dandelions... how to get rid of them??

[taprlawncare]

I just got a new account that is going to help me big time in getting more business. This property is a convenience store and there are dandelions and leafy weeds all over the place. What is the best way to get rid of these, without the use of herbicides?? Should i try digging them all up, or use a weed and feed? I want to impress them by giving them a thick lush lawn. Help please!

[JNyz]

You need to use a herbicide.

[taprlawncare]

will cutting the lawn short then adding grass seed with a turf builder fertilizer help this situation?, or should i just kill the lawn.

[JNyz]

Use trimec on the lawn. It will kill the weeds and not the existing grass.

[taprlawncare]

thanx, but herbicides and all pesticides are banned where i live.

[Sweet Tater]

then if you are licensed you can weed and feed, or dig them one by one. if ya cant do a 2-4-d treatment

[yardatwork]

Are you being serious? You want to impress them and thought about killing the lawn so you could make them spend more money on you reseeding? And...how could ALL "cides" be banned in you area when you can go to any Lowe's and buy any weed and feed or broad leaf killer? I don't know you area and I could be wrong. If you don't put a broad leaf killer on the lawn, you'll never win the dandelion battle. You could always wait two or three weeks and they will be gone on their own (for the most part).

[jg244888]

no hes telling the truth all pesticides are completely banned as of apr 1 of this year. every single piece of grass already looks like s**t. its such a stupid law.

[kirk1701]

no hes telling the truth all pesticides are completely banned as of apr 1 of this year. every single piece of grass already looks like s**t. its such a stupid law.

Ahh, see your in Canada that's the problem. Canadian laws, not US that banned them. ;)

[JeffNY]

Im not sure which idea I like better, pulling them one by one, or killing the whole lawn and reseeding.

[Economy Landscaping]

killing the whole lawn and reseeding is only going to be a temp fix. because sooner or later they will be back... specially if the near by lawns have them. (it never fails!)

[Alblawn]

This may sound crazy but I hear that it works. Look into corn gluten meal. It might be too late in the season but spreading throughout the lawn is supposed to stop the Germination, etc. of dandilions.
I have been mowing a lady's lawn for three years. She uses the stuff. I have never seen a dandilion in her yard. Wish all my lawns were that way.

Here is just one of many articles.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/43637577.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUvckD_V_jEyhD:UiacyKUUr

[txgrassguy]

Corn gluten meal is essentially a pre-emergent although applied heavily enough it will have some post-emergent effects.
Apply it in any kind of wind and you'll end up looking like a yellow smurf.
Best bet is to obtain some vinegar and spot spray the dandelions.

[Alblawn]

I have no idea regarding the consistency of the Corn Gluten Meal. Added with vinegar would you need a large sprayer nozzle or is small enough to not clog a sprayer. I would like to try that. Thanks for the info.

[JNyz]

How are you going to kill a lawn if you can not use a herbicide?????????

[taprlawncare]

Im not sure which idea I like better, pulling them one by one, or killing the whole lawn and reseeding.


Ya well I told you I didn't know what to do. And the size of the lawn is not massive so as rediculous as pulling them one by one sounds, I didn't think it was THAT bad of an idea. However I'd rather not do it that way. I guess I'll just try a good fertilizer with some weed control. And yes this new Canadian law is stupid, it limits your options on dealing with anything that affects lawns. Thanx for all your input tho.

[taprlawncare]

This may sound crazy but I hear that it works. Look into corn gluten meal. /43637577.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUvckD_V_jEyhD:UiacyKUUr[/url]

Thanx, actually I started reading about that last night and I have heard it in the past, I might give this a try.

[trooper8870]

Corn gluten meal is essentially a pre-emergent although applied heavily enough it will have some post-emergent effects.
Apply it in any kind of wind and you'll end up looking like a yellow smurf.
Best bet is to obtain some vinegar and spot spray the dandelions.

Are you saying that spot spraying the dandilions with pure vinegar will kill them?

[Chilehead]

2-4-D, man. For real.

[trooper8870]

I apologize for not knowing that the the slang term for 2-4-d was vinegar. We just call it 2-4-d here.

[Think Green]

Are you saying that spot spraying the dandilions with pure vinegar will kill them?

Trooper8870,

I would like to give thanks to one of my best sources and authors of a great book for the viewers to read. It is called--"The Truth About Garden Remedies", by Jeff Gillman

Vinegar is used as a soil acidifier, as a fungicide, and as a herbicide or fertilizer. Vinegar is supplied to weeds in concentrations of 5% to 100% and the most common varieties are apple cider and white. Vinegar is highly acidic and is supposed to kill plants. If applied in high doses, it will kill the whole weed and at lower doses, it will kill just the vegetation. This concoction is mostly a contact killer and results will vary depending on the amount used.
It will tinge grasses but will recover after the strength is reduced by watering in the solution or as the vinegar leaches through the soil.
Here is the kicker----sometimes as the vinegar leaches through the soil, the weed may grow back from unaffected roots.

Personally, unless a person has alot of vinegar lying around the house, I would choose glyphosate any day. Glyophosate will do the same thing, and is not soil destructive, nor does it manipulate any pH or beneficial microbes.
Our forefathers had remedies like these for centuries, but we have beneficial products today that are just as effective and not that expensive to use.

[McVey Landscape]

A good granular weed/feed or my favorite is 2-4-d. Kills all broad leaf no harm to grass if used properly.

[ixlr8]

My wife is at war with the dandelions, she has been using vinegar in a sprayer to spot treat. Add a few drops of soap to the mixture to help the vinegar to wetout and stick to the leaves. Does a good job on the dandelions, tinges the grass but it quickly comes back. There is a concern about the acid levels in the lawn. Our soil is a bit alkaline anyway so for us it is not a major concern... but we are monitoring it. She has used about 4 gallons of vinegar on 1.5 acres.