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How to Kill Clover With 20 Mule Team Borax

Meg Butler

An all-natural laundry detergent, 20 Mule Team Borax has been on the market for over 100 years. In that time, many more home and garden uses have been found for boron, the detergent's main ingredient. One of the most popular uses for this product, aside from washing clothes, is lawn weed control.

Kill white clover with Borax

The boric acid in Borax kills creeping lawn weeds like ground ivy and white clover by giving them an overdose of boron, a mineral they need to grow.

  1. Mix 3.5 cups of 20 Mule Team Borax into 1 gallon of water.

  2. Fill a spray bottle with the solution.

  3. Spray the clover until all of its foliage is well-coated and the solution drips off the clover.

  4. Pull up the clover once it turns brown and dies, which generally happens in 7 to 10 days.

  5. Re-spray any clover that does not die in 2 weeks.

Tip

Do not exceed the dosage of 20 Mule Team Borax, or you can kill your lawn as well as the weed. Some soil types absorb boron, so 20 Mule Team Borax doesn't kill white clover effectively in all lawns. Certain soil types absorb the boric acid before it can effect the clover. If you see no change in any of the treated clover in 10 days, you must look for a new control method.