How to Kill Clover
How to remove clover from your lawn with selective herbicide, manual removal, or cultural practices that favor grass over clover.
Small patches in an otherwise healthy lawn can be crowded out by increasing nitrogen fertilization and raising mowing height. Clover makes its own nitrogen, so it thrives in low-fertility soil. Give the grass a nitrogen advantage and it will outcompete the clover. For large clover infestations, herbicide is more practical.
Products containing triclopyr, 2,4-D, or dicamba kill clover without harming most cool-season grasses. Triclopyr is the most effective single active ingredient for clover. Apply when clover is actively growing (spring or fall) on a calm day between 60 and 80 degrees.
For scattered patches, spot spray individual clover clusters. For lawns with clover throughout, a broadcast application with a hose-end sprayer covers more ground. Avoid spraying during summer heat stress or drought because herbicide uptake is reduced.
After the clover dies, the bare areas need grass to fill in. Apply nitrogen fertilizer and overseed in fall. Without filling these gaps, new clover (or other weeds) will recolonize the open soil.
