Effective dandelion control methods

Dandelions: what is their danger?

Many summer residents already at the beginning of May enter into an unequal battle with this weed. The fight against dandelions continues year after year, but is everything so hopeless? Let's try to figure it out in this article.

Dandelion, a seemingly harmless yellow flower that grows along the sides of roads and parks, is not as simple as you think. It begins to bloom for the first time in mid-spring, but that's not all. Dandelion can bloom up to 2-3 times per season. Hundreds of seeds of this weed are parachuted into the surrounding area by air parachutes. Moreover, its survival rate is phenomenal. Dandelion can grow in the most unfavorable areas. And growing on lawns and personal plots is his weakness. Removing the weed will not work quickly due to its strong root system. All crops in the immediate vicinity of the weed may be affected. It is important that an allergic person can also fall prey to dandelions. Many ways have been invented to deal with this uninvited guest, but the choice of a specific method depends on the location of the growth of the weed.

Control methods

If the dandelion has settled in the garden, then it is best to start the war in early spring. The stems of the weed have not yet matured, and most importantly, there is no flowering. Future beds must be dug deeply, selecting and throwing out all plant fragments. It is worth weeding both the aisle and the nearby garden area. Subsequently, the weed may reappear, but if you carried out the early treatment correctly, without waiting for flowering, then the new weed will be weak and will not multiply. Of course, at the end of the season, the beds and the garden area must be dug up again.

If the dandelion lives on the lawn, then fighting it with a hoe is not suitable. And we also cannot dig up the lawn. Of course, you can go hand-to-hand with a dandelion, but pulling out the weed, the rhizome will certainly remain and after a while it will reappear.

You can try to influence the weed with table salt and vinegar essence, or just boiling water. It is noteworthy that for a dandelion, repeated processing is destructive, but the nearby vegetation will not suffer. But this method is good for young weeds; it is unlikely that it will be possible to get rid of large-sized weeds.

An effective way to get rid of weeds is to use a root remover. It is especially good if the area is covered with overgrown perennial plants. But this method requires skill and dexterity. The tool penetrates the ground and cuts out the rhizome of the weed. The fossa quickly overgrows after it.

There are situations when it is necessary to resort to the most severe impact. For example, your area is completely covered with weeds and manual removal is ineffective. In this case, herbicides are used. It is important to remember that these are chemically hazardous substances. Therefore, before using them on your personal plot, it is worth weighing all the pros and cons. Make sure that adjacent crops are not harmed. True, now they produce herbicides that have a selective effect directly on weeds.

Most often, specialized stores offer Roundup... This tool destroys all vegetation, and as a rule, new, not yet cultivated areas are treated with it.A specialized tool will help to get rid of not only a specific type of weed, but along the way can spoil the quality of your lawn grass. Therefore, when buying a herbicide, carefully read the reviews about the chemical. Be sure to use a respirator, gloves, special clothing when handling. Do not operate in strong winds. Keep people and pets away from the area for some time after chemical treatment.

Dandelions are almost impossible to resist herbicides, but nothing prevents the seeds from taking root in nearby areas. Therefore, even such aggressive processing should be carried out before the flowering of the weed. After that, the dandelions are removed from the ground and sprinkled with soil, since even in this state the weed can spread seeds.

Periodically mowing the grass with a trimmer or lawn mower helps the lawn grass grow better and the dandelions get weaker each time. But this method is not bad for a lawn, but what about flower beds and rockeries? Mulching can be used. Both organic - chips, bark, needles, and inorganic - covering material are suitable. Agrofibre can be used to protect strawberries and strawberries from weed.