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Planting a Bee Lawn #738103

Asked March 08, 2021, 2:28 PM EST

I want to wish to attract bees by creating a "bee lawn" by planting a mix of grass seed and Dutch White Clover. The area was covered with cardboard and mulch last spring so I will be uncovering it and planting soon. Can you let me know what type of grass seed would be best and what would be a good ratio of grass seed to clover seed? In an adjacent area I have planted No Mow seed with success. But I'm wondering if its root system might crowd out the cover. Thanks for any help you can provide! Nancy Erickson

Washtenaw County Michigan

Expert Response

I would recommend that you take advantage of the expertise of the staff at your local lawn and garden stores when it comes to picking grass varieties that will do well in the site. There are a number of considerations that will determine the relative success of the turfgrass vs. the clover in your new lawn. Generally, you shouldn't need to worry too much about the clover, although it will be more competitive in shady areas and where moisture is consistent. If your lawn is full sun and unirrigated, the clover will likely need to be re-seeded annually. Read this article from MSU Extension for some more info: https://pollinators.msu.edu/resources/pollinator-planting/pollinator-lawns/

Also, this is a nice article from the University of Maryland Extension that considers the pros and cons of using micro-clover varieties in a bee-friendly lawn: https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/lawns-and-microclover

An Ask Extension Expert Replied March 09, 2021, 11:43 AM EST
A couple more questions:
1) No Mow grass in this area is doing well.  We use it there to control erosion, etc. as it's a riparian area.  Do you think it's okay to use that on the bee lawn?  In other words, you don't believe it would crowd out the white dutch clover we will plant?

2) What ratio of grass seed to dutch white clover seed would you recommend when we plant in this riparian area?  I have not found any reference to that in any articles on bee lawns.  

Thanks for your help!

On Tue, Mar 9, 2021 at 11:43 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
The Question Asker Replied March 09, 2021, 4:43 PM EST

Yes, the reason that there are no ratios given is because of the difficulty to predict how well the two (turfgrass and clover) will establish and persist together. It sounds like the no mow is thriving in that site, so I would recommend using less grass seed and go heavier on the clover. With time, the two will work out a stable equilibrium. 

An Ask Extension Expert Replied March 12, 2021, 2:39 PM EST

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