DIY Dandelion Control

It’s that time of year again, the time when small yellow weeds begin to rear their ugly heads and take over whatever grass they can! Dandelions are stubborn weeds with roots that can reach 2 to 3 feet down into the soil, making them difficult to get rid of unless you are very dedicated and don’t mind getting your hands dirty. If your lawn is looking a bit on the yellow side, you can use the following methods to kiss dandelions goodbye for good!

1. Mow the Grass… Again.

The more often you cut your grass, the less time dandelions have to mature to the point of developing seeds. This preventative measure is great if your lawn hasn’t yet been raided by dandelions.

2. Get Back to Your Roots!

Plucking the weeds and their roots is tough and requires some serious persistence, but will ensure the dandelions don’t come back. It is vital to remove the dandelion’s tap root (the deepest one) otherwise the dandelions will pop back up and your efforts will go unrewarded.

3. Spray Them Away

A variety of herbicides are available to fight off dandelions, although the effectiveness of this method varies as well. Make sure the product you choose is selective if you plan to coat your entire lawn, weed killers can be very harmful to your grass if not used properly. If the idea of using chemicals in your turf bothers you, you can use white vinegar directly on weeds for an organic herbicide.

4. Bury Them

Covering dandelions in mulch (or other objects if you don’t mind the unappealing aesthetics), deprives them of the sunlight and oxygen that they require to thrive and spread. Eventually these weeds will die off with little effort required on your part, although it is not a quick process.

If your dandelion problem is out of control (or you don’t feel like crawling around your lawn to deal with them) give Weed-A-Way a call and save yourself the trouble! There is a light at the end of the tunnel as well: dandelion leaves are edible and healthy for you, so even though they don’t look good on your lawn, they sure do look good on your plate!