- What the term indicator plants is all about
- The red clover as a pointer plant
- The right way to fight clover in the lawn
Sometimes the term "pointer plant" comes up in conversations about the clover in the garden. Knowledge of this topic is worthwhile because it can make some soil analyzes superfluous.
Clover grows in calcareous soil
What the term indicator plants is all about
One speaks of indicator plants for certain plant species that can only thrive in a location with a relatively specific quality of soil, light and water supply. There are therefore so-called indicator plants for the most diverse criteria of a location:
- low calcium
- lime richness
- nitrogen content
- humic soil
- lean soil
With white clover, for example, it is said that this can indicate a rather calcareous soil at its location. On the other hand, a growth of white clover says nothing about the nitrogen content, since this popular green manure can itself bind nitrogen from the air.
The red clover as a pointer plant
Sometimes the white clover is also perceived as an annoying troublemaker in a lawn area when it is not itself serving as a replacement for lawn. Most of the time, disturbing clover nests in the lawn are sorrel of the Oxalis genus, which is also clearly different in color, with its typically reddish leaves. This is considered a pointer plant for a rather lime-poor soil and also for shady locations. It often spreads successfully in a lawn area when the grass has already been significantly weakened by factors such as lack of nutrients or lack of light.
The right way to fight clover in the lawn
One way of combating red sorrel in the lawn is to sprinkle garden lime.(9.70€) But the most important thing is to drive out the clover with targeted lawn fertilization. You can also pull clover species such as red and white clover out of the ground with a scarifier. Be sure to fill the empty spaces with fresh, finely crumbly soil and germinable grass seed. So that clover does not spread too much in the lawn or bed in the first place, individual specimens should be localized early on and dug out deeply.
tips
It is often not only deficiencies in the soil that are the reason for an increase in clover stocks in the lawn. Perhaps the grass in your garden has been weakened by the lawn mower cutting too low. In this case, let the lawn grow a little higher, as the clover can also cope well with low growth heights.