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Clover as a weed killer on an allotment

I've recently acquired an allotment with lots of weeds, random areas of compost, trees and dead stumps. It's not practical to lay a sheet of plastic or weed suppressant down.  In order to get the weeds under control I was considering sowing clover (red or white) to suppress weeds and then when I'm ready to work that soil I can work that patch of soil by getting rid of the clover. I'm not sure if adding the clover is going to cause another problem in the long run by adding another weed and if it will compete with the things I want to plant. The benefit of clover is that it is good for the soil in the long run too. I'd like to do the no dig method with cardboard to keep the nutrients in the soil and for ease to get started. Will the clover fight with the things I want to plant? Will they be hard to dig up and get rid of versus the other range of weeds available? Would the clover be a good living mulch on the beds I dig to suppress the weeds that will come up with the no dig method ?

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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It won't stop other weeds seeding in. By the time it germinates and grows, you'd have other stuff seeding in anyway. I keep some white clover in various places for bees etc.

    It's easy enough to pull out later f you want other plants instead though.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Thanks for your reply. Interestingly it's marketed to suppress other weeds. Some people say it's easy to get rid of others say it's hard. I just don't know what the right my answer is!
  • If you planted the clover on bare ground it would grow fairly fast and be competition for the usual weeds but from what I have seen in the garden it does not stop them growing completely. If the weeds are already established then they will make it difficult for the clover to grow well. I like having clover in the garden but I don't regard it as a very effective ground cover plant because of weeds regularly growing through it and removing these is more difficult if I am trying to avoid damaging the clover.
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