the applied nutrients. From a public policy viewpoint, this is where government regulators often get concerned about the issues associated with non-point nutrient enrichment of streams, lakes, rivers, etc. In a worst-case scenario, excessive nutrients entering water may result in massive algae blooms and, in turn, severe oxygen depletion where fish and other aquatic life may die.


So now that the stage is set, let’s roll up our sleeves and get down to the root of the research and learn more about lawn dicultures and “Self-Feeding Lawns.” In early American lawns, mixtures of grasses and legumes were not uncommon. Troughout a large part of the United States, a mixture of several grass species was combined with various legumes, like the clover species, and planted for lawn/park areas. Eventually, this practice fell out of favor, as the public became increasingly focused on dark-green, weed-free monocultures since this demonstrated a higher level of status and social class.


Tis idea of the ideal lawn persisted for many decades, but then issues related to new ways to approach lawn nutrient management and strategies to help maintain pollinator habitat became increasingly discussed. Further, the public seems more willing to accept “some” mixed stands of lawn grasses and various broadleaf weeds like clover, assuming that the stand is relatively uniform (Figure 1).


Figure 1. A relatively uniform and persistent mixed stand of turfgrass-white clover.


So, as what often happens, “what is old is new again” and the concept of exploring the modern feasibility of grass-clover dicultures/polystands was reborn. A few questions remained. Firstly, what kind of clover should one use? Secondly, if we fertilize the lawn with nitrogen, how will that affect stand persistence?


As with all things in the turfgrass industry, over the decades, there have been advancements in breeding. In white clover, this has meant that improved cultivars like ‘Microclover’ with a more compact growth habit and smaller leaves are available (Figure 2).


Figure 2. An overview of various leaf sizes of white clover, ranging from ‘Microclover’ to traditional pasture types. TPI Turf News September/October 2025 57


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