How to Kill Dandelions on the Lawn

Dandelions can attack any lawn, no matter how careful you are. While dandelions are incredibly resilient and naturally invasive, there are a few ways you can get them out of your lawn. However, whichever method you use, it’s best to remove the dandelion before the tips of the yellow flowers ripen, turn white, and show signs of seed flight. Once the white seeds fly out and spread, the job of killing dandelions on the lawn becomes extremely difficult.

Table of Contents

Kill dandelions manually

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/eb/Get-Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-1.jpg/v4-728px-Get- Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-1.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/eb/Get-Rid-of-Dandelions- in-a-Lawn-Step-1.jpg/v4-728px-Get-Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-1.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,” bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Cut the dandelion as it emerges. By simply removing the yellow flowers before they ripen and produce white seeds, you can prevent dandelions from spreading. Install the lawn mower to not cut off the blades of grass less than 5-6 cm tall, as the tall grass acts to block sunlight from feeding the dandelions.

However, you should note that it is not possible to permanently destroy the dandelion root by simply cutting off the flower tops.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/2/2d/Get-Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-2.jpg/v4-728px-Get- Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/2/2d/Get-Rid-of-Dandelions- in-a-Lawn-Step-2.jpg/v4-728px-Get-Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-2.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,” bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Peach dandelion root. Uprooting dandelions can completely remove this weed from the lawn. You can buy and use some “dandelion shovels” at gardeners or farm equipment stores. Some digging shovels are shaped like a fork or a cross between a screwdriver and a fishtail. You can use both tools to dig around the base of the flower, then use the lever to rotate the base of the flower and pull both the roots and the plant out of the ground.

Cover dandelion. Dandelions need a lot of sun to survive. So you can cover it with cardboard or a black plastic bag to block out sunlight for a few days. This way, the dandelion will die on its own.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/d/da/Get-Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-4.jpg/v4-728px-Get- Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-4.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/d/da/Get-Rid-of-Dandelions- in-a-Lawn-Step-4.jpg/v4-728px-Get-Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-4.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,” bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Soil improvement. Add nutrient-rich fertilizers and sawdust to the soil to improve soil quality. Dandelions thrive in acidic soil. If the soil is fertile, the dandelion will have a hard time growing, becoming easier to uproot and harder to root.

Raise chickens or rabbits. Both of these pets are very fond of dandelions, so they will peck/gnaw when this plant comes to the surface. Dandelion is also very good and nutritious for both chickens and rabbits.

Use torches to burn grass. This portable grass torch really helps to burn and kill dandelions.

Kill dandelions with ingredients at home

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/d/d3/Get-Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-7.jpg/v4-728px-Get- Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-7.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/d/d3/Get-Rid-of-Dandelions- in-a-Lawn-Step-7.jpg/v4-728px-Get-Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-7.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,” bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Pour boiling water over the dandelion. If you regularly pour boiling water over each dandelion plant several times a day, the plants will begin to wilt, dry out and die within 3 days.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/0/0d/Get-Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-8.jpg/v4-728px-Get- Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-8.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/0/0d/Get-Rid-of-Dandelions- in-a-Lawn-Step-8.jpg/v4-728px-Get-Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-8.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,” bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Spray vinegar on the dandelion. Pure white vinegar will still work, but you can boil it to increase the concentration of acetic acid in the vinegar, making it more effective at killing dandelions. Pour vinegar into a spray bottle, then spray from the top to the base of the dandelion.

To be even more effective, you can uproot the dandelion plant, then spray vinegar into the hole you just plucked to kill any remaining roots in the soil.

Spread corn gluten meal (CGM) on the lawn before the dandelions sprout. CGM is a herbicide before weeds come to the ground, so it will help prevent weeds from germinating at the root. Spread CGM on the lawn 4-6 weeks before the weeds start to sprout. Since the effect of CGM only lasts 5-6 weeks, you must reapply several times throughout the growing season of the dandelion.

Sprinkle salt on the dandelion. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt (14 g) right at the base of the dandelion, right where it rises above the lawn. However, avoid sprinkling salt on other plants as salt can also kill many other plants.

Use muriatic acid. Buy muriatic acid at a farm supply store. Acids are affordable and the effects last forever. You should wear rubber gloves. Use a dropper to drip concentrated acid onto the dandelion. Avoid breathing acid fumes. The dandelion flowers will turn brown after a few minutes and the plant will die.

Use chemicals

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/e3/Get-Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-12.jpg/v4-728px-Get- Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-12.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/e3/Get-Rid-of-Dandelions- in-a-Lawn-Step-12.jpg/v4-728px-Get-Rid-of-Dandelions-in-a-Lawn-Step-12.jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,” bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Try chemical herbicides. Using a post-emergent herbicide formulated for large-scale weed control is the ideal way to kill dandelions. Systemic herbicides, such as those containing Glyphosate, should be sprayed directly on the weeds to be killed. Do not spray these products over the entire lawn. Glyphosate herbicides can kill all plants, so they should only be sprayed directly on dandelion leaves. After the tree dies, this chemical will seep into the tree and destroy the roots.

Advice

You can eat root dandelions without herbicides. Dandelion is edible and provides many nutrients such as vitamin A, potassium and beta-carotene, and significant amounts of vitamin C and vitamin D, iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium and phosphorus. You can eat the leaves, roots, and flowers fresh or cooked.
Pruning dandelions can also cause them to grow shorter later.

Warning

Be careful when using herbicides to kill dandelions, whether chemical or natural. Many herbicides are non-selective and can kill many plants, not just weeds. Careless use of herbicides will cause damage to the lawn.

Things you need

Lawn mower

or

Dandelion digging shovel

or

Hot water

or

Cardboard (cardboard)

or

Black nylon bag

or

Vinegar

or

Corn Gluten Flour

or

Fertilizer

or

Salt

or

Grass torch

or

Chicken or rabbit

or

Chemical herbicides

Steps