Garden Control – Best Way to Kill Dandelions in the Garden

Keep the lawn clean and pristine from the dreaded weeds with the best way to kill dandelions. They soak up the water and nutrients that grasses need to thrive for a greener turf, which is one great reason to get rid of dandelions. The fluffy remnants of this plant’s bloom flying in the air also cause severe seasonal allergies.

Dandelions are invasive plants, and they spread and seed without issue. They thrive in places where you don’t want them to, like near other plants or all over the garden.

Methods for Killing Dandelions

There are different methods to kill dandelions, from fast and less labor-intensive to non-invasive approaches. Some options get rid of the plants and prevent them from growing back up again at the same time, which is a better approach.

Chemical Spray

The best way to kill dandelions at a faster rate is by using chemical sprays or herbicide. Two common types of chemicals can quickly get rid of dandelions: broadleaf and non-selective. Broadleaf herbicides don’t damage the grass nearby, while non-selective chemicals will kill any other plant it touches.

Pros:

  • Fast-acting approach
  • With the right type of herbicide, it won’t damage the grass

Cons:

  • Harms grass and other plants nearby if using a non-selective herbicide

Features:

  • Contains both Diquat and Glyphosphate
  • Attacks dandelion roots to prevent them from coming back
  • Rainproof after 30 minutes
  • Starts killing dandelions hours after application
  • Ideal for widespread dandelion problems
  • Packaged with a spray bottle

Roundup is a popular name when it comes to products that can keep the yard in pristine condition. A weed killer with a super concentrate in its name provides potent action in killing dandelions, and the Roundup Weed Killer is a powerful killing machine. It has a high concentration of 2 popular weed-killing ingredients, Diquat and Glyphosphate, that can kill dandelions a few hours after application.

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The herbicide doesn’t only dry out the leaves, either. Instead, it gets through the deepest roots of the plants, making sure they won’t infest your yard again.

One of the best features of this weed killer is it doesn’t lose its efficiency with rain. 30 minutes after applying roundup in the dandelion infested garden, the herbicide becomes waterproof.

A roundup is an excellent option for treating widespread dandelion infestations, and as a powerful weed killer, this herbicide has a downside as well. Its fast-acting performance towards dandelions is the same as all plants it comes in contact with, even grass. This weed killer is potent enough to damage vegetables and flowers exposed to it.

On the flip side, the Roundup Weed Killer Super Concentrate comes packaged with a convenient spray bottle. You can use this to make it easy to apply the solution with a high degree of accuracy so you won’t damage the other plants nearby.

Organic Approaches

You don’t have to introduce harmful chemicals to the garden to kill dandelions. There are organic approaches to get rid of the weeds from where you don’t want them.

Spraying Without Chemicals

Pros:

  • Affordable option
  • Doesn’t poison the soil
  • Ingredients readily available in the kitchen

Cons:

  • Kills grass and other plants nearby if sprayed as well
  • Doesn’t produce fast results

Getting rid of dandelions doesn’t have to mean introducing harmful chemicals to the garden. There are other ways to kill dandelions using simple ingredients you can find in the kitchen.

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First is water. Although dandelions suck up moisture in the soil, which is an enemy of a greener turf, they can’t stand hot water. Spraying boiling water to the plants will burn the leaves, causing them to wilt and dry out.

The water will soak into the soil to burn the plant’s roots as well, and with leaves and roots damaged, dandelions will die eventually.

A step up from boiling water is using salt to kill dandelions and prevent them from infesting your garden again. Once you introduce salt in the infested soil, it will stay there for years, preventing dandelions from coming back. Mix equal parts of salt and water then start spraying the chemical-free solution in areas where you permanently want to kill dandelions.

Another active ingredient from your kitchen that makes a great way to kill dandelions is vinegar. Compared to salt, vinegar won’t remain in the soil for a long time and damage it for other plants from growing. Pouring vinegar over the infested areas in the yard can quickly change the soil’s acidity, eventually killing dandelions.

When choosing vinegar as a way to kill dandelions, get one with the highest acidity available for faster results. Combining boiling water and vinegar in equal parts is also an effective chemical-free herbicide for getting rid of dandelions in the yard without damaging the soil.

Physically Removing Dandelions

Pros:

  • Environmentally friendly option
  • Doesn’t damage the grass and other nearby plants
  • Most effective method when done right

Cons:

  • Labor-intensive and time-consuming
  • Dandelions might keep coming back if you weren’t able to get the taproot
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Hand digging, or physically removing dandelions where you don’t want them to grow, is the best way to kill dandelions. It’s the most effective way to get rid of dandelions when done right. The best way for hand digging dandelions is during spring as its seedlings begin to appear.

Physically removing this invasive plant in the yard doesn’t damage nearby plants, grass, and the soil than other methods. However, it’s labor-intensive and time-consuming.

Also, make sure to remove the taproots of the plants as well. They run deep, which can be challenging, but a vital approach to prevent dandelions from growing up again. Getting a special dandelion puller could make the job more comfortable, but don’t expect that you’re going to finish hand digging all dandelions in one go.

Conclusion

With all the types of methods to get rid of invasive plants, you can have a dandelion free yard in no time. You can opt for a fast-acting formula like chemical control for killing dandelions or an organic and non-invasive approach like hand-pulling each plant. Either way, with time and effort, you’ll have a cleaner and greener turf and garden.

However, the best way to kill dandelions is something that doesn’t only kill them but prevent the plants from coming back as well.

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Jill Sandy

I am a sustainable focus gardener. I love decorating my home backyard with beautiful landscape design and creative garden care techniques I develop myself.