Clovers are good for a lot more than just good luck. These versatile little perennials are often planted as deer food plots to help maintain local animal populations, but they’re versatile for your average home as well.
These plants are a great low-maintenance alternative to grass in low traffic lawns, and they can even be used as a nitrogen-fixing groundcover for your flower beds.
Not to mention that clover is 100% edible. It’s a great addition to salads and soups, and can even be a great sautéed green vegetable!
Clover usually doesn’t need a ton of fertilizer to grow, since it’s a nitrogen fixing plant. However, giving your clover a little boost with fertilizer can help it grow faster, look healthier, and even produce more flowers. So, I’ve put together this list of the 5 best fertilizers for clover to help make sure your new clover plots are as healthy as possible.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- Why you should consider fertilizing clover
- Which kinds of fertilizer work best for clover
- And much more!
Below is a quick list of my favorite fertilizers for clover. Keep scrolling to learn more of my top tips to choose and use the best fertilizer for your clover plots.
| Image | Product | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
My Top Pick  | My Top Pick | Alaska Morbloom Concentrate 0-10-10
|
| View on Amazon |
Best High-End  | Best High-End | Bloom Booster, Incredible Bulk 0.1-10-25 Certified Vegan OMRI Listed Organic
|
| View on Amazon |
Runner Up  | Runner Up | Liquinox 0-10-10 Bloom
|
| View on Amazon |
 | Uncle Bill's 0-10-10 Fall Fertilizer
|
| View on Amazon | |
 | Dr. Joe Nutri Bubble Plant Food, Outdoor Fertilizer
|
| View on Amazon |
My Overall Top #1 Pick: Alaska Morbloom Concentrate 0-10-10
Alaska Morbloom’s nitrogen-free concentrate is a great option for clover patches of most kinds. Its balanced nutrient mix won’t over-saturate your soil with nitrogen, which allows the clover do its job naturally without risking nitrogen toxicity.
This mix is also a fantastic option if you want to encourage flowering of your clover, or any of the flowers and plants growing near your clover — for example check out my fertilizer recommendations for plumeria and peonies. This formula is specifically designed to help support fruiting and blooming growth.
It’s also a relatively green fertilizer option. This fertilizer is made from fish, which is typically a healthier and safer option than chicken manure and other fertilizer sources. Plus, since this is a concentrated fertilizer, a little goes a long way.
Read more >> How to make Liquid Fertilizer from Dry Fertilizer?
Top 5 Best Fertilizers For Clover
In a hurry? Check out our top 5 picks below! Keep reading to learn more about these wonderful fertilizers for your clover.
- Alaska Morbloom Concentrate 0-10-10 (My Top Pick)
- Bloom Booster, Incredible Bulk 0.1-10-25 Certified Vegan OMRI Listed Organic (Best High-End Pick)
- Liquinox 0-10-10 Bloom (Runner Up)
- Uncle Bill’s 0-10-10 Fall Fertilizer
- Dr. Joe Nutri Bubble Plant Food, Outdoor Fertilizer
Why Should You Invest In A High-Quality Fertilizer For Your Clover?
Since clover is a naturally nitrogen-fixing plant it can be a little trickier to find the right fertilizer. Nitrogen fixing plants produce some of their own fertilizer, and clover actually creates enough nitrogen to improve soil quality and help nearby plants as well.
But that means that if you add more nitrogen to the soil you’re risking adding too much and burning the roots of your plants.
Choosing a high quality fertilizer with little or no nitrogen is the best way to make sure your clover is getting the nutrients it needs without risking toxicity.
High quality fertilizers are also more likely to be pet and child safe, which is important if you’re fertilizing clover in your yard or garden.
Read More: >> What are the right Fertilizers for Ferns?
Even clover that’s being used as a pasture cover crop, or as a food plot for deer and other herbivores, can benefit from occasional fertilization. The clover will be healthier, which means it will grow faster and help protect the soil while also providing more food for the animals that eat it.
Want to learn more about clover? Especially clover lawns? Here’s a video about microclover lawns and their environmental and aesthetic benefits.
How to Pick the Best Fertilizer For Your Clover?
Composition
Typical fertilizers need a much higher nitrogen content than clover really needs or can tolerate. That’s because nitrogen is one of the big 3 nutrients that are considered most critical for plant growth, and most likely to be stripped from the soil after years of growing the same kinds of plants.
Since clover is naturally nitrogen fixing you should make sure you’re fertilizing with options that have very little nitrogen content. Ideally, clover wants a big three nutrient count around 0-10-10. Some people also see great results with more bare-bones formulas that are 0-0-10, but that’s typically for gardens that already have great soil.
Ideally your fertilizer should also be PH neutral. However, neutral acidity is much less important than low nitrogen content.
Read More >> Best Fertilizers for Blueberries
Micronutrients
Micronutrients are essentially any minerals or organic components in your fertilizer that aren’t one of the big three (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium). These nutrients are considered less important because they don’t have as much of an impact on plant’s ability to grow and thrive.
However, having soil that is well balanced with a good mix of these micronutrients does make your plants healthier and more pest resistant. If you want vibrant green clover or love looking at clover blooms, it’s important to make sure you have a good mix of micronutrients in your fertilizer.
Here’s a shot list of the nutrients you should look for in your fertilizer:
- Boron
- Copper
- Iron
- Zinc
I also like to look for magnesium in my fertilizers, though it’s not as common. You can also use coffee grounds as a source of magnesium in some cases, but I avoid mixing coffee grounds and clover since coffee grounds are very nitrogen-rich.
If you’re looking for a good source of magnesium for your clover, I recommend using Epsom salts. Here’s a guide to using Epsom salts as fertilizer. Just make sure you don’t use a scented or oiled salt mix!
Organic Versus Inorganic
When it comes to organic vs inorganic fertilizers, I tend to prefer organic complete fertilizer options. That means that I’m looking for a fertilizer that has the big 3, includes micronutrients, and is created from natural sources.
Contrary to popular belief, that doesn’t mean that the fertilizer isn’t made in a lab, just that all of the ingredients are refined from a natural source.
When it comes to clover though, I do think inorganic fertilizers have their place. Typically I’d recommend an inorganic fertilizer mostly for large plots of clover. It’s a good option for feed plots, very large lawns, and as a cover plant for fields allowed to go fallow.
But, when it comes to using clover in your yard or garden, I prefer organic fertilizers when possible. It can be difficult to find natural organic fertilizers that have low nitrogen counts though, so I will be recommending some fertilizers that are inorganic.
My Reviews of the Best Fertilizers For Clover
1. Alaska Morbloom Concentrate 0-10-10
Morbloom’s focus on promoting vegetative growth is exactly what perennial clover needs to survive and thrive. It’s an excellent choice for promoting healthy growth with a lot of leaves and fewer leggy stems.
This fertilizer is typically fairly easy to apply, and offers good absorption rates. That means that you’ll see the results of your fertilization sooner after applying the fertilizer.
I particularly love this fertilizer for mixed beds with both flowers and clover because it can help encourage blooming in both. This fertilizer can really help your clover show off and show what a beautiful groundcover clover can be.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + Easy to apply + Low nitrogen + A little goes a long way + Encourages blooming | – Less effective for mixed grass and clover lawns |
2. Bloom Booster, Incredible Bulk 0.1-10-25 Certified Vegan OMRI Listed Organic
This fertilizer is a little different from a lot of the other’s I’m recommending. That’s because this fertilizer does have a very small amount of nitrogen added in the mix.
At this dose, though, that nitrogen content isn’t a problem. It’s actually a good thing for mixed planting areas since the extra boost will help the plants around the clover.
This mix also has a much higher potassium ratio, which is perfect for growing thick, healthy patches of clover.
Overall I think that this fertilizer is an excellent choice for plain clover beds and clover lawns, clover and flower beds, and anywhere else you’re growing clover.
However, this mix is significantly more expensive per pound than most fertilizers. It’s a good choice, but will cost a little more than average.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + Well balanced for clover + Organic + Vegan + Highly concentrated formula | – Expensive per pound |
3. Liquinox 0-10-10 Bloom
This liquid fertilizer is the full package when it comes to the best fertilizers for clover. It’s well balanced, nitrogen free, concentrated and easy to apply. Best of all, this fertilizer is very reasonably priced for the quantity you receive.
The only thing I don’t like about this fertilizer is that it is a very acidic blend, which means that it will work best if your soil is slightly alkaline. Otherwise you may need to monitor your soil PH and occasionally treat your soil to maintain neutral conditions.
This fertilizer is also a great choice for clover planted around trees thanks to it’s deep soil penetration. Over time this fertilizer will dive deep into the ground, where tree roots can benefit along with the more shallow clover roots.
This fertilizer is great for making sure your soil stays healthy and contains everything your clover needs to thrive.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + Deep soaking formula + No nitrogen + Easy to apply + Great fertilizer for companion planting with trees and shrubs | – High acidity isn’t ideal for clover |
4. Uncle Bill’s 0-10-10 Fall Fertilizer
This liquid no-nitrogen fertilizer was originally designed to be a fall winterizing fertilizer that would support your grass without causing new growth.
However, that same formula is perfect for an all-year fertilizer for nitrogen fixing plants like clover.
It’s a fantastic liquid fertilizer for micro clover lawns, food plots, and decorative clover in your flower beds. It’s also a good option for combination planting since it will also help support the plants around your clover.
Highly soluble and made from fish, this is a fast-acting fertilizer that’s generally safe for pets and children.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + Helps build root strength + Liquid for easy spreading + Helps improve cold resistance + Affordable | – May need a little more of this fertilizer for good coverage |
5. Dr. Joe Nutri Bubble Plant Food, Outdoor Fertilizer
This fizzing fertilizer is a little different from typical formulas. Each tablet is designed to dissolve into a gallon of water to provide a high-nutrient liquid fertilizer. That makes it really easy to apply this fertilizer, and even easier to store it.
However, this formula is also a little different. It’s got a small amount of nitrogen, no phosphorous, and a high level of potassium. That’s a reasonable mix for clover, but may deliver mixed results depending on your soil condition.
Overall, while I think this fertilizer is a great option and provides a good nutrition boost for your clover, I suspect that you may need to supplement it with other fertilizers every so often.
| PROS (+) | CONS (-) |
| + Small packaging + High potassium content + Liquid fertilizer + Helps prevent disease and pests | – May need to be supplemented with a phosphorous-rich fertilizer |
My Top Pick: Alaska Morbloom Concentrate 0-10-10
Even though there are a lot of great options on this list, I think that Alaska Morbloom has the best balanced blend for the widest variety of clover planting. It’s great for lawns, good for flower beds with clover, and perfect for fallow fields and clover food plots.
That combination makes it the best balanced fertilizer for clover on my list, and one I’m proud to recommend.
Final Thoughts On The Best Fertilizers For Clover
Clover might be a difficult plant to fertilize, but it’s incredibly easy to grow. This plant is dear to my heart since it’s a great support plant for honeybee populations, and it’s also just beautiful on it’s own. Clover flowers are also tasty, and the whole plant is edible which makes it a good option for food gardens and anyone looking to grow more of their own food.
Clover is also easier on the soil and needs less water than grass, making it good lawn alternative as water and other resources become more precious. I highly recommend looking into clover as a greener and more environmentally friendly lawn alternative.
In the meantime, I hope you find a 4-leaf clover soon!