How to Grow a Microclover Lawn

You work tirelessly on your lawn for months on end, mowing and pruning and weeding so that everything looks perfect. But all it takes is one stroke of bad weather—either too much exposure to heat or cold or too much or too little precipitation for just long enough—to take your lawn out in one fell swoop.

What do you do to restore your yard’s beauty? Why not try a microclover lawn? We’ll break down the benefits of using microclover seeds as a key component of your landscape lawn care plan, so you’ll have the info you need to grow your own lush lawn. 

What is Microclover?

Microclover is a type of clover plant that has deep roots, small white flowers (when blooming), and broad, heart-shaped green leaves that typically blossom in sets of three or four. (Fun fact: The four-leafed clover is the rarer of the clover plant, found in about one in 10,000 clovers, and is known in Irish culture to bring good luck and fortune.) 

Several varieties of clover may be used as lawn alternatives to grass, but two of the most common are Dutch white clover and microclover. Microclover is a smaller varietal of white clover. It has tinier leaves and fewer flowers than the Dutch white clover plant, although its flowers are still white. 

Why is Clover a Good Option for Lawns?

Clover used to have a bad reputation as a pesky lawn weed, but it’s now known as a healthy source of ground cover. It grows in temperate or subtropical climates, making it a good option for many North American lawns. A clover lawn is either made up entirely of clover or uses a combination of clover and turf grass as ground cover.

Because microclover seeds are known to be a bit sturdier than white clover, they are regularly used to enrich lawn growth. This durability also means microclover is low-maintenance. (And pollinators love it!) It’s helpful to know how to grow and care for microclover lawns before determining whether the supplement is right for your lawn.

What’s the Difference Between Microclover Grass and Traditional Grass?

Lawn grass is a low, green, woody plant that covers the ground. It grows from a seed and contains a root, crown (where the leaves sprout from), and leaf. About 70% of the plant is made up of water, with carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorous also present. Common grass varietals used in the United States include St. Augustine, ryegrass, fescue, zoysia, and Kentucky bluegrass. 

Microclover seeds also serve as ground cover—very similar to traditional lawn grass in that regard. But microclover grass isn’t grass; it’s a legume, which means that it captures nitrogen in the atmosphere and releases it to nearby plants. Microclover seed can be mixed with varietals of lawn grass, helping you to get and maintain a green lawn. (You can even purchase microclover seed mixed with turf seed for a truly hybrid approach!)

9 Benefits of Using Microclover Seeds to Create a Microclover Lawn

Grass is incredibly durable but also can be easily neglected. While grass is organic and can care for itself after hardship or abuse, you can join the microclover lawn trend to supplement your lawn’s growth. Here are nine benefits of growing microclover seeds into a thriving lawn: 

1. It doesn’t require a lot of water
2. It doesn’t require much mowing
3. It’s good for your soil
4. It’s weather-resistant
5. It helps control erosion and compaction
6. It attracts pollinators and protects your yard from pests
7. It’s (somewhat) pet-friendly
8. It’s eco-friendly
9. It’s budget-friendly 

1. Microclover Grass Doesn’t Require a Lot of Water

Due to the deep roots, microclover lawns rarely need to be watered. They can also endure a variety of light conditions, from full sun to partial shade. Water microclover seeds regularly when you’re initially planting them. However, after a microclover lawn has been established, you only have to water it sporadically throughout the season for it to stay green, as opposed to grass lawns, which need to be consistently watered. 

2. Microclover Grass Doesn’t Require Much Mowing

Microclover grass is about as low-maintenance as it gets when it comes to both watering and mowing. Most lawns that contain microclover seeds only grow up to eight inches of ground cover, which requires little maintenance. Some homeowners prefer to mow their microclover lawns once at about midsummer to deadhead old blooms, but this is not required. In fact, there are additional benefits to not mowing your microclover lawn at all!

3. Microclover Grass Is Good for Your Soil’s Health

Your soil’s pH is the secret to your plant’s success, and it’s no different with a microclover lawn. Microclover needs soil with a balanced pH—approximately 6.0 to 7.8—to grow and flourish. However, that soil doesn’t have to be highly fertile for microclover seeds to spread vigorously, thanks to the deep roots that take hold.

A microclover lawn is beneficial to soil health for another reason—as a legume, microclover naturally releases nitrogen into the dirt. That means if you choose to use a fertilizer on your microclover lawn, it should be one that contains a lower concentration of nitrogen—like a 5-10-10 fertilizer. But think of it another way—if you’re feeding your lawn fertilizer to supplement the nutrients it needs, then having a microclover lawn is like giving it a natural, nutritious meal from the get-go. 

4. Microclover Grass is Weather-Resistant

Microclover seeds bloom in the winter, making them durable to cold temperatures. But weirdly enough, they’re also durable to heat. In fact, microclover seeds flourish best in the full sun, regardless of the time of year. They stay green all year long, making them a good patchwork grass option for fall and winter lawn care.

5. Microclover Grass Helps Control Erosion and Compaction 

Because microclover seeds sow deep roots, a microclover lawn can keep soil (and its nutrients) settled during weather challenges like heavy rains. This prevents erosion from occurring. 

But let’s start at the source of erosion—compaction. A microclover lawn’s roots prevent soil compaction because they’re natural soil aerators. When soil gets compacted, it leads to run-off and erosion. It’s a catch-22 cycle of no return that’s prevented by using microclover seeds.

6. Microclover Grass Attracts Pollinators and Protects Your Yard from Pests

A microclover lawn’s white flowers attract pollinators like honeybees and butterflies. Pollinators are so important. They are good for your lawn and surrounding garden, for honey production, and for other species within your lawn ecosystem that benefit from having them around. 

Better yet, a microclover lawn will protect your yard from other pests as well. A natural pest control service working hard in your lawn day and night? Don’t wait to thank us. 

7. Microclover Grass is a (Somewhat) Pet-Friendly Option

Pets can frolic and trod on this durable grass substitute, as it holds up just fine to the stress of being trampled by dogs. A slight downside to a microclover lawn, however, is that pet urine can leave yellow spots on your microclover blooms, leaving the lawn discolored. 

8. Microclover Grass is an Eco-Friendly Option

When you use microclover seeds to up your lawn game, you’re likely eliminating the need for much, if any, fertilizer in your seasonal lawn care routine. (Again, if a fertilizer is needed, choose one that’s lower in nitrogen and higher in phosphorous and potassium.)

Not only are you likely to need less fertilizer on your microclover lawn, but since microclover seeds help tamp down other weeds as well, you’ll also have less need for herbicides. That’s less synthetic material introduced into your lawn, and given the way pollinators love microclover grass, it’s great for biodiversity as well.

9. Microclover Grass is a Budget-Friendly Option

Watering less? Mowing less? Using fewer lawn products like fertilizers and herbicides? Those sound like cost-cutting measures to us and big plusses for the microclover lawn column. Not only that, but buying microclover seed to weave into your lawn typically costs less than buying sod patches. This is a win-win, no matter how you look at it. 

How to Plant Microclover Seeds 

Microclover lawns are known and beloved for a low-maintenance approach to lawn care. Here are the steps you need to take to plant your microclover grass: 

• Till or de-thatch the soil: Break down the soil 4 to 6 inches to help the microclover seeds have a place to take root. You’ll want the sand to be loose—capable of filtering through with a rake or other garden tools.
• Test your soil: This is a crucial step that might seem easy to overlook, but you shouldn’t. While microclover grass is low-maintenance, your soil’s nutrition is an important component of its success. A complete soil test will give you information about the soil’s pH, microbial activity, organic matter, and nutrient deficiencies. (Luckily, we also offer a soil test interpretation to ensure you understand the results.)
• Adjust your soil’s pH with organic supplements or mineral amendments if needed: Microclover grass prefers a pH range of 6 to 7, and naturally (no pun intended), we’ve got products to help with that. Microbe Life Hydroponics pH Down will help you lower the alkalinity of your soil if the pH is too high. Likewise, Microbe Life Hydroponics pH Up will help raise the acidity in soil to a more neutral level. Other mineral amendments, like dolomite lime, can also be worked into the soil to combat extremely low (acidic) soil pH.
• Level out the surface with a rake: Make sure any mineral amendments you apply are mixed in thoroughly and that your ground is level before you plant microclover seeds.
• Spread your microclover seeds: Lightly sprinkle the microclover seeds around the yard—they do not have to be planted as densely as lawn grass seeds do. Spread them with a rake to mix them with the soil.
• Water the soil: Keep the soil moist for approximately 14 days until the microclover seeds germinate. Use a sprinkler or a gentle shower setting on a water hose to keep the soil moist daily. Water whenever there isn’t adequate rainfall until the microclover lawn starts to take root.
• Plant more microclover seeds, if needed: If there are any gaps in your microclover lawn after 14 days, spread additional microclover seeds to cover the bare spots. Repeat the planting and watering steps to establish the new growth.
• Once established, water as needed: Water your microclover lawn when you’re watering the rest of your lawn grass or when it shows signs of distress. Microclover grass tolerates heat and drought better than lawn grass does, but it does occasionally need a drink of water all the same. 

How Do I Maintain Microclover Grass?

The great news is that, especially for those without a green thumb or those who live in temperamental weather climates, microclover grass is incredibly easy to maintain. For one, it does not need much, if any, fertilizer because it’s already a natural nitrogen-producing plant. Also, be careful when applying broadleaf herbicides because they can easily kill microclover grass.

While you do need to occasionally mow microclover grass to help it form (and blend into other lawn grass if you’re working on a hybrid lawn), it does not need to be mowed as often as other lawn grasses do. Once a microclover lawn is established, mow it monthly, on average, and keep it watered when needed. 

What are the Challenges of Growing a Microclover Lawn?

Microclover grass can be a great addition to a lawn struggling with bare spots due to extreme weather. However, there are some challenges to planting or maintaining microclover grass to consider before purchasing: 

• Cost: Microclover seed is more expensive, on average, than other clover or grass seeds. However, this may be a neutral point, as the cost of maintaining microclover grass is, on average, cheaper than maintaining other lawn types.
• Foot traffic: Microclover grass may not tolerate foot traffic or trampling as easily as other types of lawn grass.
• Shade: Microclover grass thrives in partial to total sunlight and will struggle to grow in a full-shade environment. 

Overall, a microclover lawn is an excellent solution for revitalizing part or all of your yard. Use these tips to restore your lawn to its former glory and create new outdoor memories for years to come!