Dandelions

[bowhunternw]

Is there any way to get rid of them DIY?

[Steve Foss]

Sure. You can spray for them or dig them out. Plenty of effective broadleaf sprays at the local home center or greenhouse that'll tackle dandelions, or you can pick up one of the old-fashioned tools that digs down and gets most of the root out.

Problem is, dandelion seed goes a long way upon the wind, and unless everyone in the neighborhood is as anal about getting rid of dandelions as everyone else, there'll always be one yard sprouting the little yellow beasts and their seed.

[spivak]

Or you could make dandelion wine like Dad always did. With five kids he would send us out to a confirmed unsprayed area and we would pick five gallon pails full of blossoms. The blossoms you added would weigh down the whole works and it became a game of diminishing returns. The dandelions were never as thick as they looked from a distance. My Dad was no great picker and he would proclaim "That's enough" if he was with us rather than at home in the shop. He'd get my Grandmother to pick too and she would leave a meandering clean swath behind her. We also had and have bees and we looked forward to the dandelions for the ample pollen and nectar they provide the bees at the tender start of spring. I can't help but like them.

[Tom7227]

weed b gone

[Powerstroke]

Dandi's are very easy to control with a hand sprayer and some broadleaf herbicide.

[pureinsanity]

2-4-D

[Lund79]

I like using Trimec Plus applied with a hand sprayer.

[reddog]

Forget about them for now, and treat them in the fall. Thats truly where you get the best bang for the buck.

[chasineyes]

Do dandelions spread? What I mean is if my neighbor does NOTHING to control them will they always "infiltrate" my yard?

THanks

[bowhunternw]

The reason I ask is I have tried the weed b gone and the weed and feed before and they seem thick as ever this year. Would really like to knock them out somehow. Maybe the fall is a more effective time to try. Do the professional services have a better spray that is a little more lethal?

[pureinsanity]

Do dandelions spread? What I mean is if my neighbor does NOTHING to control them will they always "infiltrate" my yard?

THanks

[sticknstring]

The 2,4-D with 47.3% active ingredient wipes out everything. I do my yard once a year in the spring with a broadcast sprayer.

The only problem is the vacant lots all around so they keep coming back!

[cps420us]

I read about some stuff in the paper called Weed Beater Ultra RTS made by Bonide. I picked up a bottle, it's a little spendy, we'll see if it works. From my understanding, its a pre and post emergent treatment. One bottle will cover about 10000 sq ft. Anyone else tried it?

[BobT]

2-4-D

Ditto the 2,4-D. This is about the most effective herbicide to use on your lawn for controlling dandelion. As already mentioned, the best time to apply is in the fall, typically in September when the plants are beginning to store nutrients in the roots. You won't see much effect on the plants at that time but the next year you'll see a definite improvement. Spring is also another time to apply but it should be done when the plants are most vulnerable. From the State of MN Extension HSOforum it says to apply up to the flower stage for best results. You don't want them going to seed or you'll allow them to spread the next generation again. Of course, there are a lot of seeds already in the soil and they can remain dormant for years waiting for the right conditions to germinate so it won't be a one time application and problem solved.

Also, more is not necessarily better. Follow application rates. There's no need to saturate your ground with herbicide as most homeowners do over-apply. As a point of reference I mix 3/4pt. per 10 gallons of water per acre when I apply it to my wheat fields.

[bowhunternw]

I was always under the impression that 24d killed everything, but apparently it won't kill the grass?

[311Hemi]

I have used Spectracide for spraying single plants in my lawn with good results. It has 24d and did not affect the grass. Must mixed up a batch and a quick spray on the dandelion and they were wilting days later.

[sticknstring]

Nope, it won't harm the grass if you follow the application rates properly. The label recommends 2-4 pints to a minimum of 10 gallons of water for ornamental turf, such as lawns. This is from the 47.3% gallon jug.

Glyphosate (Roundup) will wipe everything out, grass included. Don't use that for weed control unless you like the brown patchy look.

[B. Amish]

mowing the grass too short seems to encourages dandelions. my neighbor almost balds his lawn when he mows - the result is lots of dandelions on his side. i mow mine as high as i can - i don't have a 1/20th the number of dandelions as he does.

[reddog]

I think a dandylion is a winter annual, meaning it germinates late summer (from seed) .

The best time to attack them, are when they bother you the least. (not flowering)

Heres a post from a while back, that discusses thistles and dandylions.

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1945128/1

[shizzy]

mowing the grass too short seems to encourages dandelions. my neighbor almost balds his lawn when he mows - the result is lots of dandelions on his side. i mow mine as high as i can - i don't have a 1/20th the number of dandelions as he does.

I do the same. A quick walk around the yard with a dandelion fork to pull the few I have and then mow the grass tall. I haven't sprayed any chemicals this year and only have a half dozen dandelions to pill each week.

[pureinsanity]

I was always under the impression that 24d killed everything, but apparently it won't kill the grass?

No if you follow the instructions it wont. It is made for broad leaf weeds.

[pureinsanity]

I do the same. A quick walk around the yard with a dandelion fork to pull the few I have and then mow the grass tall. I haven't sprayed any chemicals this year and only have a half dozen dandelions to pill each week.

Keep in mind as this does work, it can still not work because the roots of the dandelion are so brittle they break off easy and will come right back up.

[shizzy]

Be that as it may, I keep my property chemical free (I live close to Minnehaha creek) so a few minutes pulling here and there plus frequent tall mowing is fine by me.

[BobT]

Mowing height can make a difference. Dandelions will be a bigger problem in sparse lawns. I believe they don't compete well when the lawn is thick and tall.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Nope, it won't harm the grass if you follow the application rates properly. The label recommends 2-4 pints to a minimum of 10 gallons of water for ornamental turf, such as lawns. This is from the 47.3% gallon jug.

Glyphosate (Roundup) will wipe everything out, grass included. Don't use that for weed control unless you like the brown patchy look.

Technically,Glyphosate was created at a growth inhibitor. You can use it on grass, in light doses, and it'll hold the growth without killing the grass.