A healthy, green lawn can significantly improve your Beebe rental property’s curb appeal. But for single-family rental property owners, traditional lawn maintenance can often be a problem. If you depend on your tenants to maintain the lawn, you will get varied results. Many tenants have no background in lawn care or don’t want to put in the time and effort required.
Alternatively, you can tend to the lawn yourself or hire professional landscapers, both of which will cost you both time and money. If you want to be free of the struggle of lawn maintenance without getting rid of a green yard, you might want to consider planting clover. Here are some advantages of planting clover for single-family rental property owners.
Pros & Cons to Growing Clover
Unlike most lawn grasses, clover has many benefits that can help boost your rental’s landscaping and appearance. For one, clovers are plants that fix atmospheric nitrogen, which all plants need to grow. Hence, planting clover not only makes your lawn a vivid green, but it will also make nearby plants healthier.
With regular watering, clover usually stays greener longer than other grasses since they are drought-resistant. Clover, which is a natural weed and pest deterrent, also significantly reduces the need to spray for bugs or weeding the lawn. Finally, clover is very low maintenance. It only grows a few inches in height, meaning you don’t need to mow much at all.
Together with these benefits are a few disadvantages as well. Clover can stain clothing and is less resistant to trampling compared to other grasses. This could be a problem for yards that get a lot of use. Clover also doesn’t do very well in very dry climates, like those found in desert regions as they prefer soil that is kept somewhat moist. If you do choose to use clover, your best pick would be one that is native to your area.
How to Plant
Clover is easy to plant and grow in many parts of the country. If you have an existing grass lawn, you can rake the top layer of soil and then seed clover right over the lawn. As the clover grows alongside the grass, it also enriches the soil and makes the grass healthier. If you want to use clover as a groundcover instead, you’ll need to start with damp, cultivated soil.
Just like how you would prepare for a lawn or wildflower garden, you prepare the ground and then sow the clover seeds. Since clover grows quickly, you will soon enjoy your rich, green carpet of low-maintenance beauty.
Clover Types
Before planting clover in your rental property’s yard, it is best to pick the variety that best fits your soil and climate. Growing to a height of about 4 – 6 inches with pretty white flowers from time to time, the Dutch white clover is the most common clover used in lawns. This variety has gained popularity because of its resistance to drought. It also doesn’t grow too tall, but the flowers bother some people and must be mowed every few weeks.
Another even easier variety to maintain is the micro-clover. Micro-clovers are smaller than other clovers, with leaves half the size. It doesn’t bloom often and won’t grow above 4 inches high with occasional mowing. Micro-clovers are rapidly gaining popularity because they are low maintenance.
A micro-clover lawn only needs to be mowed once a month or so, compared to weekly with most grasses. It’s a good alternative for someone who wants to have easier lawn maintenance and improve their rental’s exterior appearance.
Would you like more ideas on how to reduce the maintenance of your rental property while maximizing curb appeal? Contact the local Beebe property management experts at 501-404-0674.
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