I want to get-rid of dandelions from a lawn of a couple acres, and I
have been doing some reading.
There is a basic list of things to do, and one of them is to make a
healthy lawn but it is never explained whether this will get rid of
dandelions or does it only prevent them.
My questions is...can you take you dandelion filled lot and do all of
the lawn building activities (aerate, fertilize, over-seed, water,
etc) and end up getting rid of the dandelions, or is that impossible?
Do you have to go to the chemical warfare?

wrote:
I want to get-rid of dandelions from a lawn of a couple acres, and I
have been doing some reading.
There is a basic list of things to do, and one of them is to make a
healthy lawn but it is never explained whether this will get rid of
dandelions or does it only prevent them.
My questions is...can you take you dandelion filled lot and do all of
the lawn building activities (aerate, fertilize, over-seed, water,
etc) and end up getting rid of the dandelions, or is that impossible?
Do you have to go to the chemical warfare?

You can pull them. There are some excellent gadgets to help available. A
handheld sprayer with weed-b-gon or equivalent can make it easier with minimum
chemical usage by spraying only the weeds.

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/004389.php

Fertilizing and watering will not kill them in my experience, but you will get a
lot less new ones with a healthy lawn.

On 5/24/2010 1:48 AM, wrote:
I want to get-rid of dandelions from a lawn of a couple acres, and I
have been doing some reading.
There is a basic list of things to do, and one of them is to make a
healthy lawn but it is never explained whether this will get rid of
dandelions or does it only prevent them.
My questions is...can you take you dandelion filled lot and do all of
the lawn building activities (aerate, fertilize, over-seed, water,
etc) and end up getting rid of the dandelions, or is that impossible?
Do you have to go to the chemical warfare?

I'm no expert but nobody's answering you, so I'd say no. Chemical or
physical removal IMHO is only thing that works. Look at something like
Scott's treatment which requires 4 applications a year and besides
fertilizer contains crabgrass premerg, broadleaf killers, and bug killers.

Personally, I do a weed and feed treatment with a product much cheaper
than Scotts and then only spot weeding with chemicals or physical
removal as necessary.

On 5/24/2010 12:49 PM, Frank wrote:
On 5/24/2010 1:48 AM, wrote:
I want to get-rid of dandelions from a lawn of a couple acres, and I
have been doing some reading.
There is a basic list of things to do, and one of them is to make a
healthy lawn but it is never explained whether this will get rid of
dandelions or does it only prevent them.
My questions is...can you take you dandelion filled lot and do all of
the lawn building activities (aerate, fertilize, over-seed, water,
etc) and end up getting rid of the dandelions, or is that impossible?
Do you have to go to the chemical warfare?

I'm no expert but nobody's answering you, so I'd say no. Chemical or
physical removal IMHO is only thing that works. Look at something like
Scott's treatment which requires 4 applications a year and besides
fertilizer contains crabgrass premerg, broadleaf killers, and bug killers.

Personally, I do a weed and feed treatment with a product much cheaper
than Scotts and then only spot weeding with chemicals or physical
removal as necessary.

Looks like I'm recommending Scott's but I'm not - just giving it as an
example of what I consider over kill. I believe in minimum use of
fertilizer and chemicals but use as necessary.

wrote:
I want to get-rid of dandelions from a lawn of a couple acres, and I
have been doing some reading.
There is a basic list of things to do, and one of them is to make a
healthy lawn but it is never explained whether this will get rid of
dandelions or does it only prevent them.
My questions is...can you take you dandelion filled lot and do all of
the lawn building activities (aerate, fertilize, over-seed, water,
etc) and end up getting rid of the dandelions, or is that impossible?
Do you have to go to the chemical warfare?


I spot-treat them and thistles with 2,4-d. "Weed-n-feed" fertilizers
just spread too many pounds of herbicide for me (the whole
neighborhood reeks when the ChemLawn truck comes around and sprays
half the yards) so I always have a *few* dandelions in my yard but I'm
OK with that.

I've been doing some research; triclopyr is much less toxic than
2,4-d, and it will kill resistant weeds like creeping charlie and
chickweed, so I may switch to that even though it's more expensive to
use. (it's the active ingredient in Ortho Brush-B-Gon and Garlon and
Crossbow herbicides)

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
wrote:
I want to get-rid of dandelions from a lawn of a couple acres, and I
have been doing some reading.
There is a basic list of things to do, and one of them is to make a
healthy lawn but it is never explained whether this will get rid of
dandelions or does it only prevent them.
My questions is...can you take you dandelion filled lot and do all of
the lawn building activities (aerate, fertilize, over-seed, water,
etc) and end up getting rid of the dandelions, or is that impossible?
Do you have to go to the chemical warfare?


I spot-treat them and thistles with 2,4-d. "Weed-n-feed" fertilizers
just spread too many pounds of herbicide for me (the whole neighborhood
reeks when the ChemLawn truck comes around and sprays half the yards) so
I always have a *few* dandelions in my yard but I'm OK with that.

I've been doing some research; triclopyr is much less toxic than 2,4-d,
and it will kill resistant weeds like creeping charlie and chickweed, so
I may switch to that even though it's more expensive to use. (it's the
active ingredient in Ortho Brush-B-Gon and Garlon and Crossbow herbicides)

Bob


I just realized I didn't answer your question. I don't think a
healthy lawn can crowd-out established dandelions, so you'll have to
pull them or poison them. A thick healthy lawn can probably keep new
dandelions from taking over again.

Bob

If the neighbors have it and don't treat it, you will always have some.
When it goes to seed, it is sure to blow over on your lawn also.
........... Rich

On May 24, 12:43*pm, zxcvbob wrote:
zxcvbob wrote:
wrote:
I want to get-rid of dandelions from a lawn of a couple acres, and I
have been doing some reading.
There is a basic list of things to do, and one of them is to make a
healthy lawn but it is never explained whether this will get rid of
dandelions or does it only prevent them.
My questions is...can you take you dandelion filled lot and do all of
the lawn building activities (aerate, fertilize, over-seed, water,
etc) and end up getting rid of the dandelions, or is that impossible?
Do you have to go to the chemical warfare?

I spot-treat them and thistles with 2,4-d. *"Weed-n-feed" fertilizers
just spread too many pounds of herbicide for me (the whole neighborhood
reeks when the ChemLawn truck comes around and sprays half the yards) so
I always have a *few* dandelions in my yard but I'm OK with that.

I've been doing some research; triclopyr is much less toxic than 2,4-d,
and it will kill resistant weeds like creeping charlie and chickweed, so
I may switch to that even though it's more expensive to use. *(it's the
active ingredient in Ortho Brush-B-Gon and Garlon and Crossbow herbicides)

Bob

I just realized I didn't answer your question. *I don't think a
healthy lawn can crowd-out established dandelions, so you'll have to
pull them or poison them. *A thick healthy lawn can probably keep new
dandelions from taking over again.

Bob

Thanks. That's what I was seeking.
I've killed them with chemicals in the past, but was just wondering if
they can be choked-out (seems like you can't and they are there
forever unless you poison them).
As for pulling-them, I would be at it for ever.

In article ,
(EVP MAN) wrote:

If the neighbors have it and don't treat it, you will always have some.
When it goes to seed, it is sure to blow over on your lawn also.
.......... Rich

Know I'm ****ing into the wind here, but just sos ya know.
Dandelion is high in potassium, and vitamins A & C, so it is prime salad
fixins, and has also been used historically to treat poor digestion,
water retention, and diseases of the liver, including hepatitis.

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Taraxacum+officinale
http://www.holisticonline.com/herbal-med/_Herbs/h48.htm
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

On 2010-05-24, EVP MAN wrote:

If the neighbors have it and don't treat it, you will always have some.
When it goes to seed, it is sure to blow over on your lawn also.
.......... Rich

How true. As long as my "lawn" is geen, I don't care what grows
in it. I mow once a week, let the clipping fall where they may
(that's my fertilizer) and the bare spots soon turn to grass over
a few years. Worms help, even if they do make a bumpy lawn.

I think, unless you live in one of those ritzy neighborhoods with
covenents that tell you to get rid of those, and that, whatever,
you can have a green area. Though it would be smarter to have a
natural lawn, whatever grew there before the humans took over.

Stinken pesticides have killed off more natuaral areas where man
has decided to take over with his extreme values that all nature
has to kowtow to his liking.
/rant
--
Bud