Dandelions

[rambot]

My parents yard is a bit of a mess. I told them I'd help them with their crazy dandelion problems....then I realized I don't know a thing.

Can you y'all help me please? I'd rather not be using roundup or anything to "potent" that isn't "natural".

 

[pmcleanj]

Dandelions aren't that hard to get rid of. They're a tap-root plant: as long as you break the tap-root itself, and pull out the top section of the root with all the leaves attached, it won't grow back. The garden shop has dandelion claws -- they're like an oversized flat-blade screwdriver with a little v-shaped notch in the end of the blade. Stick it down right next to the root, rock it back a bit, and it will snap the tap-root easily about an inch below ground level. Drop a teaspoonful of grass-seed into the hole that's left behind.

Dandelion's aren't hard to kill, but they're prolific: they produce hundreds of seeds and any seed that germinates is very good at piercing through the surrounding grass-mat, and then overshadowing the grass to monopolize the available sunlight. So try to pull them all before they go to seed.

You'll be amazed how much a difference it makes, with just a little persistence, to just spend some time each Saturday pulling the little beasties out mechanically.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

My husband seems to enjoy removing dandelions, and I think he does it with a long screwdriver.

Me, I'd just mow them (not that I would advise anyone to do this, but it's fine for a lawn used by children and puppies.

 

[leytonstones]

Myhusband uses an old potato peeler to remove the horrible things. I hate dandelions and deadhead them whenever I see them, no matter where they are. My husband's aunt use to keep a huge one in her garden as "salad".

 

[colormebeautiful]

Yeah, we have a dandelion claw. Dig it in and once you hear the 'snap', pull the dandelion, with the root, out. It takes a while but isn't hard and can be kind of rewarding when you see how many you've actually pulled.

Incidentally, my dad's grandma used to cook dandelions in olive oil and serve them with pasta.

 

[ladyjay787]

I know I'm in the minority, but...dandelions are pretty!

 

[colormebeautiful]

I know I'm in the minority, but...dandelions are pretty!

I agree! I love seeing fields of dandelions. They're just very bad for the lawn.

 

[Big Dave]

Have not tryed it yet but hear the roots make a wonderful red dye?

 

[leytonstones]

Have not tryed it yet but hear the roots make a wonderful red dye?

Yep, a friend of mine uses dandelion roots (among other things) to dye wool.

 

[spdnet75]

A friend of mine had some patches of weeds that she wanted to be rid of and we purchased a gallon-size container of Roundup that was rather uniquely formulated to fit my friends needs.

She didn't want for her blackberry bushes or her pond, downhill from the location, to be negatively impacted with the herbicide.

I can't remember the product specifically but, upon reading the label, we discovered that it was genetically formulated to only work at the roots of the weeds and would not kill desireable vegetation. Also, so long as it is applied at a time when it will not rain for 48 hours afterward, it would not contaminate the soil or threaten nearby water supplies.

I understand the hesitation to apply such things and I gennerally do not but, if you've got an acre or more to manage, you could pull dandeliones from here till The Rapture and not make a dent.

Stephen

 

[dynegirl]

make sure to remove not only the stem but the roots or else it will jut grow back.

 

[ladyjay787]

I agree! I love seeing fields of dandelions. They're just very bad for the lawn.

I've been pondering this for some time. Why are dandelions bad for a lawn? Other than that they are considered a weed.

 

[chrislife]

Three things help a lot for dandelions, if you want to avoid poison.

1. the tool that several here have recommended. It's easy to use, though time consuming.

2. Mowing does help, if done frequently. Mow before they turn to fluff, and they won't spread their seeds.

3. Get a seed inhibitor with corn gluten. Corn gluten is non toxic (in fact, used as filler in pet food) but prevents seeds from germinating. It will not kill anything already growing, like grass, and it will not kill existing dandelions, but it will keep new ones from coming in.

 

[katlupe]

Dandelions are not bad for a lawn. People are the problem. They want everything to look perfect....like a picture in a book.

I love my dandelions, plus all my so called weeds that grow in my lawn. But we eat them. Did you know that dandelions are the best medicine you can get for so many illnesses? But...people would rather use chemicals for that.

Dandelions are very good for anyone who has liver problems. I feed a handful to each of my horses every day. They are in excellent health.

They are so full of nutrition....but everybody would rather a Big Mac! I dry it for winter time for tea. We love it in salads! Even the flowers are very good to eat. And the root can be a good substitute for coffee.

But don't eat yours if you have used chemicals on your lawn. I don't use chemicals at all, in any form.

katlupe

 

[flatlandah]

I too always wondered why they were supposidly bad for your lawn. I think they are pretty!

I've heard of eating the leaves. What do they taste like? How do you cook them or do you eat them raw?

Right now I would love to have a lawn, period. Dandilions or no. We are building and our yard is all plain dirt! It will come though! By the end of the summer we should have some green around the house!

 

[faith177]

I agree I love seeing the beautiful flowers in the lawn, I think that perfect green lawns only show someone who uses too much of our precious water for esthetics.

We really have lost so much of what is healthy in nature, many people do not know that most herbs are not only for flavor but each one has health benefits, too bad herbs have been replaced with salt, and natural foods with processed garbage that our bodies cannot even recognize as food.

And the last of my little soap box lecture, why do you think everyone is so sick nowadays because we have wrecked our tastebuds to think that healthy wonderful foods are yucky and cardboard crap from mcdonalds tastes good. bleh

 

[chrislife]

I'll admit I try to get rid of dandelions to keep my neighbors off my back... but I'm a sucker for edible things growing in my yard. Right now I keep a lawn for the kids to run on in bare feet, but my goal is one day to phase out the lawn in favor of pretty and edible things.

I have a huge planter in the front yard the length of railroad ties, and in it I have carrots going to seed (in other words flowering), onions flowering, sage flowering, basil flowering... not to mention the potatoes, sunflowers, garlic, and lavender that aren't yet in bloom... and oh, it's so pretty! I love it so much better than my lawn, and it thrills me to know that it's all edible.

 

[faith177]

Your yard sounds beautiful, I did read ages ago, that there are some good lawn alternatives that still look green but dont need as much water. And some were fragrant when you walked on them.
</IMG>

 

[chrislife]

I'm not looking to reduce my watering at the moment, because the same sprinklers that water the lawn also water the veggies, and they need it.

I'm gradually phasing out the grass at the edges and in the inconvenient places to mow, though. I recently planted creeping thyme along the edge of the big planter, so that the lawnmower doesn't have to get so close. And under a tree where I get too much shade, I am planning on planting scotch moss, which shouldn't need mowed.