Gardening in Florida: How can I get rid of the pink clover growing in my yard? – TCPalm

Carol Cloud Bailey, Special to TCPalm Published 10:03 a.m. ET March 3, 2020 | Updated 1:57 p.m. ET March 9, 2020

Q: How can I get rid of the pink clover growing in my yard? The flowers are pretty enough when they are open, but they close in the afternoon and evening. The patch of clover seems to be getting bigger every year and taking over my lawn.

George

A:When the pink clover shows up in the lawn and landscape, the end of winter is here and spring not far behind. The plant most often seen growing in the lawn with three-part leaves and pink/purple flowers isnt a true clover but an Oxalis.

Pink wood sorrel is often found growing and blooming in Treasure Coast landscapes and lawns in the late winter and early spring. Is it a weed or a desirable flower? That determination is best made by the gardener.(Photo: CONTRIBUTED BY CAROL CLOUD BAILEY)

Oxalis plants are popular as novelties, they are often sold as shamrocks this time of year, and bedding plants for the landscape. There are approximately 30 of the 600 species of Oxalis used as ornamental plants in containers, gardens and landscapes. The leaf color varies from green to blue to silver or burgundy-purple and gold. The leaves and flowers of Oxalis fold up at night and reopen in the daylight. Flowers are small and may be white, pink, red, rose, purple, orange or yellow.

Oxalis debilis also known as pink wood sorrel is the most common plant which grows as a weedy cloverin lawns. It is not native to the U.S., but is indigenous to tropical America. It is well established here in Florida and the rest of the southeastern U.S. but is not considered an invasive plant by most authorities.

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In addition to being pretty, Oxalis can be a weed in turf grass and landscape beds. The plants spread by underground stems known as rhizomes and the seeds are often produced in large quantities. The seed pods help spread the plant around by splitting explosively and shooting the seeds all over the surrounding area.

Oxalis are more abundant in lawns during the cooler weather. It also tends to invade where there is space to grow such as in thinning turf.So, the best control in lawns is prevention by eliminating or reducing thinning turf.

Best lawn management practices for a thicker lawn include growing turf only in sunny areas, a minimum of 6-8 hours of sun, mow high, usually at 3.5 to 4 inches tall, use sharp mower blades, irrigate deeply and less often only when the turf needs it, keep up with fertility and use high quality fertilizer in combination with a soil test.

When turf begins rapidly growing with the return of warmer weather, it will sometimes crowd out Oxalis weeds, so control may not be necessary.However, it may be necessary to try other methods including hand-pulling or the spot application of herbicides to reduce the populations.

Once the weed numbers are reduced and maintenance practices corrected, if the turf is still thin and weeds tend to grow in that area, it is a good idea to plant something other than lawn grass. Granny Cloud was fond of planting only plants which thrive in a specific location, that way you dont have to work so hard, she said.

Carol Cloud Bailey is a landscape counselor and horticulturist. Send questions to carol@yard-doc.com or visit http://www.yard-doc.com for more information.

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Gardening in Florida: How can I get rid of the pink clover growing in my yard? - TCPalm