It seems to happen overnight. The white, fluffy ball of seeds appears out of nowhere. You immediately blame the neighbors for their lack of weed preventive efforts. While those neighbors may be the source of this dandelion, they also may not. Dandelion seeds can travel by air for miles, so no matter how obsessive your neighbors are about keeping these pesky weeds away, controlling dandelions will still be an activity you’ll want to master for a beautiful lawn.
It’s not that difficult if you stay on top of it, and keeping your yard thick and weed-free will make it more difficult for the dandelions to make their way into your lawn.
4 Ways to control dandelions
The thicker you keep your grass, the less room there is for an invasion. Keeping your grass on the tall side will also make it harder for dandelions to grow. Aerate and fertilize to keep your yard healthy.
Mowing frequently will prevent the dandelions from being able to grow. However, this is not a great permanent solution. Anyone who has dealt with dandelions knows they come back quickly.
Don’t pull dandelions out of the yard, or else they’ll just come back. You cannot possibly get the tap root without a tool because the tap root is typically six inches long. This is what allows dandelions to come back in the spring. That tap root becomes dormant and wakes up in the spring. This is also why spring dandelion control is essential.
Herbicides meant to control broad leaf weeds will generally keep dandelions at bay. Roundup will work, but it will also kill any grass that the herbicide touches. Some herbicides fertilize grass at the same time as killing broadleaf plants. If you have a large amount of dandelions, herbicides are the easiest way to get started. You won’t want to be digging out that many tap roots.
The key to dandelion control is persistence. Start in the spring, and hit it hard with everything in your anti-dandelion arsenal. Then, maintain your efforts. If you do this, maintenance will be minimal.
And your neighbors may be part of the problem. If you have a dandelion field next door, it’s going to be harder to prevent dandelions in your yard. There is no perfect solution for this. You can talk to your neighbors, but imagine how you’d feel if someone requested you take better care of your yard. It may be best to maintain your focus on your own yard. Maybe the example you set will put pressure on those who seem oblivious that they are “patient zero” in the dandelion epidemic.
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Greenfeet Lawncare Provides Service to the Following Areas
770.619.2929
North Fulton, East Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth Counties - including Alpharetta, Canton, Cobb, Cumming, Dunwoody, Gwinnett, Johns Creek, Marietta, Milton, Roswell, Sandy Springs
Topics: weed control, weed treatment
