and perfectly prepares it for the subsequent planting of vegetables and trees.
- Aesthetic appearance.
- But the disadvantages that a clover lawn has may affect the choice not in its favor.
- Due to the thick clover turf, the soil underneath does not dry out, so the lawn can be slippery.
- Good growth of clover will seem like a disaster when you want to get rid of it.
- After mowing, brown petioles and leaves remain visible on the lawn for several days. It will look untidy until new greenery grows.
Attention! Clover counts perennial plant, but despite this, it is recommended to re-seed it after 3-4 years.
White clover diseases
Dense thickets of white clover prevent drying out excess moisture on the soil, so the green lawn becomes a haven for snails and slugs. For the same reason, clover is susceptible to fungal diseases. In order to prevent pests and diseases, it is recommended to trim the lawn regularly.
Planting and caring for a white clover lawn is easy, even for beginners. Unpretentious plant In a short time, it will transform even the most neglected lawn into a soft green carpet that will evoke admiring reviews from your guests.
What does white clover look like (description, botanical characteristics)?
Creeping or white clover, translated as Trifolium repens, other names: Dutch clover, lungwort, gorishka, ridged periwinkle, gray potion, whitehead, white nuts, white woodpecker, white woodpecker, apple, white porridge, chrestiki, kashnik, field breadgrass, lungwort, white gingerbread, triplet, white kunjak, honey, honey cake, white honey cake, litki, white pulp.
This herbaceous plant belongs to the perennials. The stem is branched, long, with rooting shoots of a creeping type, its height varies from 20 to 50 centimeters. The leaves are trifoliate, finely serrated, their shape is obovate, in the middle you can see a light horseshoe-shaped spot; the ovoid stipules are membranous, they sharply turn into acute ones.
The flowers are in the form of spherical heads of white or pinkish color, they are located on long stalks. The calyx is naked, shorter than the corolla. The upper petal resembles a flag, the two side petals resemble wings, and the lower petals resemble a boat. The stamens grow together into two bundles, only one is free. The fruit is in the shape of a linear-oblong bean. Creeping clover blooms from May to early October; the plant is a honey plant.
This is white clover (photo)
Where does white clover grow?
Honey cake is found everywhere, it can be seen in meadows, it also grows in wastelands, as well as near human habitation, preferring to take root in moderately moist soil.
Part used
White clover's inflorescences and leaves along with stems are used, since this raw material contains the components necessary for treatment, these include: ascorbic acid, xanthine, trifoline and isotrifoline glycosides, adenine, fatty oil, esters, and hypoxanthine.
How to collect and prepare white clover?
Creeping clover grass is harvested at the time of flowering of the plant. First, it must be cut off, after which it is sorted out, discarding darkened and perhaps rotten stems and inflorescences. Then it is recommended to place the raw materials on a pallet, and lay them out loosely enough so that air masses can easily penetrate between the plants.
After which the container with the raw materials is taken to a ventilated place where there is good ventilation, and every day it is necessary to turn the raw materials over so that they do not become damp. Next, when the grass reaches the required dry condition, it is laid out in prepared cloth bags and stored.
The shelf life of harvested raw materials from white clover is one year, during which you can prepare medicinal drugs from this herb, after which it will lose its qualities and become unsuitable for further use.
What are the uses of the white clover plant?
Medicines prepared from creeping clover are used traditional healers. They have a general strengthening, antitoxic, analgesic, and tonic effect on the body. Infusion and tincture prepared from the flower heads of the plant are used for pulmonary tuberculosis, gout, colds, and some gynecological diseases, and they are also effective for poisoning.
The infusion is often recommended for women to take before and after childbirth, both for the prevention and treatment of certain inflammatory diseases of the uterus. In addition, the drug is used externally as a wound healing agent in the presence of abrasions and cuts, as a result of which the process of epithelization of damaged skin is accelerated.
Infusion recipe
To prepare an infusion from creeping clover, you will need 15 grams of flower heads of this representative of the flora; initially it is recommended to grind them in a mortar, after a homogeneous herbal mass is obtained, it is poured into a container, and then 200 milliliters of boiling water is poured into it.
Then the potion should stand under the lid for one hour in order to infuse better, during which time all the beneficial components of the plant can be released into the liquid. Next, you can filter the infusion, here you will need double gauze, cover the container with it and pour the contents into a clean container.
The herbal mass that has settled on gauze must be squeezed out, after which it can be thrown away. Next, the drug is ready for use; it should be taken 50 milliliters up to four times throughout the day, about 20 minutes before meals. Store the infusion in the refrigerator for no more than three days, as it will subsequently begin to deteriorate and will be useless for consumption.
Tincture recipe
To prepare the tincture, you will need 50 grams of creeping clover inflorescences; they need to be crushed in a ceramic mortar, after which they should be poured into a dark container, for example, a bottle. Next, add 500 milliliters of alcohol and take the container to a dark place to infuse.
After ten days, you should begin the filtering process, for this you can use double-folded gauze, the grass that has settled on it is squeezed out and thrown away, and the tincture is used for medicinal purposes, 15 milliliters twice a day, you can first dissolve the drug in a quarter glass of water.
A tincture based on white clover can be stored for quite a long time, and it can be left at room temperature, or put it in the refrigerator and take it out only as needed.
Conclusion
Before using white clover remedies, consult your doctor first.
