How to Get Rid of Dandelions Naturally Without Harsh Chemicals

Sure, you could spray your lawn with toxic chemicals to keep it free from dandelions. However, if you don't like the idea of filling your yard with toxins, can't stomach the thought of those chemicals getting into the soil or groundwater, or if you have pets or children and are worried about their safety there are several ways that you can control or eliminate dandelions without using harsh chemicals.

The most obvious way of getting rid of dandelions naturally is to pull them by hand. However, this can be really difficult to do. Dandelions have a large tap root that goes deep into the ground. If you don't pull the entire tap root while weeding the dandelions will just grow back.

There are several tools on the market to assist with pulling dandelions that can help. Most of these consist of a puller or twister at the end of a long rod. The rod allows you to use them while standing upright so you don't have to strain and bend over to reach the weeds.

If pulling them out of the ground sounds like too much of a hassle, there are also ways that you can control them at the surface.

To keep them from spreading, pick all the yellow flowers off them before they have a chance to get to the puffball stage. This will prevent more dandelion seeds from being spread all over your lawn and will help to keep the problem from getting worse.

While you are at it, pick all the leaves off the plant. This won't immediately kill them because the tap root will still be thriving underground. It will eventually send out more leaves and flowers. However, if you keep picking the leaves and flowers off over and over again eventually the tap root will die because it won't be getting the nutrients that it needs.

To kill the weeds more quickly, you can spray them with vinegar. However, you should use caution and be sure the vinegar doesn't get on the surrounding lawn since it will kill it as well.

For dandelions on hard surfaces like cracks in your sidewalk or in gravel you may want to invest in a weed torcher or flame weeder to burn them away. Although these devices can be a bit on the pricey side, they are quite easy to use and effective at getting rid of dandelions without the need for harsh chemicals.

Finally, one of the best defenses against dandelions is to keep your lawn healthy. Throw some more grass seed in any sparse areas. Avoid cutting your lawn too short. Aim for a height of about 2-3 inches. This will help to block out the sun from and dandelion or weed seeds and prevent some of them from germinating. Finally, use a mulching mower rather than a bag mower and leave the grass clippings on your lawn to act as mulch.

These simple tips should help you to reduce or eliminate dandelions from your lawn in a more gentle, natural way than using toxic chemicals or weed killers.