Are there any legumes or clovers that I could incorporate into a low
maintenance yard? I have purchased a couple of short, relatively slow
growing fescue varieties, but a legume would add some nitrogen
naturally. I was thinking about white dutch clover, but then I seemed
to recall seeing some really short yellow flowers in a yard that
appeared to be a clover, vetch or something in the legume family. It
was only about half the height of dutch clover, but I can't seem to find
any seed. (probably because I don't know the name to search for)

Thanks!

In article ,
Ohioguy wrote:

Are there any legumes or clovers that I could incorporate into a low
maintenance yard? I have purchased a couple of short, relatively slow
growing fescue varieties, but a legume would add some nitrogen
naturally. I was thinking about white dutch clover, but then I seemed
to recall seeing some really short yellow flowers in a yard that
appeared to be a clover, vetch or something in the legume family. It
was only about half the height of dutch clover, but I can't seem to find
any seed. (probably because I don't know the name to search for)


Possibly small hop clover? That's an annual, where DWC is a perennial.

DWC is the usual small clover for lawns.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by
Please don't feed the trolls. Killfile and ignore them so they will go away.

Ohioguy writes:

Are there any legumes or clovers that I could incorporate into a low
maintenance yard? I have purchased a couple of short, relatively slow
growing fescue varieties, but a legume would add some nitrogen
naturally. I was thinking about white dutch clover, but then I seemed
to recall seeing some really short yellow flowers in a yard that
appeared to be a clover, vetch or something in the legume family. It
was only about half the height of dutch clover, but I can't seem to
find any seed. (probably because I don't know the name to search for)

Most people don't want clover in their lawns because of appearance.

If the lawn has sufficient nitrogen it will get thick enough
to crowd out the clover.

--
Dan Espen

On 4/9/12 5:46 PM, Ohioguy wrote:
Are there any legumes or clovers that I could incorporate into a low
maintenance yard? I have purchased a couple of short, relatively slow
growing fescue varieties, but a legume would add some nitrogen
naturally. I was thinking about white dutch clover, but then I seemed
to recall seeing some really short yellow flowers in a yard that
appeared to be a clover, vetch or something in the legume family. It
was only about half the height of dutch clover, but I can't seem to find
any seed. (probably because I don't know the name to search for)

Thanks!

Oxalis corniculata (yellow wood sorrel) looks very much like clover and
has a yellow flower. However, this is an awful weed.

Medicago polymorpha (yellow burr clover) also has yellow flowers. It is
a weed not quite as bad as oxalis. Its seeds, however, stick very
tightly to your pants legs, socks, and pets.

Thus, when you plant clover, make sure you plant one that will not
become a problem.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

Ohioguy wrote:
Are there any legumes or clovers that I could incorporate into a low
maintenance yard? I have purchased a couple of short, relatively slow
growing fescue varieties, but a legume would add some nitrogen
naturally. I was thinking about white dutch clover, but then I seemed
to recall seeing some really short yellow flowers in a yard that
appeared to be a clover, vetch or something in the legume family. It
was only about half the height of dutch clover, but I can't seem to find
any seed. (probably because I don't know the name to search for)

a slow growing fescue will likely be crowded
out by almost any clover or other cover i can
think of.

yard in the city or yard in the country? in
the city rules about how long it can get are often
in play. in the country you can plant what you
want and manage it more appropriately.

you might have seen a variety of birdsfoot
trefoil, which doesn't naturally stay low
but repeated mowing keeps it short. avoid
the viking variety (it was developed to be
taller). sometime i should get a picture of
this one area in the city that is mowed once
in a while, but is otherwise full of trefoil --
in bloom it is great looking. not the same as
low maint, but i'd rather look at that area
than most yards of grasses and nothing else.


songbird

Most people don't want clover in their lawns because of appearance.
Evidently that is the case - I got a laugh when I went to the Scott's
website and saw a picture of Dutch White Clover, and a description of it
as an annoying weed, and that you should fertilizer your yard more
(probably with Scott's fertilizer, right? :-) and it will eventually go
away.

I actually planted my last lawn about 50% to dutch white clover,
because I like the stuff, it doesn't seem to grow as fast, and it never
needed fertilized or watered. I like the flowers from dandelions as
well, but I'll admit that they can take over.

I grew up on a farm where the yard was always about 50% native
plants, including various wildflowers left over from when it was more
wooded. There was no way I was going to put down herbicides and kill
off all of those violets, spring beauties, or deertongue (glacier
lilies), for example.

While the lawn may not look like a golf course, I think the diversity
of plants makes it more resistant to various problems.

If the lawn has sufficient nitrogen it will get thick enough
to crowd out the clover.

I would prefer for the clover to fix the nitrogen naturally, and then
provide a little extra to the grasses. I'm going for low maintenance,
low cost, and low environmental impact. If I could eat grass, I could
justify spending more time and money on the lawn. However, I would much
rather spend the time and money on my fruit trees and other things that
I can eat. That is probably my farm background talking, because I'd
also rather let a couple of sheep loose in the yard, rather than mowing.
(which would also give us free fertilizer at the same time) Can't get
away with that around here, though.

On Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:48:00 -0700, Billy
wrote:

In article ,
Ohioguy wrote:

Are there any legumes or clovers that I could incorporate into a low
maintenance yard? I have purchased a couple of short, relatively slow
growing fescue varieties, but a legume would add some nitrogen
naturally. I was thinking about white dutch clover, but then I seemed
to recall seeing some really short yellow flowers in a yard that
appeared to be a clover, vetch or something in the legume family. It
was only about half the height of dutch clover, but I can't seem to find
any seed. (probably because I don't know the name to search for)

Thanks!

Sweet Clover, Yellow Similar to white variety but does better under
dry conditions.

Yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis), which I love, doesn't
seem like it would be a good lawn plant. it's often used in hay. I
guess maybe if you mowed it regularly the flowers might bloom low.
don't know.

or

Dandelions.

Ohioguy wrote:
Most people don't want clover in their lawns because of appearance.
Evidently that is the case - I got a laugh when I went to the
Scott's website and saw a picture of Dutch White Clover, and a
description of it as an annoying weed, and that you should fertilizer
your yard more (probably with Scott's fertilizer, right? :-) and it
will eventually go away.

I actually planted my last lawn about 50% to dutch white clover,
because I like the stuff, it doesn't seem to grow as fast, and it
never needed fertilized or watered. I like the flowers from
dandelions as well, but I'll admit that they can take over.


I like the clover in my pasture becasue the stock love it and it is
nutritious. I like the clover in my lawn because it looks great in spring.
Why would you want to destroy this:

http://s1086.photobucket.com/albums/...Spring%202011/

This idea that a lawn with clover is somehow inferior is nonsense.


I grew up on a farm where the yard was always about 50% native
plants, including various wildflowers left over from when it was more
wooded. There was no way I was going to put down herbicides and kill
off all of those violets, spring beauties, or deertongue (glacier
lilies), for example.

While the lawn may not look like a golf course, I think the
diversity of plants makes it more resistant to various problems.


This is a point that many people do not understand. I love the fact that I
have 4 or 5 kinds of grass, plus clover plus several other "weeds". This
means that I have ground cover under a wide variety of conditions not just
when it suits the monoculture.


If the lawn has sufficient nitrogen it will get thick enough
to crowd out the clover.

I would prefer for the clover to fix the nitrogen naturally, and
then provide a little extra to the grasses. I'm going for low
maintenance, low cost, and low environmental impact. If I could eat
grass, I could justify spending more time and money on the lawn. However,
I would much rather spend the time and money on my fruit
trees and other things that I can eat. That is probably my farm
background talking, because I'd also rather let a couple of sheep
loose in the yard, rather than mowing. (which would also give us free
fertilizer at the same time) Can't get away with that around here,
though.

A much more balanced approach. If you can't have sheep how about geese?

David

The commercial lawn product companies hate clover because it is low maintenance and requires little or none of their products. White Dutch Clover works great here. Sprouts fast, fills in nicely and is low maintenance. Grows only about
4 inches tall.
If you don't like the white blossoms, well you've just been brainwashed by the green grass, high maintenance, weed and feed folks.
Cheers