While children may make wishes on the fuzzy heads of dandelions, gardeners and lawn enthusiasts tend to curse the cheery yellow flowers of dandelions when they appear. Dandelions will push out grass and other plants, as well as sapping water and nutrients away from surrounding plants. Dandelion control also tends to be difficult due to their fluffy and far floating seeds. But the answer to the question of how to get rid of dandelions is simply a matter of thoroughness and patience.
There are several methods for dandelion control. All methods for dandelion removal must be performed every year. Due to the fact that dandelion seeds can travel several miles on the wind, it is difficult, if not impossible, to have permanent removal of this weed from a garden or lawn.
Remove dandelions naturally
To remove dandelions naturally, you likely will need to get your hands dirty (weeding), do a lot of bending (mulching), or spend a bit of money (reseeding or resodding). These are some natural herbicides for your dandelion flowers.
1. Weeding
Weeding may not be the quickest way to rid your lawn of these Irish daisies, but if you only have a few roots to pull, this is the best option.
Wet the soil around the plant to make dandelion pulling easier.
Plunge a dandelion weeder or similar tool into the soil. Use this to loosen the roots.
Pull from the base of the leaves to ensure you get the entire plant, roots and all.
Make sure you get the entire taproot. Repeat as necessary.
2. Mulching
Starving dandelions of the sunlight they need to thrive is another way to kill the plant. Snip the flower and stem, and then, cover the leaves with about 3 inches of mulch. This will block the plant’s energy source and keep it from growing.
3. Reseeding or Resodding
Laying down new grass seed (or sod) is a drastic but effective way to wipe out existing dandelions and prevent new plants from emerging. Depending on your region, consider Zoysia, Bermudagrass, tall fescue or perennial ryegrass.
The thick, dense lawns these selections produce crowd out weeds naturally, but they won’t stay thick and dense without continual care. Practice regular lawn care and overseed yearly, if needed, to maintain a dense turf that crowds out dandelions and other weeds.
4. Use Your Mower
Remove seed heads: mowing frequently when you have the yellow dandelions in your yard can help stop further dandelions from growing. If you mow the yellow heads off of the stem, this will stop the white puffy seed heads from forming and prevent another generation of dandelions in your lawn. Mowing your lawn now can help lessen the weed work you do next year.
Raise your mowing height: Many weed seeds, including dandelions, need sunlight to germinate. No sunlight means you won’t have dandelion seedlings sprouting all over your lawn. How do you deprive the weed seeds in your lawn of the light they need to grow? Simply raise the height on your mower.
When to call a professional
If you’ve tried all these options to get rid of these bright yellow flowers to no avail or you’re thinking to yourself, “These tips are nice, but I’ve got waaaaay more dandelions than one person can handle,” it’s time to call Rooted in Nature at 443-846-0199 or email info@rootedinnaturemd.com
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