Author Topic: Fighting Dandelions (Read 2836 times)

Dave in Michigan · « **on:** April 30, 2007, 09:22:33 AM »

Is there any effective way of fighting them?

This is the first I have to take care of a lawn, and I am very surprise at how fast they grow/flower. About 10 days ago I went out and hand picked all the flowers, a week later, they grew back, I went out again and this time I counted how many I picked: more than 70 of them. Two days later, they grew back, about 100 of them! I went out again and hand picked them. Today they are back, probably more than 100.

Question: If I continue to hand picked them, will they stop at some point because they have grown for the season, or will they just continue until the whole summer is over?

Another thing is about my neighbor, one side takes good care of her lawn, and there was no dandelion at all. The other side doesn't seem to even care about the lawn, and there are plenty dandellions, so am I fighting a losing battle? Do you have suggestion for good/polite way I can hint my 'bad' neighbor? I am new here and don't want my neighbors to dislike me.

How about chemical? Are they effective? Are they bad for the lawn?

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 30, 2007, 09:30:59 AM »

Picking the flowers just encourages more flowers.

Most weed n'feed type lawn chemicals contain 2-4D which is toxic to pets, kids and wildlife and tomatoes and other ornamentals. Many homeowners do use it but please know that it persists in the environment up to 2 years. If you do use it, please, follow the directions exactly. So many homeowners don't properly mix or use chemicals. More is not better. Common garden chemicals can do great harm.

You can also use less toxic chemicals to spot treat each dandelion like Round Up and Weed B-Gone. You spray each one individually.

You can hand pull too, you need a long skinny tool to make sure you get the taproot.

When you have an empty spot, make sure you reseed with grass before more weeds grow. There are easy patch seeds now that are mixed with mulch that are great for this.

Ky Kim · « **Reply #2 on:** April 30, 2007, 09:39:40 AM »

I like to use Scotts Turf builder with weed control or Scotts turf builder with haults for crabgrass. I use which ever one I'm having troubles with. Its a grandular, that you can put in a spreader. Really easy to apply, and very effective. Just becareful around your ponds, and if you have pets don't let them on it for 24 or 48 hours. Can't remember what the bag says.

They have different ones for each season, normally one application each spring for weedcontrol works.

The one with the weed control is very effective on dandelions, and you could accidently over spread into the neighbors and have a nice lush green, non dandelions section on up to your yard.

It also, makes your yard thick and green. I really like using the stuff. This year, I used the Scotts with haults for crab grass and just used a liquid weed b gone, for the other. That way I could space out the two processes.

Advantage to grandular vs. liquid is there is not measuring. Sure, you can over spread one area, but if you follow directions you'll be fine. Also, if there is a breeze in the air the mist from the liquid can travel, the grandulars don't.

Here's what I did this year. My neighbor has a corner lot, and he cuts the grass next day, here are those fuzzy dandelions in bloom. Well, when the wind or person blows them that is bunches of seeds and that travels to other yards. So, this year I talked him into using the one with weed control, he didn't realize that it was also a fertlizer. But, I tell you his yard has never looked better. Its also effective on clover, I always try to keep that at bay because bee's love it and I have kids that like playing in the yard. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind bee's, they can have all my flowers in my yard, just don't want one of my kids stepping on them barefooted in the yard.

Kim

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 30, 2007, 09:42:53 AM »

Make sure you keep those kids off the grass for the recommended time period after using the Scott's! pets too.

Weed N'Feed does work fabulously, it just isn't as benign as one would think since it is available to homeowners without a pest control operator's license.

Ky Kim · « **Reply #4 on:** April 30, 2007, 10:12:30 AM »

That's true, I put keep the pets off but I forgot the kids. What I normally do is, the front yard one weekend so they have the back yard to play in. Then the back yard the next weekend. Except my back yard hasn't been done in a couple years. Too much going on back there to get it done. But soon it will be done.

Kim

Dave in Michigan · « **Reply #5 on:** April 30, 2007, 01:12:17 PM »

Went to HD. They had Weed-B-Gone Max from Ortho. The guy overthere recommended that, so I got bottle. Just finished the treatment, spray spray spray, spray spray spray, spray spray spray.... Now I feel like a powerful killer. Will see how it works tomorrow.

The guy said the dandelion might temporarily grow bigger. It will grow itself to death. That should be a funny view.

But it is a costly solution too. I used up a complete bottle already but still haven't sprayed all. Will need to get another one.

Jerry · « **Reply #6 on:** April 30, 2007, 03:01:45 PM »

How about spot applications with "Round-Up?"

Dave in Michigan · « **Reply #7 on:** April 30, 2007, 09:58:37 PM »

Jerry, what is "Round Up?" I don't remember seeing it on the shelves there. Is it a weed killer? If not, in what section should I look for it?

Thanks,

Mikey · « **Reply #8 on:** April 30, 2007, 10:24:01 PM »

RoundUp is an indiscriminate herbicide spray. In other words, it will kill anything and everything that is green. Unless you individually "paint" each dandelion with RoundUp you will have dead circular spots. I tried Weed-B-Gone on my lawn and was less than satisfied. Instead, I went the lawn-be-gone route and got rid of all my grass.....

Jerry · « **Reply #9 on:** April 30, 2007, 10:32:33 PM »

Yes Mickey, but the dead spots will fill back in with some grasses, like Bermuda.
Good aim helps too.
Any nursery will know what round up is

Dave in Michigan · « **Reply #10 on:** May 01, 2007, 11:21:36 AM »

Well, I am feeling defeated. After spraying all the dandellions with the chemical that I bought, today they all look just the same.

I will wait another day and see....

Jerry · « **Reply #11 on:** May 01, 2007, 11:49:22 AM »

Then one I recommended takes a week or so to work.

Mikey · « **Reply #12 on:** May 01, 2007, 02:38:25 PM »

Quote

Well, I am feeling defeated. After spraying all the dandellions with the chemical that I bought, today they all look just the same.

If you used the WeedBgon then you will need to wait several days. If it's going to work you should notice the broad leaf weeds starting to yellow in a few days.

Jerry: How's it coming with the Equisetum?

Jerry · « **Reply #13 on:** May 02, 2007, 07:15:52 AM »

Glad you asked Teresa. It is hardly worth a new thread. I got a lot out (I hope) I used Round-Up, waited a week and DUG! I discovered I had kept the stuff trapped in a 5 gallon container...wrong! Of course it escaped and pops up 30 feet away!

My PLAN:
I will do what works for bamboo when it pops up here and there. Cut the tops off. apply round up to the hollow opening, even if i need an eye dropper. I am persistent!

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 02, 2007, 08:29:11 AM »

Jerry, I recommended spot treating with Round Up in my post.

The advantage to doing this is that you aren't broadcasting poison on the entire lawn and it doesn't drift to any close garden areas. Round Up is relatively benign as far as chemicals go. It doesn't persist, it isn't active in soil. It only kills what you spray it on. You do need to reseed the bare spots or you'll grow more weeds.

2-4D drifts, it kills many desirable plants, it persists in the environment up to 2 years and it is often grossly over used. It is the active ingredient in weed and feed products.

Dave in Michigan · « **Reply #15 on:** May 02, 2007, 12:43:13 PM »

Well, looking at my neighbor's lawn, I don't know if I will be able to control the dandelions on my side. Here is part of my lawn which I want to reduce/control the weed:

Here is looking a little bit to the left (the red line is the border between my side and my neighbor's side):

And finally this is my neighbor's side. See how much dandelions he has? And he seldom mow.

Any suggestion/comment?

Dave in Michigan · « **Reply #16 on:** May 02, 2007, 12:44:54 PM »

Ooops! This was the first time I posted images here, and I don't know how to get the image following the commands, but the commands should correspond to the images one after another.

Teresa · « **Reply #17 on:** May 02, 2007, 12:52:40 PM »

It's going to be very tough to control them on your side if his are blooming and going to seed and are that thick in his lawn . . . .

Jerry · « **Reply #18 on:** May 02, 2007, 06:37:57 PM »

The dandelions look pretty good! Ever consider living with them?

Dave in Michigan · « **Reply #19 on:** May 02, 2007, 09:10:12 PM »

Well, it is a peer pressure thing. If it is just left to me, then I don't really mind dandelions. I would probably pull some out from time to time but I don't mind some. But the other side of my neighbor is completely free of dandelion. Not even a single one, so it is giving me pressure that she might be unhappy seeing my dandelions.

But maybe she is using some strong chemical that my dandelions won't actually affect her lawn?

Jonna · « **Reply #20 on:** May 02, 2007, 10:42:58 PM »

Don't you guys fence your yards back there? That would solve the problem. I don't think I'd like a yard that wasn't fenced and private.

Dave in Michigan · « **Reply #21 on:** May 03, 2007, 06:59:35 AM »

Hi Jonna, it depends on what type of house or community you are in. I live in what we call a subdivision, and there is a homeowners association, and we are not even allowed to put up fences.

Shawn · « **Reply #22 on:** May 04, 2007, 02:18:32 PM »

I use Scott's Weed'N'Feed and went I treat my yard, I tend to treat some of my neighbor's yard as well!

That seems to help me more than anything...They may not like the extra growth, but I don't like the dandelions.. Needless to say, I spread an extra 10 feet to each side of my yard...

Teresa · « **Reply #23 on:** May 05, 2007, 03:49:15 PM »

Quote from: Shawn on May 04, 2007, 02:18:32 PM

I use Scott's Weed'N'Feed and went I treat my yard, I tend to treat some of my neighbor's yard as well! That seems to help me more than anything...They may not like the extra growth, but I don't like the dandelions.. Needless to say, I spread an extra 10 feet to each side of my yard...

It would take a good bit more than 10 feet, but I think that might be the only solution to your problem . . . .

Jonna · « **Reply #24 on:** May 05, 2007, 09:41:19 PM »

That's it! Stealth night feeding. Get it all set up and then late at night, sneak over and weed and feed their lawn.

Shawn · « **Reply #25 on:** May 05, 2007, 10:15:44 PM »

Funny thing is, they still haven't figured out why their grass grows so quickly!!

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #26 on:** May 07, 2007, 08:38:15 AM »

Corn gluten is supposed to work as a pre-emergent to stop weeds before they germinate and feed the lawn. I have not used it yet. It is new. Bob is having fun using his welding torch to burn the dandelions.

I would not live where I could not have a fenced backyard. I like privacy while gardening or relaxing or ponding. Doesn't bother many people though. Heck, I'd like to fence the front yard too.

Jonna · « **Reply #27 on:** May 08, 2007, 03:26:50 AM »

I wonder LeeAnne if the no fence thing is an east coast vs west coast difference? I've been thinking about how where we grow up or what we are used to changes how we see things as good or bad. My mom grew up in Arkansas and loved red brick houses, I grew up in California and thought they looked like cell blocks. We used to argue about that! Now, I'm getting used to houses with fancy grill work on all the windows and doors but I remember when I was younger thinking I wouldn't like it because it would be like bars. So, you can change how you see things but I do think it has to do with what we are used to, For me, no back fence seems really exposed and like it isn't really my yard. I can see though that it would give an open feeling to the whole area, it would just take some getting used to.