Dandelions !

mary43

My garden seems to suit dandelions a treat, there's loads of them and they're so hard to dig up. Is there another way of killing them off without using chemicals ?

exlibris

Get a rabbit?

~Chameleon~

I've got loads too and have been going round pulling off all the heads to stop them seeding for the time being, but I think the only way to get rid permanently is to dig out the roots which I'm going to start doing next week.

mary43

exlibris - having a rabbit would dispose of the leaves but not sure it would get rid of the dandelion in total, and I don;t want to run the risk of letting a rabbit loose round the rest of the garden.............then there's the cat problem..............

chameleon - looks like digging them up by the roots is going to be the best bet then. Not an easy task though.........

ceridwen

mary43 wrote: »

My garden seems to suit dandelions a treat, there's loads of them and they're so hard to dig up. Is there another way of killing them off without using chemicals ?

....er <<cough>> waste not, want not mary....might as well think in terms of them as being useful free wild food (if my memory serves me correct - dandelion leaves can be eaten raw in salads. Would need to check that fact - but pretty sure that is the case:D ).

Gingernutmeg

ceridwen wrote: »

....er <<cough>> waste not, want not mary....might as well think in terms of them as being useful free wild food (if my memory serves me correct - dandelion leaves can be eaten raw in salads. Would need to check that fact - but pretty sure that is the case:D ).

You can eat them, but not too many as they're a diuretic. Could be uncomfortable lol

mary43

ceridwen - just googled and found the benefits of dandelions.........trouble is, mine grow in 'unwanted' places........like smack bang in the middle of a tub where another plant is desparatly trying to grow.
Did have a look at www.plantea.com and found this idea of getting rid of them and at least it avoids the usual chemicals

A 5-percent concentration of vinegar, similar to that found in household vinegar, is an effective weed killer against annual and perennial weeds such as dandelions, foxtail, velvetleaf, smooth pigweed and thistle. It works in the garden or greenhouse.
When applied to the weed foliage, the acid in the vinegar acts as a contact herbicide that kills the plants but does not persist in the soil or cause water or other pollution. For older perennial weeds, you may need to apply vinegar more than once. Try heating the vinegar for added punch

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Apparently pouring boiling water can do the trick as well.

Another tip was to sit back and enjoy them.............then make sure that when the flowers are over get them before they turn to seeds

Jonjulie

Old wives tale,try pouring salt on them.

mary43

Thanks..............I'll give that a try:j

A_Clock

Jonjulie wrote: »

Old wives tale,try pouring salt on them.

Not too much salt through as it stays in the ground and kills the next thing you plant! if i remember right...

Maz

I've ben told that if you chop them off, then pour salt down through the stems, it will kill the root. Haven't tried it yet though, I just dig then out before they get too strong.