How to Get Rid of Dandelions in Your Seattle Yard
Dandelions are one of the biggest nuisances anybody with a lawn will have to deal with. The pesky flowers are invasive, and they spread like wildfire. It seems like for every dandelion you kill, five more pop up. They can quickly spread throughout a lawn. While they aren’t technically harmful, they will take over the root space in the lawn and the grass will die. The dandelions will also attract bees in the spring, which can be a serious problem for those who enjoy walking barefoot through their own lawn. At Greenwood Hardware, we understand the difficulties and have a few suggestions to help you get rid of the annoying flowers.
There are plenty of chemical weed killers you can use that are very effective. However, pets may be sickened if they walk across the lawn that has been sprayed. You can also track the herbicide into the home on the soles of your shoes.
- Boiling water is an old fashioned way of killing the dandelions. Pour boiling water over each dandelion and within days you will see they have withered up and died.
- Spray the dandelions, flowers, and leaves, with straight vinegar. You can add a little dish soap to the vinegar to help the vinegar stick to the leaves and kill the plants quicker.
- Corn gluten meal can be picked up at a local feed store. Sprinkle the corn meal on newly forming dandelions early in the spring. It essentially smothers the plants and prevents the roots from taking hold in your lawn. The corn gluten meal will not hurt your lawn and will actually help green it up.
- An organic herbicide is safe to use on your lawn if you have kids and pets or simply don’t want the chemicals that are in a traditional weed-killing product.
- Pulling the dandelions is absolutely effective, but it can be time-consuming and labor intensive. It is best to give the lawn a good soak before you attempt to pull the dandelions. They have very long roots that can easily break off when you are pulling. You may want to use a small trowel to loosen the soil. There is actually a tool that is designed specifically for dandelion removal.
Once your lawn has been infected with dandelions, they can be difficult to get rid of. Go on the offense next spring and give your soil a good dose of compost and nutrients to help the soil be more grass friendly and less dandelion friendly. You will find a variety of tools and organic herbicides at Greenwood Hardware that will help you take your lawn back from those dandelions. Come on in, or contact us today.