Posts Tagged ‘Weeds’

How to Get Rid of Dandelions

The Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a hearty broadleaf weed that grows very, very easily. It’s named for it’s sharp, serrated leaves that resemble lion’s teeth. 

Too bad we don’t want it in our lawns. Dandelions are super easy to grow and spread like wildfire. Once dandelions get started, they blow apart, sending those fine little flying filaments as far as several miles. Everywhere they land, they start a new colony of dandelions. Getting rid of them, once they’re settled into your lawn, is an annual ritual. Hopefully I can share of couple of things to make this an easier task for you.

Dandelions were brought to the United States from Europe for use as a medicinal plant. In this regard, it works astonishingly well. It can be used as a diuretic.

It’s also a good source of vitamins, and can be made into a delightful wine. The Whole Foods Market near me actually has them in stock and sells them! While this may be great for your health, it can ruin the looks and health of your lawn.

One of the best ways to deal with dandelions is to hand-pull them (or use a special dandelion weeding tool) from your lawn before they morph into seed umbrellas.

Grab them at the base and make sure you yank out the taproots. You might be fighting a losing battle if your dandelion crop grows from the same root base every spring. In this case, you’ll need to dig them out completely–tap roots can descend as deep as 15 feet depending on your soil. Ouch. How crazy is that??

Treat Dandelions below the Lawn

Once dandelions get a solid footing in your lawn, they form a dense matting. This is typically in a circular pattern. Once the roots are down deep, pulling or digging may not work any more.

In this case, spot spraying your lawn with Glyphosate can kill off the weeds.

The problem with this is it can also leave dead patches of grass. 

Another option is to apply a pre-emergent herbicide like Isoxaben. This can be effective if you water it in your lawn before the temperature reaches a constant 77 degrees. The reason for this is once it’s pretty much 77 or hotter, the seeds begin to germinate.

Using herbicides too soon will burn off dandelion leaves, but the roots will send out fresh shoots come summertime.

You don’t have to use chemicals to have a beautiful lawn. In fact, your lawn will be much healthier if you ban the use of chemicals. In addition, chemicals can poison soil and contaminate water. Use the following tips to get your lawn off drugs.

• Remove weeds by hand. It’s the best type of weed control. Eighty percent of all weeds are annuals. If you remove them before they go to seed, you will be rid of them. If some weeds in your lawn are perennials, dig out the entire root system to ensure they can’t grow back.

• Tolerate beneficial weeds, such as clover. Clover is a nitrogen magic plant that will enhance the health and beauty of your lawn.

• Test your lawn’s soil, using a soil test kit. This will tell you how much organic matter is in the soil, the ph balance and what nutrients to obtain a perfect soil balance.

• If your lawn has bare spots, reseed with a mixture of grass varieties. Most diseases that infiltrate your lawn are very selective. By using a mixture of grasses, you will ensure that your lawn will not be totally wiped out by disease.

• Aerate to prevent the soil from becoming compacted. You will also break through heavy thatch. This allows nutrients and organic matter to reach your lawn’s root system. The best aerators in the world are earthworms.

• If the thatch layer is more than a half inch thick, it’s time to de-thatch. Thatch prevents air, nutrients and water from getting to the soil and promotes a wide variety of problems. If you aerate and rake your lawn briskly, most of the thatch will be removed. Some thatch is beneficial to your lawn because it promotes decomposition of grass clippings and organic matter.

• Grass should always be two to three inches high. Only cut one third of the height at one time to prevent grass from going into shock. It’s imperative that the mower blade is always sharp to prevent grass damage. Tall grass grows longer roots, shades the soil and prevents weed infiltration.

• Always use natural fertilizers. They release nutrients into the soil and allow it to retain them longer. Organic fertilizer decomposes thatch and grass clippings quickly. Sheep manure is one of the best natural fertilizers available.

• Water only when your lawn requires it and then water deeply. If you water frequently and lightly, your lawn will have shallow roots, which makes it more susceptible to disease and insects. If water runs off easily, it’s a sign that you need to aerate.

• Do not remove grass clippings. Not only does your lawn require less raking, but the clippings act as natural fertilizer when they aren’t coated with chemicals. Assure grass clippings are not clumped to promote the decomposition process.

• Do not use herbicides or pesticides. Chemicals kill birds, insects and earthworms that are beneficial to your lawn’s health. If you practice natural lawn care, you will discourage pests.

• Invite beneficial micro organisms and earthworms to your lawn, as well as dragonflies, ladybugs, spiders, toads and frogs. These creatures are the secret to having a healthy and drug free lawn.

Though everyone likes to see their lawn in an enviable condition few are aware of the basics of lawn preparation and maintenance. Planting the seeds, spraying for the weeds, and watering your lawn, all look simple but proper maintenance of a good lawn is no simple task. To some, lawn care is serious business – reading every bit of the literature that they come across and going for a serious lawn building exercise that may make this interesting past time a rudimentary daily routine.

Lawn care and maintenance is more of an enjoyable past time rather than a core activity. Consider these basics of healthy lawn care. While talking about lawns the first thing to consider is mowing. The frequency of mowing, the growth of the grass, and the lawn movers are all integral part in deciding a good mowing habit. Quite often small opening up of the soil leaving more space for the lawn to breathe would accelerate healthy growth of the grass. The lawn is to be sufficiently watered especially during large dry spells of summer to sustain the growth of the grass. Lawns need a good supplement of a proper mix of fertilizers with adequate nitrogen phosphate and potash.

If we go a bit technical, lawns require more than one annual feed. The feed for the summer need contain a nitrogen rich fertilizer where as an autumn feed should be rich in phosphate and potash with an adequate supplement of worm killers and disease resistance. For watering, the coolest time of the day, either in the morning or in the evening is advisable, the frequency being once a week.

A good lawn care management program includes proper weed control besides appropriate mowing and application of fertilizers. The basic mowing lesson includes use of sharp blades and regular mowing from March to October. Care should be taken not to move the mower backwards and forwards. In the case of new lawns, the first thing to be considered is to prepare a smooth and level ground by a tractor and box blade. As regards sowing the seeds they need spread in two directions preferably with a rotary spreader. The seeds are to be planted around thirty days in advance. Depending upon the temperature the seed suitable for hot season or for the cold spell may be selected. A healthy lawn requires more or less an inch of water during a week. Further aerating in spring is considered best for the lawns. The recent trend in the lawn care is the use of the organic fertilizers. These are environmental friendly and harmless to the plants. Literature on organic fertilizers is plentiful on the market. The cost of the organic fertilizers is almost the same that of the chemical fertilizers but the benefit stays longer.

The type of lawn care depends on one’s budget. One can afford to spend thousands of dollars should the lawn making is taken as a serious hobby. If, on the other, hand one needs a well maintained lawn to spend a few hours with family and friends the same may not cost much.

Time-strapped homeowners take heart-you can have an natural green lawn. Dedicating less than two hours a week to the average lawn can produce great results if you prioritize your tasks, says the nationally known “Yard Doctor,” Trey Rogers, Ph.D.

A recent survey revealed that consumers’ number one lawn care problem was finding enough time to care for their yards.

“Having a nice-looking lawn is important to most homeowners,” explains Rogers, the Michigan State University turf scientist who has helped grow grass for the Olympic Games as well as for average homeowners. “But when busy schedules create a time crunch, you can prioritize your lawn care tasks and look for shortcuts that will still allow you to have a good-looking lawn.”

He suggests these time-savers:

• Cut your lawn less often. Never “scalp” your lawn thinking you can mow less often. Letting grass grow a little longer is far healthier than mowing too close. Scalping damages the grass blades, preventing the damaged lawn from fending off pests, disease and weeds. When you mow, cut only a third of the length of the grass.

• Water more efficiently. If you use manually placed sprinklers, set them properly the first time you use them so they water as much of your lawn as possible without sprinkling sidewalks or driveways. Mark the locations so you won’t have to guess the next time. If you can leave the sprinkler attached to a water hose, you save a few more minutes-just unreel the hose. Water in the morning (perhaps while you are getting ready for work or getting the kids off to school) to enhance absorption and avoid evaporation.

• Get the kids to help. Put your kids in charge of easy yard care chores. Have them clear away all toys, sticks and other objects before you mow. They can also help with watering. Children should be out of the area and under supervision before you start to mow, however.

• Fertilize once, when it can do the most good. If you only have time for one application a year, fertilize at the beginning of the growing season with a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. It’s less likely to damage your lawn if your application technique is not perfect, and it will continue to work for weeks.

• Keep your mower in good working order. Have it tuned up once a year or do it yourself (it takes 30 minutes or less).

The Yard Doctor is part of the Briggs & Stratton Yard Smarts program, created to help homeowners achieve the yard they really want to have by providing knowledge and inspiration on lawn and yard care.

If you are pressed for time but want your yard to look nice, mow the front lawn first and the back in a day or two.