Gardening Ireland

Planting White Clover for Lawn – Yay or Nay? Will planting Clover kill our Orchids?


Since we moved to our property, we've not mowed the lawn during the spring/summer (except to make paths). What started as a few surprising orchids during the first year turned into a couple dozen the next. They only grow in the front part of the lawn. We believe this is because the back was separated by a fence behind which the previous owners let "grow wild" and was where they dumped/burned their trash

We figure the extra nutrients in the soil prevented the orchids from growing, or allowed the grasses to out compete them there. In the front, their competition are the rushes

Recently we've had major work done in the back. The dividing fence has been removed and most of the back has become exposed dirt/clay. I want to sow something now so that some roots will hold in the loose soil before winter hits. I'm considering sowing miniature white clover as it seems like a great choice for the insects

  1. Is going with white clover really a good idea?

  2. Should there be any concern of the clover overtaking in the front, or increasing the N enough to stop the orchids growing near the boundary where the front/back meet?

  3. The orchids main competition in the front lawns are the rushes, which are getting out of control. Will overseeding the front with clover help this at all? Will overseeding affect the orchids?

https://preview.redd.it/5t9o2wrti2od1.jpg?width=831&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d363e2a544265607a5a4e6f26378b3be85027d36

by Intelligent__Storage

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