How to Kill Dandelions: Best Ways to Eradicate Weeds

Although dandelions have some beneficial uses in herbal medicine and the young leaves are nutritious eaten as greens in early spring, they are weeds to most people. Eradicating dandelions from lawns is big business, and it can become an obsession with some homeowners.

You can kill dandelions by using one of the commercial chemical preparations. Round-up is a non-selective herbicide, and will kill any surrounding plants, including grass. Weed-B-Bone is a selective herbicide that targets only broadleaf weeds like dandelions. You still need to be careful using it, but it won't kill your grass. Both of these are available at discount and home improvement stores as well as lawn and garden stores. They come in a concentrated form to be mixed with water; always follow label directions carefully. They can also be found pre-mixed, usually in some kind of hand sprayer bottle. Leaves should be sprayed until wet, but avoid drippy run-off of the product. Once the chemical is dry it is normally rain-proof, typically after a couple of hours.

Fight dandelions any time of year, but fall can be the most effective. The plants go dormant in the fall, and sap runs from the leaves into the root, which will re-grow a plant next season. By spraying leaves in fall, the herbicide will be carried down to the root quickly, causing a more complete kill.

Acetic acid (vinegar) can be used as an organic herbicide spray. The higher the concentration of acetic acid, the more potent the vinegar will be as an herbicide. Grocery store vinegar is 5%, but you can strengthen it by boiling it down to a higher concentration. Spray the plant until it is wet, preferably on a sunny day when there is no forecast of rain.

If you plan to spray any chemical or organic herbicide on dandelions, don't mow your lawn for several days before you spray. You want a large leaf surface to receive the spray, and mowing will reduce the leaf surface. Also the yellow flowers are good tags to help you locate the plants. Just try to get to your dandelions before they go to seed.

The safest, organic way to eradicate dandelions is simply to dig them. This works well if you only have a few dotting your lawn. There is a garden implement with a broad two-prong head that is made for digging dandelions. It works well if you can position it to lift the whole plant, including the root. Many people use a long screwdriver or other long sharp tool to aid in digging out the weeds. The problem with digging dandelions is that they have a very long taproot, and if any part of it is broken off and left behind, it will regenerate.

Ordinary salt, about one teaspoonful sprinkled at the base of each dandelion plant, is another organic method of killing them. It may take a while to work, and you may need to reapply the salt, but it eventually kills the plant, root and all.

Sources:
Personal Experience
http://www.the-lawn-advisor.com/What-Will-Kill-Dandelions.html
http://www.professorshouse.com/your-home/gardening-plants/how-to-kill-dandelions.aspx
http://gardening.tips.net/Pages/T005048_Kill_Dandelions_Easily_with_Salt.html