Dandelion weeds can be ridiculously hard to get rid of because of their long tap root.
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Digging them out with a “weed digger” leaves this root behind, and the leaves soon grow back.
Spraying them with Round Up leaves dead spots on your lawn where the dandelion plant and dead grass (the Round Up bounces off the weed, hits the surrounding grass, and kills that, too).
Spraying them with Weed-B-Gon, or applying a fertilizer with a weed killer designated for use on lawns, kills the leaves, but usually leaves the root behind.
A new dandelion plant springs to life from this root in a few short weeks.
Also known as swine’s snout, yellow gown, Irish daisy and peasant’s cloak, the dandelion have survived the test of time. Dandelions have a distinct appearance with a globe of fuzzy seeds that some people can’t help but blow into the wind.
While they’re nice to look at for a little while, they’re also an extremely intrusive weed that can be difficult to get rid of if the right methods are not enacted. So, permanently removing of the dandelions takes some, but really not that much, work.
1/ A teaspoon of salt, sprinkled at the base of the dandelion, is a natural way to kill these weeds. However, use caution with this method because the salt also kills grass and any other plants in the area. Apply the salt on a dry day, so that rain will not wash away the salt until it has done its work.
2/ Kill dandelions manually. The best way to kill dandelions is to pluck them out at the root. There are many tools available that are designed to help you dig deep and pull them out at the root. Whatever you decide to use, you should water your lawn before the big dandelion kill. This will soften the ground and make it easier to pull up root and all.
3/ Boil down some vinegar for about a minute, and pour it into a spray bottle once it cools a bit. Boiling the vinegar will result in a higher concentration of acetic acid, which acts as a natural weed killer.
4/ Corn gluten meal (CGM) is probably the best thing you can use to avoid getting dandelions in the first place and to keep them from coming back. It is 100 percent natural and safe for pets and children. Not only that, but CGM will prevent dandelions from growing in the future. It is effective for about 5 to 6 weeks, so repeated use is necessary.
5/ Mowing to kill dandelions. First, mow often to cut the heads off of dandelions before they go to seed. Second, set the lawn mower deck so that the grass does not get cut shorter than 2-2 ½ inches. Keeping the grass longer allows it to block light that dandelions need to grow.
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