How To Kill Dandelions In Your Lawn

Boiling Water And Vinegar

Mix some boiling water and vinegar together and pour it all over the dandelions in question.

Then, remove the plant with a weeding knife or spade and fill the hole up with the solution to prevent any growing back.

This is a very effective solution, but it will destroy any nearby plants and leave the area barren for a while.

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Spray Only When Needed

These herbicides are poisonous. Use them only when necessary, and then only when most effective.

Herbicides are most effective when used in fall . The key to killing weeds is to get the herbicide down into the roots.

In fall, weeds naturally channel their nutrients down into their roots in preparation for winter. If sprayed in fall, the weeds will naturally send the herbicide, along with their nutrients, down into the roots.

Herbicides sprayed in spring will not be as readily transported through a weeds root system. Repeated applications may be required.

Best Dandelion Killers The Heavy Hitters

Many of the chemicals that have been used in herbicides in the past have been banned in recent years.

That hasnt stopped the industrys biggest names from making adjustments and producing new products that comply with the stricter guidelines.

There are many different environmentally friendly herbicides to choose from that are designed to kill dandelions.

In the interest of making this guide as complete as possible, we decided to review five of the best choices on the market today.

All of the products we include in this guide are good dandelion killers and in most cases, the choice comes down to brand loyalty and price.

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Homemade All Natural Dandelion Weed Killer

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• Does Roundup Pro Kill Dandelions?

Although their yellow flowers can be used to make wine and the leaves are a tasty addition to salads, few people want to encourage dandelions to grow in their garden. Unlike shallow-rooted weeds, the deep taproots of dandelions make them difficult to pull out. Store-bought herbicides do kill dandelions, but the chemicals are harmful to waterways, people, pets and wildlife. For a healthier way of ridding your yard of dandelions, concoct your own herbicide with a handful of common household ingredients.

Make Further Incisions If Necessary

If there is still too much tension on the taproot for the plant to slide out of the soil, make further incisions around the root. Then, continue to tug gently at the leaves until it comes free.

The Spruce / Steven Merkel

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How To Kill Weeds And Dandelions In Your Lawn

Before you learn how to kill dandelions, you should know that theyre not entirely unwanted. Certain weeds like dandelions are a beneficial food source for domestic and wild species of bees, primarily because they bloom so early in the spring. However, these blooms dont belong on your lawn. Theyre not as noxious as other weeds, but they do have a tendency of taking over space and resources other plants need.

Weeds and dandelions germinate quickly, and they spread faster than other plants. Every year, the lush, velvety lawns of homeowners across the U.S. develop these yellow flower heads. Despite the culinary or pollination benefits of some weeds and dandelion, homeowners know that they must stop these prolific seed producers before they choke out other crops.

Treat The Entire Lawn With An Herbicide

You know I prefer more natural methods of maintaining lawns, but there are times when it makes sense to use an herbicide on the entire lawn. I decided to use an herbicide when my new lawn was overrun by weeds, which, much to my surprise, werent dandelions! Use synthetic products judiciously and only when appropriate. Excess use of any product may cause runoff and can impact area waterways and drinking water. To keep your lawn healthy and more resistant to weeds, fertilize with Milorganite, a slow-release fertilizer, which reduces the risk of nutrient runoff.

Tips for Using Herbicides to Kill Dandelions

• The best time to apply an herbicide is in fall when dandelions are actively storing food for winter. You may not see an immediate difference, but you will in spring.
• Read the label! Some herbicides will also kill certain grass varieties. It would be a shame to kill your entire lawn when you were only targeting the weeds. Kill dandelions, not grass!
• Follow manufacturer instructions and municipality guidelines regarding the use of herbicides.

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Control Dandelions In The Lawn

Even the best cared for lawns will have an occasional dandelion. They are difficult to completely eliminate, and the entire plant of the dandelion needs to be removed or they can grow right back. To rid your lawn of dandelions, use a product such as Killex*. Apply it to the dandelions to kill them without harming the lawn.

*Restricted use. Check provincial and municipal regulations.

Mowing On A Higher Setting

Similar to what we did in the previous point, we want to drown out the weeds, depriving them of sunlight, so they cannot grow. Another way to ensure this happens is to mow your lawn a little higher than you usually do. Doing this causes the grass to tower over the weeds, hence stealing their sun time. As your grass grows thick, the dandelions will perish due to a lack of nutrients.

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How To Rid Your Lawn Of Dandelions

Despite looking aesthetically pleasing, dandelions can be a huge hindrance for someone looking to shape up their lawn. While the fuzzy-headed plant gives children a playful experience, it also threatens any lawn enthusiasts dream lawn. With their deep-rooted taproots, dandelions can be very tedious to remove if the proper method is not used. After reading this article, you will leave with the knowledge of the methods of avoiding dandelions in the first place and how to remove them.

How To Stop Dandelions From Coming Back

The key to preventing dandelions from popping up in the future is taking good care of your lawn:

• Water your lawn regularly This encourages strong and deep grass seed roots.
• Fertilize your grass as required In doing this, you should achieve a fuller lawn which is dense enough to limit the soil available to dandelions.
• Dont cut it too short Dont cut more than a third from the grass length. Longer leaves provide more shade on the soil which means it takes longer to dry out. Thinking of upgrading to a riding lawn mower? My Dad just treated himself to a riding lawn mower heres what happened.
• Spread corn gluten across your yard Any seeds that come into contact with it wont be able to germinate.

Katie looks after everything homes-related, from kitchen appliances to gardening tools. She also covers smart home products too, so is the best point of contact for any household advice! She has tested and reviewed kitchen appliances for over 6 years, so she knows what to look for when finding the best. Her favorite thing to test has to be stand mixers as she loves to bake in her spare time.

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Apply Natural Weed Killer To Dandelions

There are no selective organic herbicides on the market. If you choose a natural weed killer, you have to treat each weed individually or risk harming your turfgrass and nearby plants. You can also make a DIY natural weed killer, or simply use boiling water.

• Like chemical weed killers, natural herbicides should be applied on young dandelions and moist soil.

• Spray individual plants, taking care to avoid the surrounding grass and nearby plants.

• Once the plant has withered, loosen the soil around it with a hand trowel if needed and pull to remove the taproot.

Holmes suggests another non-toxic alternative. You can also apply iron to control dandelions, which works through iron oxidation, which causes plant necrosis that ultimately kills the weed, he says. This will not negatively affect the grass, and may actually have a positive effect on your lawn by turning the grass a darker shade of green.

The Organic Way To Get Rid Of Dandelions In Your Lawn

On poor acidic soil you could leave them to grow and “slowly” help improve the soil.

Dandelions love acidic, low nutrient soil. They will continue to grow in this type of soil, slowly helping improve it until it is no longer acidic and is full of nutrients and then, job done they will be crowded out by healthy lawn grass. This Organic method of clearing dandelions from your lawn, could depending on the size of the area, take a long time, but can be sped up by addressing the pH and shortage of nutrients by adding material from your organic compost heap.

An important step if you use this organic method is to behead all dandelion flowers before they go to seed to minimise the volume of seeds. This will speed-up the process, but it is still going to be a slow way of getting rid of dandelions and does take a lot of work initially. Once under control, the removal of the odd dandelion isn’t a major time issue and there is a certain amount of satisfaction to be gained from knowing you have done it mother nature’s way

Even after you have cleared your lawn, you will get seeds from neighbours lawns who don’t bother to keep them under control and the important thing is to keep on top of it.

Another method of removing Dandelions from lawns without damaging the grass or using herbicides, is to dig out the whole plant and root.

These tools make digging out dandelion roots easy the first one is a great invention for removing dandelions, from lawns.

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When Do Dandelions Grow In Lawns

Although dandelions are some of the first flowers to pop up in spring when the soil temperature warms above 50 F, the flower and seed heads can be spotted most of the year, typically in soil temperatures around 75 F. However, the plants go dormant in winter.

Though the above-ground plant may disappear, the taproot will continue to survive and produce new shoots come spring, says Drew Wagner of Sod Solutions.

Killing Dandelions With Herbicide

It’s best to avoid using chemicals when alternative weed protocols exist. However, if your pulling efforts don’t eliminate the problem, you might want to use a broadleaf herbicide as a last resort. However, make sure you check safety warnings on the product for kids, pets, and the environment. And verify that it won’t kill wanted plants, including your grass.

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Tips For Removing Dandelions

If you’re serious about nontoxic removal methods, purchase a dandelion puller. This garden tool is specifically built to get the job done.

Horticultural vinegar can be used in place of a chemical herbicide. The high level of acetic acid gives it an herbicidal punch. But note that vinegar kills grass, so be very careful during application.

For at least two or three days before applying herbicide, don’t mow the lawn. The bigger the dandelion leaves are, the more effective your application will be. Likewise, wait at least two or three days before mowing after your application to allow time for the chemical to be transferred to the roots.

The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

Dont Let Seeds Sprout

Killing actual dandelion plants is one tactic in the war on this weed. Another is creating an environment where dandelion seeds cant successfully germinate. To do this, use a pre-emergent herbicide like corn gluten meal or Preen. This type of weedkiller interferes with seed germination, which means seeds cant produce a plant. Use corn gluten meal in fall and early spring . Another technique to make your yard unfriendly to dandelion seeds is to mulch planting beds, and dont cut your lawn shorter than 2 to 3 inches. Taller grass grows thicker, shading soil so dandelion seeds cant sprout.

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How To Kill Dandelions With Herbicide

There are two basic types of herbicide that can be used on dandelions. The first is a selective broadleaf herbicide. A broadleaf herbicide will only kill broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions. A broadleaf herbicide is good for killing dandelions in lawns, as the herbicide will kill the dandelions and not the grass.

The other kind of effective dandelion herbicide is a non-selective herbicide. Non-selective means that the herbicide will kill any plant that it comes in contact with. Non-selective herbicide is effective for spot dandelion removal, such as killing dandelions in flower beds and in walkways.

When using any herbicide for dandelion control, it will work best to apply the herbicide before the dandelion has developed flowers. Once dandelion flowers have emerged, the dandelion is far more resistant to herbicides and the herbicide, broadleaf or non-selective, will not be as effective.

Dandelion Control Through Chemicals

Suppose you are not too worried about the possible repercussions of using herbicides to kill dandelions in your lawn. In that case, you can use one, or both, of the following two herbicides .If you are looking to eradicate the few dandelions growing in your lawn, you should opt for the selective broadleaf herbicide as it is made specifically to kill broadleaf weeds without damaging the grass around them.If you instead have a larger dandelion problem where the weeds are growing in copious amounts, wed suggest using the non-selective herbicide, which kills any plant it comes in contact with. This is essentially used for spot removal.

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Tip : Use Weed Beater Fe

Weed Beater Fe is made from naturally occurring Iron and is people and pet safe. It will weaken and kill many broadleaf weeds like dandelions, without killing the grass. Because it is naturally occurring it is ok to seed the same day you apply it. Its perfect for walking around and spot treating weeds as you notice them. I like to mix up a small batch every time I cut the grass and zap them as I see them. Its not great for spraying the entire lawn, but works well if you treat weeds individually. It works best in the Spring and Fall when the grass is not under stress. If the grass is under too much stress the Weed Beater Fe will brown the grass too. If that happens, just water the lawn and the grass will recover.

How To Get Rid Of Dandelions In Borders

Where removal by hand isnt possible in borders and beds, a spot treatment could be the answer, allowing the weed killer to be applied to individual plants. We like RoundUp Precision Gel Weed & Grass Killer from Amazon. The gel is applied to the leaves, so other plants arent affected, and it promises to kill the roots of dandelions so they dont come back.

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What To Do If Dandelions Have Already Sprouted On Your Lawn

If you only have a few here and there, it’s totally fine to dig them up by hand. Make sure to get the root . Get them before they go to seed or you’ll just be dealing with thousands more seeds.

You also can treat them with any type of three-way herbicide . You may need two applications if the plants are large, but follow the package directions. You also can spot-spray with a three-way herbicide product. And, we can’t stress this enough, read the label before applying!

Why Dandelions Are Persistent Weeds

Dandelions present challenges for lawn owners on several fronts. These pesky broadleaf weeds are perennials that survive winters to come back larger and more resilient year after year. Survival gets a boost from strong, sturdy taproots that can grow 10 feet deep or morewell out of the reach of dandelion diggers or shovels. As little as an inch of root left behind can generate a new plant.1 If cut off at ground level, dandelions quickly regrow from the crown.

These tenacious weeds also produce large amounts of fluffy, wind-borne seed capable of traveling long distances. An average dandelion plant produces around 15,000 seeds per year.2 Depending on your climate, these weeds may bloom and produce seed year-round. The seeds can germinate without a waiting period and start producing new plants immediately.2

Weeding usually leaves small pieces of dandelion-producing roots behind.

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Pour Boiling Water On Dandelions

You can quickly zap dandelions in your lawn by pouring boiling water on them. This burns the dandelions, which makes them curl up and die.

The hot water will enter the soil around the plant so that the roots that are linked to the main dandelion plant also die off. Just be careful not to get the water on the surrounding grass as it will cause them to die, too.

When To Remove Dandelions

Dandelions are broadleaf, herbaceous perennials that die back in the winter, though the plant’s roots live on underground. In the early fall, nutrients are transferred from the leaves to the roots, making this the best time to use herbicide. Chemicals applied during this time will be absorbed by the leaves and passed on to the roots along with the nutrients.

You can harvest and eat dandelion greens in the spring. The leaves can be boiled or used raw in a salad. This superfood is rich in vitamin A, vitamin K, and iron. Moreover, the flower can be used in wine or boiled and stir-fried. And the roots can be dried and steeped for a tea. For the best taste, harvest dandelion greens and dig up their roots before the plant goes to seed.

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