How to Permanently Kill Dandelions in Your Lawn

Dandelions spread prolifically by seeds and through their roots.

Dandelions are tall and gangly weeds with yellow blooms that grow in gardens, meadows, orchards and on lawns. They aggressively compete with grass and ornamental plants for sunlight, water and nutrients. Dandelions are perennial weeds that reproduce seedlings rapidly during the spring and fall seasons. Once established, they continue to appear unless eliminated. Successful management of the noxious weed requires a combination of chemical and physical controls to prevent growth and destroy the plant.

Things You'll Need

• Herbicide spray
• Grass seed
• 10-10-10 fertilizer
• Garden hose
• Lawn mower
• Dandelion knife

Instructions

1. Treat affected areas of the lawn with herbicide spray to kill dandelion weeds. Hold the sprayer close to the ground and spray only the areas of the lawn where dandelions exist. Apply the spray treatment in early fall or spring when temperatures are in the 60s and the wind is calm. Read the herbicide's label carefully before spraying weeds.

2. Sow grass seed with such varieties as Kentucky bluegrass to fill in bare spots left by dead dandelions after killing them with herbicidal spray. Fertilize with 10-10-10 after planting and water the lawn daily with a garden hose. Mow the grass when it's 3 inches high.

3. Look for signs of new dandelion growth after spraying and reseeding the lawn. If growth is found, moisten the soil around the weeds for easy removal. Dig and remove 4 to 6 inches of the dandelion's root system with a dandelion knife. Dandelion knives are designed to eliminate unwanted weeds without damaging the grass. Check affected sites periodically for regrowth. Repeat the digging process until all weeds no longer emerge.

Tips & Warnings

• This method minimizes the amount of chemical weed killer used - a plus if you have children or pets that will play on your lawn.

• You can try other methods, but eventually you will come to realize this is the only one that works.

• Chemical weed killers are poisons, so read the label carefully, and take full precautions.

• Be sure to use a chemical weed killer specifically designated for use on lawns. (Some types of chemical weed killers are general vegetation killers, used to kill all plants, including grass. These general vegetation chemical weed killers will leave circles of dead grass around where you sprayed in your dandelion hole to kill the root.)

References

• North Dakota State University; Questions on Dandelions; Ron Smith
• University of Minnesota Extension; Weed Control in Lawns and Other Turf; Brad Pedersen, et al.
• Cornell University: Managing Lawn Weeds
• "University of California IPM Online"; Dandelions; D. W. Cudney, et al.; July 2006
• University of Minnesota Extension; Controlling Dandelions; 1998