lawn + weed = evil

I am currently living with family and I am in charge of taking care of the lawn. Prior to me living here there was a local lawn care company who came in and "weeded" with chemicals. Last some I decided that I wanted them to stop. I have dogs and was starting my first garden and didn't want all those chemicals. Well, the dandelions are in full force. My approach last year was to over-grass seed to squeeze the weeds out but this spring the weeds came up like crazy.

If it were my yard, the grass would go completely. But it's not. I wondered if anyone had any organic tips that would help reduce the amount of dandelions. Thanks!

I don't remove them... I just make sure I cut all of the flowers off before they go to seed. When I'm mowing (just got done) I can see the plants easily. Anything the mower misses, I just reach down and pluck off as I go.

I agree, I do mowing before the flowers go to seed and over the course of the summer I use a dandelion digger to uproot them. I really want to remove the tap root so the plant will not come again. I also use this tool for digging up burdock and plantain.
http://www.everchanginggarden.ca/HowTo%20Control%20Dandelions%20Organically.html

If they are in "full force" like I imagine when you say it, there is nothing you will be able to do. You need chemicals. Sorry to say it to all you organics out there, but it's true. Or, you learn to live with them like the others have suggested by cutting before seed and popping them out one by one. Just keep the chemicals away from the SFG and wipe the dog's paws for a 24 hour period after spraying or dropping granules. The dog will be fine.

Grass doesn't dominate weeds. It's the other way around. The only way grass keeps weeds down is by growing in so thick the weed seeds never make contact with soil. And that, too, takes chemicals. You have to fertilize like mad with heavy nitrogen contents.

If you prefer a more natural lawn, you will learn to live with weeds. And, you will realize that weeds have stressors just like grass does. And, you can exploit that when you know what weeds you have. Dandelions, henbit, wild violets, and nutsedge are wicked tough to exploit, though. And, wild violets are super pretty when they are in bloom.....easy to tolerate.

BackyardBirdGardner wrote:

If you prefer a more natural lawn, you will learn to live with weeds. And, you will realize that weeds have stressors just like grass does. And, you can exploit that when you know what weeds you have. Dandelions, henbit, wild violets, and nutsedge are wicked tough to exploit, though. And, wild violets are super pretty when they are in bloom.....easy to tolerate.

+1

Several years ago, we decided to let it do what it does. We don't care if there is dandelions, creeping charlie or what ever out there. It's all organic now. Or as organic as you can get it living next to a road. I read up on native plants, how to eat them, use them as medicine, what not. The dandelions are not that tasty in my opinion (although, they have become a popular salad ingredient in some circles), but they make really good wine. Sorry, I don't have any suggestions other than to get your people to read about this kind of thing. I do not want my cats to walk on chemicals. I don't believe what the chemical companies say. Big business isn't concerned with our welfare, they are concerned with making money. The dogs/cats not to mention children that walk on it, might be fine for some time, but the long term effects are what I'm concerned with.

It's not my lawn so I have to figure out some way to at least minimize weeds. But chemicals aren't an option. Dogs don't just walk on grass.... they graze on grass.... It's a large lawn and what bbg imagines is probably pretty accurate so the idea of dead heading an entire lawn seems overwhelming but I'll give it ago. And in the future I'll look into the gadget.

I'm planning of filling a portion of the backyard with sfg beds, my evil plan to minimize the lawn ;o) Right now we are at three but I'm looking at 9 in the future.

This house doesn't fit my personality at all.... it fits with the song "little boxes on the hill side, little boxes all the same".... our perfectly landscaped neighbors and all are not enjoying my, welcome to the wild approach to gardening. I hate mowing the lawn and maintaining rock bed flower gardens, so I'm pretty much pitching a fit right now.... On the plus side, I've attracted all the insectivore birds in the neighborhood. :o) I watched pretty birds eating insects off our bushes yesterday, so pretty!

Do you have access to child labor? I pay a penny a squash bug, 10 cents for eggs and a penny per pine cone. The downside to having young helpers is having to count dead, soggy squash bugs. Dandelions will make a beautiful yellow dye. The first year I did this it cost $1.34 for a bug free garden. This year we have had a lot of wind storms. I think that bill has been $4.08. All bills have been paid in full immediately upon collection. Good luck.

Patty from Yorktown

Patty from Yorktown wrote:Do you have access to child labor? I pay a penny a squash bug, 10 cents for eggs and a penny per pine cone. The downside to having young helpers is having to count dead, soggy squash bugs. Dandelions will make a beautiful yellow dye. The first year I did this it cost $1.34 for a bug free garden. This year we have had a lot of wind storms. I think that bill has been $4.08. All bills have been paid in full immediately upon collection. Good luck.

Patty from Yorktown

I just told my daughter I would give her a penny for every "yellow flower" out of the yard she picked. I don't give a rat's patootie about the dandelions, but g'pa wants to make some wine!

Maybe a neighbor kid? The neighbors who don't like your natural approach might send their kids over to help you dead head all those lions.

camprn - that's one of my favorite garden tools! Pops those dandelions right out of the ground. Does well on the violets that are trying to grow in the wrong places, too.

I love the idea of paying the kids - must try this!!

The young couple who have season tickets seats next to us told us excitedly about a tool they use in their yard to root out dandelions. From the way they described it, it could be the tool from Fiskars, called the 7870 Uproot weeder, pictured/described here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030MIHAU/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004CSYAQ6&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1JATFX99B9T827T7N35M

It has a long handle and a lever you step on to push the taproot removal tynes into the ground around the middle of the dandelion, then you push the handle down and it "pops" the dandy's root out of the ground. From what our seatmates said, it works well. I've looked for it locally, but no luck. Looks like there are a couple of companies making a similar tool.

Ahhhh! The dreaded 'Pis en Lit'! This is a fun link. http://www.naturewatch.ca/english/plantwatch/dandelion/fun_facts.html

I have one of those handy dandy long handled tools. We got it at a local hardware store. We are trying not to use weed killer on our lawn but I am beginning to think we will have to. The problem with those tools is that if you leave even a small piece of root in the ground you will get three more dandelions where before you only had one. Also, the dandelion flowers will often go to seed after you cut them off. So if you just cut them off with the mower and leave them in the grass you will get...........MORE dandelions.

We did come across a link that said you can spread 'corn gluten meal' to inhibit the growth of dandelions from seed. It dries out the seed and keeps it from germinating. The problem is, if you have recently spread grass seed, it will keep that from growing too. So we have to decide which it is....poison, hand digging, or just letting them invade everything.

We are thinking of getting T-shirts made up with Natural Born Killers on it with a picture of a dying dandelion on it.

Gwynn

This week I will be trying to manufacture my own weed killer-sounds so much more productive than make your own. Vinegar is a natural weed killer-on most things. Salt is one of the main ingredients in Round-Up. So, we will be trying 1/2 gal water, 1/2 gal vinegar, and 1/2 c salt, then MOL (more or less) vinegar and water (more vinegar less water). I really don't want to go over 1/2 c salt per gallon, the salt stays in the soil, but if I have to up it a bit to spray on leaves of trees that keep popping up in the yard I will.

Are you using the extra strength vinegar or just the regular table vinegar

Gwynn

All I can get my hands on at this time is what I get at the store for pickling, I may need to double the vinegar now that you mention it.

FarmerValerie wrote:This week I will be trying to manufacture my own weed killer-sounds so much more productive than make your own. Vinegar is a natural weed killer-on most things. Salt is one of the main ingredients in Round-Up. So, we will be trying 1/2 gal water, 1/2 gal vinegar, and 1/2 c salt, then MOL (more or less) vinegar and water (more vinegar less water). I really don't want to go over 1/2 c salt per gallon, the salt stays in the soil, but if I have to up it a bit to spray on leaves of trees that keep popping up in the yard I will.

I can't wait to hear how this turns out. I'm losing the battle. lol

Old Hippie wrote:Are you using the extra strength vinegar or just the regular table vinegar

Gwynn

Gwynn - I use straight, regular strength white vinegar from the store. I put it undiluted into a spray bottle and head out to the weeds. Dandelions are a bit tough, so it usually takes 2 rounds of spraying, but I have had GREAT success with straight vinegar this year (first year I have tried it). I sprayed as soon as things started to 'green up', then again a few days later - it was easy to see where I had been, just look for the little brown spots! I then headed out after my first mow. I intend to keep this up after every mowing - I have a small enough yard to be able to do it. Just make sure you do not spray anything you want to live - vinegar is not a descriminating weed killer, it is a PLANT killer! Don't hit the irises!

OK, here's a totally different spin on dandelions. We have been told they're weeds when in fact they are one of Mother Nature's best gifts to us. The sap in the stem helps cure warts. the roots can be dried, roasted and used as a coffee substitute. the leaves can be cooked like any green. I tend to saute with garlic, dried tomatoes, pine nuts and a touch of vinegar (helps the greens release their magical ingredients to us). The flowers are edible and taste like honey. The petals can be used in salads, the flowers can be frittered or made into jelly or wine or even, beer. Dandelion is a fabulous diuretic, like the typical one doctors prescribe but instead of depleting the body of potassium, it provides the body WITH potassium. Medication without side effect, if you will. the leaves are incredibly laden with minerals and vitamins. Dandelion is considered a blood purifier and helps our liver, one of our most vital organs. So, start eating this wild treat. Stop looking at her like a weed and appreciate what she is offering us humans.

I don't cut my dandelions down until they are almost going to seed and I do it at dusk because the bees live them and it is their first food of the season, beside tree flowers.

Speaking of bees, is it normal for them to be really lethargic this time of year? There are so many of them - especially bumble bees - and I have to look closely to see if they are alive. (Some of them aren't but most of them are - just really really slowed down.)

This probably happens every year and I just don't remember it!

Back in the Spring, on this thread, Old Hippie mentioned corn gluten. Has anyone used it? Liked it, disliked it?

I would be using it between my SFG boxes. They are located in a space with no lawn, just scruffy weeds. (You know it's bad when you can't even grow a lush weed-patch!) My plan is to completely mulch between the beds, and would love to have no weeding to do.

I think all bees slow down this time of year. They get cold, they also have had to deal with all the pollution. I've found some on flowers that are so lethargic, they barely move. Every thing dies eventually.

I'm not against dandelions. I don't poison them or try to get rid of them. Same with most things in my yard. But, I don't like the way they taste. I do enjoy dandelion wine though and have considered making it next year. All I have to do if try to find some young children that are close to the ground and will work for peanuts to pick enough of those flowers for me, lol.

Make some dandelion jelly for them with some of the flowers and they'll happily do the work (knowing from what I'm saying!)

I have tried GardensAlive's corn gluten stuff. They call it WOW. It worked on the brand new dandy's, but the bigger ones I had to use vinegar. Once the vinegar has done its job, and the dandy is good and dead, I dig it up and work in a little compost, then reseed. You have to keep this up, cause just one dandy gone to seed, even in a neighbor's yard, can reseed yours rapidly. I finally gave up, and just enjoy the pretty yellow flowers. Plus, my daughter's rabbits love them. So she comes up and harvests some every few days. GardensAlive does have an organic spray for weeds, as well. You can check them out at http://www.gardensalive.com/Default.asp?. Everything they sell is organic. Good luck! I have picky neighbors, too, but the township code says the grass or weeds just have to be less than 10 inches, so they can just suck it up.

The area of lawn that I do not want the dandelions I just hand weeded. Using only a bucket and the digger. When I use the dandelion digger it is so easy, works great and the same plant does not grow back because the root has been removed.