One broadleaf perennial weed many individuals are accustomed to is the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). Whereas the intense yellow flower could look cheerful to some, it could possibly actually be an eyesore in dwelling lawns and it’s usually troublesome to take away. Generally present in sunny, moist areas of the garden, dandelions unfold simply from their far-floating seeds and proceed to persevere with their lengthy faucet roots.
Discovered all through the US, the dandelion can usually be seen for almost all of the 12 months however will go dormant within the winter months. Although the above-ground plant could disappear, the faucet root will proceed to outlive and produce new shoots come spring. The flowers of the weed will bloom through the spring and fall and can then flip into the attribute white seed heads that simply disperse to neighboring areas because the wind blows.
Faucet roots develop vertically down into the soil, so though one could take away dandelion by hand-pulling or utilizing a hand-shovel to dig it up, a big faucet root usually exists deeper beneath the soil’s floor making it laborious to take away completely. The basis, which may be as much as three toes in size, have to be fully eliminated or killed for whole management of the weed. Since this can be a perennial weed, if the issue is just not correctly taken care of, owners can count on the identical crops to pop up 12 months after 12 months till the right administration technique is recognized and used.
Dandelion Non-Chemical Management
If the issue is remoted to a couple particular person crops and also you need to give hand-weeding a attempt, there are a number of suggestions and tips that may make this troublesome job extra attainable. To start, water your garden in order that the soil is damp and the weed might be simpler to drag, then seize a backyard device that can assist you loosen the faucet root within the soil. If executed appropriately, the faucet root ought to pull up from the soil with little stress, letting you recognize that you’re not breaking it. It’s best to drag these weeds when they’re nonetheless younger in order that they don’t have time to unfold their seeds. There are additionally particular instruments out there, often called “dandelion pullers” that may help you in hand pulling.
As all the time, sustaining a thick, wholesome garden may even assist to stop these weeds from showing so creating a correct upkeep regime can cease this drawback earlier than it ever begins. Top-of-the-line methods to keep up a thick, wholesome garden is to fertilize the garden with the vitamins it wants. Listed here are a few of our favourite fertilizers. You’ll be able to be taught extra about them in Why Use Lawnifi Fertilizer?.
Dandelion Chemical Management
Pre-Emergent Management of Dandelion
There are additionally choices for chemical management of dandelions, which can be required as a result of issue that may come up when they’re pulled by hand. Whereas it’s troublesome to discover a pre-emergent that’s dandelion particular, it’s a good suggestion for owners to use a basic broadleaf pre-emergent to cease germinating weed seeds earlier than they begin, like Tenacity or Prodiamine.
Hello-Yield Atrazine and Spectracide Weed Cease for St. Augustine and Centipede are two nice merchandise to make use of for prevention of dandelion on St. Augustine or centipede lawns. Each grass sorts are delicate to lively substances like 2,4-D and MSMA, so Atrazine-based weed management merchandise are safer to make use of on these grass sorts if utilized appropriately. Each Hello-Yield Atrazine and Spectracide Weed Cease for St. Augustine and Centipede have pre- and post-emergent properties. A pre-emergent, as its identify suggests, controls weeds earlier than they germinate and seem in your garden. Pre-emergents must be utilized through the spring and fall for efficient management. Submit-emergents, alternatively, are merchandise that management at the moment current weed
Submit-Emergent Management of Dandelion
As beforehand talked about, post-emergents are merchandise that management at the moment current weeds. Total, chemical controls with lively substances quinclorac, 2,4-D, Mecoprop, dicamba, triclopyr or fluroxypyr are efficient post-emergent controls of dandelion. A number of choices for dandelion are SpeedZone Broadleaf Herbicide, SpeedZone Southern Herbicide, Drive XLR8, Crossbow, PastureGard and This fall Plus. These chemical compounds must be combined in a twig tank and utilized with a backpack sprayer in accordance to product labels.
In the event you determine to make use of a chemical management to cease your dandelion drawback, ensure you learn the label rigorously to make sure that it is not going to trigger any harm to your garden and is suitable together with your grass kind.