Clover to help struggling lawn?

[Sweetdreams98]

We have been struggling to get a nice lawn for years. Despite doing all the tips and tricks, we still big patches of dry (dead?) grass. I think it might be the soil. The only nice looking areas are the ones that have clover in it. I used to remove it by hand, but after reading online, clover might actually help a struggling lawn.
I am seriously considering buying clover seeds and mixing it with grass seeds. Am I mad? Will I regret it? Has anyone done it? Or any other suggestions for struggling lawn. Plenty of sunlight but high traffic, since the kids use the garden a lot.

My lawn is full of clover. I used to fight it but, since stopping all weed killers for the bees, it’s thriving. my lawn is actually now permanently green and has the added bonus of the bees loving the flowers.

That's encouraging! Thank you!

Have a look at microclover - I haven't tried it myself yet but plan to give it a go this year.

We went full-bore clover last year and it is fantastic.

Our lawn is quite shaded in areas and these parts always suffered in winter. We had relaid turf countless times - £££. Finally thought to hell with it. Bought a load of clover and chucked it down. The roots bind together really well. The green is beautiful. It is midwinter and the grass looks fab. We mow it before it flowers, so just get the springy grass growth. Total converts. Might add camomile this year!

We’re planning this - went in someone’s garden who had loads of clover in their lawn and it was so springy to walk on! We have one tiny bit of clover at the moment and the bees love it so we might leave a patch un-mowed when we do add more clover.

Does anyone know when is best to put the seeds down?

I'd avoid it but that's because we're barefoot in our garden a lot and I wouldn't want to step on a bee! 🐝 Kids would never notice when they're running around.
What about moss? We have loads and I've given up trying to take it out and reseed with grass.

I had a look at the micro clover @Turkeyhen mentioned and it sounds perfect as it doesn’t have as many flowers. We use our garden a lot barefoot too so bees might be an issue as the kids are a bit scared of them. @friskybivalves ’s suggestion to mown the lawn before the clover flowers is a great idea too!
Thank you all, we will give it a go and I will report back!! 🍀🍀🍀

@friskybivalves that's brilliant - any tips for sowing the clover? I'm thinking spring would be a good time to sow ☘️

I tried this last year. My back lawn is shady and destroyed by dog pee.
I used a mixture of grass seed and micro clover. I think I tried a bit too late in the year and it didn't really take but I'm convinced it's the only thing that will give me the resemblance of a lawn.
Once it warms up a bit I'll try again. I'm in Scotland so will be April time I think. Please update us and let us know how you get on!

I love clover in lawns and had big patches in our previous one with loads of flowers in summer and am doing my best to encourage it to spread in our current lawn. Sometimes I avoid mowing the patches. As a PP said, the flowers are a big draw for bees.

We used this stuff:

Micro Clover Seed for Lawn UK - 100% Small Leaf White Clover - Over Seeding or New Areas - 100 Gram Pack Covers 20m² amzn.eu/d/7DcWKaD

...and we used it first in May and then again in June. You want the ground to be warm enough and the sun out to germinate, plus rain to keep it wet (or water it in obvs). I am not a good gardener but it took so well! We are in the SE.

I haven't tried microclover, but definitely clover is a good choice when you've got a dog! We have a Newfie with the appropriately sized bladder and clover isn't bothered by her at all.

If you keep it relatively short you don't get too many flowers either. I love having food for the bees in the spring before anything else is out so we don't mow very often then.

Clover is lovely, doesn’t brown and feels really nice to sit on. Brilliant for insects too. Win, win 😃

You can just mow it so it doesn’t flower

Meant to say that we also have a dog...don't allow her to pee on the lawn as a matter of course but she does have the sneaky one from time to time so did used to get brown patches. None now.

@MereDintofPandiculation thanks- does it all flower at once or is it a few days/weeks of being on top of it with the lawn mower?

@friskybivalves thanks for the tip on time, and waiting for May. I would have gone too early. I am now super excited about trying and can't wait to see how it goes!

Well actually @Sweetdreams98 I was chatting to my DM's gardener (as you do...) and he said that microclover germinates at low temps - it is another of its advantages. Like as low as 10C. So you def want to wait until the overnight frosts are over and so on, but you could prob go earlier than May - maybe late March or early April if the nighttime temps are holding up Ok and the daytime ones are at least 10deg regularly, the seeds ought to sprout.