Re: [compost_tea] re clover in lawns.

From: Ted Peterson <ted.peterson_at_tcsn.net>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 12:08:11 -0700

Clovers appear when grasses are stressed. They are considered broadleaves.=
 The problem with these in lawns is that they restrict the lawn growth beca=
use they are nutrient hogs. Yes they are green and can fill in bare spots =
but healthy lawns will have minimal clovers.

Now, there is a type of clover lawn that is popular in So. Cal. In this la=
wn, you want to minimize blade grasses. Most lawns are blade type grasses =
like fescues and ryes and in these lawns, broadleaves are generally conside=
red a problem.

When you get a healthy soil biology for your lawn, the root mass increases =
and the lawn more effectively uses existing nutrients in the soil and also =
sends out messengers to the bacteria that produce the byproducts that the b=
lade lawns like. These lawns outcompete the broadleaves and use up soil sp=
ace where the broadleaf root mass would normally grow.

Read the report I posted for a detail of how compost tea was used to increa=
se root mass and reduce the incidence of broadleaf intrusion.

As a side note, blade lawns, as far as I can tell from my research, do not =
like it highly fungal. They are bacterial dominant grasses. So you want a=
 tea brewed shorter with younger compost and little humic acids.

Ted Peterson
EW/SOE
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Robert Norsen
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Monday, August 30, 2004 10:19 PM
  Subject: Re: [compost_tea] re clover in lawns.


  Are you missing the wonderful value of cloer in lawns, gardens and fields=
? Helps keep the lawn green in the worse dry weather. Helps keep the law=
n healthy. Why is grass the only thing of beauty in a lawn.?

  Jeff Lowenfels <jeff_at_gardener.com> wrote:
    Hi Doc (and others),

    Has any one you know tried using compost tea to control clover in
    lawns? My theory is that since clover is a nitrogen fixer and nitrogen=
 
    fixing bacteria require alkaline soils, that good strong fungal teas
    would lower the pH enough to make the fixers and thus the clover,
    disappear. What am I missing?

    Cheers,

    Jeff L


    Plant a Row in your garden to feed the hungry. Join Plant A Row for the=
 
    Hungry. Ask me how. www.gwaa.org/Par/index.html





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Received on Tue Aug 31 2004 - 15:39:48 EDT

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