Should I keep the clover?

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quiltygirl No Central, AZ(Zone 7b) Jan 25, 2009

I have some clover growing between plants in one section of a planter that gets afternoon shade. I don't know if I should consider it a weed and yank it out, or is it beneficial for bees, etc? Will it choke plants or work as mulch? THanks for the help.

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dipsydoodle Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom Jan 26, 2009

Our gardens get swamped in clover; it is always there but it needs to have weed killer applied otherwise it takes over the grass.

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RosemaryA Toronto, ON(Zone 5b) Jan 26, 2009

I've read that clover actually improves the soil by taking nitrogen from the air and adding it to the soil. Now I only pull it out if it's crowding something more desirable.

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quiltygirl No Central, AZ(Zone 7b) Jan 26, 2009

dipsydoodle- AH, your mild climate must be what the clover likes. I'd love to have a field of clover. Grass is very difficult to grow here just with the hot, dry environment and when you add ground squirrels, rabbits and gophers your just feeding a zoo. I just have tiny patches amongst the plants on side of house with first shade of the day (11 AM). If I have to pull it, the goats will enjoy it!

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jan 26, 2009

I haven't had too many problems with clover taking over things here--I get a few of them here and there but they never seem to spread too much so if you like the look of it I don't think there's any harm in leaving it alone.

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RosemaryA Toronto, ON(Zone 5b) Jan 26, 2009

Here's an interesting article on the benefits of keeping clover in your lawn--some would apply to planters as well. http://www.lesslawn.com/articles/article1061.html

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quiltygirl No Central, AZ(Zone 7b) Jan 27, 2009

Thank You Rosemary. I thought I had read that about lawns somewhere, that it was beneficial. I just wasn't sure about perennials. I think it looks better than mulch!

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dipsydoodle Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom Jan 27, 2009

It definately looks way better than mulch. The grass here loves our "damp" climate quiltygirl, so does the clover. I used to spend ages looking through it all on the grass, on the field, in the park looking for a 4-leaf clover - I think I maybe found one once. Most had 3 or 5+ leaves :-(

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quiltygirl No Central, AZ(Zone 7b) Jan 28, 2009

Didn't even know 5 leaf clovers existed!

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dipsydoodle Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom Jan 29, 2009

5 and 6 leaf clovers do, they seem to be more common than 4 leaf ones but still quite rare.

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