Beloved by some, scorned by others, this yellow-flowered weed can be difficult to eradicate. Read on to learn how to rid your lawn of dandelions.
How To Get Rid of Dandelions in Your Lawn
It may be hard to fathom, but the dandelions were once considered an ornamental flower. Its bright yellow flowers are certainly iconic, but it’s the jagged fang-like leaves that inspired its whimsical name, which comes from a French word meaning “lion’s tooth.”
While some people defend dandelions, others are anxious to be done with them. If you fall in the second camp, here are your best bets to get rid of dandelions in your lawn.
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What Is a Dandelion?
A dandelion is a wild broadleaf perennial herb found in all 50 states and southern Canada, as well as more than 60 other countries. In early spring, it produces yellow flowers followed by puffy seedheads that are easily dispersed by wind.
Are Dandelions a Weed?
It depends. “A plant growing out of place is considered a weed, and that is the classification if you are trying to grow a stand of turfgrass or in a landscape where you are intending to have landscape plants, like in a foundation planting,” says Adam Thoms, PhD., associate professor of commercial turfgrass in the Department of Horticulture and the Turfgrass Extension Specialist for Iowa State University. “If your goal is just to have a green lawn, then it is probably not a weed.”
Are Dandelions Good for Lawns?
Dandelions’ robust root systems, which can be up to 3 ft. long, can actually loosen compacted soil. That allows water and nutrients to penetrate deeper into the ground.
Dandelions also draw up nutrients from deep in the ground and can reduce erosion on bare soil. “As far as preventing erosion, I think a stand of turfgrass is better, as it is a fibrous root system, which has many roots in the top 6 to 12 inches of soil, as opposed to a single tap root like the dandelion,” Thoms says.
Are Dandelions Useful?
Yes. According to Mount Sinai, they are full of vitamins A, B, C and D, plus minerals such as iron, potassium and zinc.
The leaves of young dandelion plants are added to salads and sandwiches. The flowers are used to make wines, and the roots are dried, ground up and sold in health food stores as a tonic tea.
Dandelions can cause allergic reactions in some and may interact negatively with certain medications, so check with your doctor before ingesting them. Also, never eat plants that have been treated with chemical fertilizers or herbicides.
When Do Dandelions Grow in Lawns?
Although dandelions are some of the first flowers to pop up in spring when the soil temperature warms above 50 F, the flower and seed heads can be spotted most of the year. However, the plants go dormant in winter. While the above-ground portion may disappear, the taproot will survive and produce new shoots the following spring.
Are Dandelions Important to Pollinators?
Dandelions are an essential food source for bees and other pollinators, so eradicating too many of these nectar-rich flowers can negatively affect the environment.
“There is differing research out on how good of a source of pollen/nectar dandelions really are. Some reports say that pollinators go to dandelions because it is convenient, and if other plants were present, they would actually be a better source of pollen for the pollinators,” Thoms says. “I would suggest planting an area in the yard where you have a pollinator garden with native plants that offer longer bloom times and more high-quality pollen for the pollinators in your area.”
What Are the Best Ways to Kill Dandelions?
These are your options when you have too many dandelions or some growing where you don’t want them.
Pull Dandelions by Hand
Pull dandelions by hand when there are just a few, or you are working with a small lawn. This is best done after a soaking rain or deep irrigation, as roots will be easier to dislodge. Older dandelions, however, may be deep-rooted and difficult to remove. Leaving behind a portion of the root will allow the plant to reestablish itself.
It is best to pull dandelions when they are young (easier to extricate) and still flowering rather than producing seed (eliminates accidental seed dispersal). A dandelion fork works best, but you can also use a pointed trowel to pull up the plant. While a dandelion fork leaves a small hole that fills on its own, a trowel may leave behind a larger hole, which should be filled with topsoil. Surrounding grass will eventually fill the gap.
Remove Dandelions with a Weed Puller
Special dandelion pullers eliminate the need for stooping. Use them when the soil is damp so taproots come up easily. Position the serrated claws of the weed puller over the head of the flower and step down onto the foot platform to drive the tool into the ground. Pull back, letting the claws close around the plant and its taproot, then pull it out of the ground. Dandelion pullers generally leave a small hole, so there’s no need to fill it with soil.
Trim or Mow Regularly
While it won’t completely control weeds, regular trimming or mowing can be helpful when combined with other weed control methods. The idea is to cut the dandelions back before they flower and set seed, thereby reducing seed production.
Although some plants will form flowers and seedheads lower on their structure to compensate for the mowing, there should still be fewer seeds to deal with. In addition, frequent cutting stresses weeds and reduces their competitive strength against grass.
Apply Chemical Herbicide
If you have lots of dandelions, chemical control may be your best option.
Although these products are effective against dandelions and other broadleaf weeds, they contain toxic chemicals that are harmful to humans and wildlife, as well as other plants. Read the label carefully to ensure the product is compatible with the type of grass you’re growing, and apply it only on a calm day where the wind doesn’t exceed 5 MPH.
Broadleaf herbicides can be applied as liquids or granules. “You can get great control of dandelions with an application of a common turfgrass herbicide,” Thoms says. In most areas, fall is the best time to apply the herbicide. “In the fall, cooler weather tells a plant to move food production from the leaves to the growth point or roots for storage to feed the plant during the winter. This means that any herbicide you can slip into the leaves during this time will also move to the roots so you will get a better kill,” Thoms says.
Oftentimes, a broadleaf herbicide will contain a mixture of two or three herbicides, such as 2,4-D, Dicamba, MCPP and Triclopyr.
Apply Organic Herbicide
Organic herbicides can also be effective but are non-selective, which means they can damage or kill other plants they touch. For this reason, they must be carefully spot-sprayed on a calm day to avoid hitting surrounding plants (blocking other plants with a piece of corrugated cardboard may help). Also, multiple applications may be necessary, as most organic herbicides kill leaves and stems but do not translocate to the roots.
Common ingredients in organic herbicides include acetic acid, citric acid, clove oil, lemongrass oil, d-limonene and ammonium nonanoate.
Once the weed has withered, loosen the soil around it and pull to remove the plant by its roots. Note: Some organic gardeners also kill weeds with boiling water, but this is better suited to weeds growing in sidewalk cracks rather than a lawn where surrounding grass may be injured.
How to Keep Dandelions from Returning
Dandelions will resurrect themselves if the entire root system isn’t removed or killed. Because you’re dealing with a perennial, you can expect the same plants to pop up year after year — in addition to new arrivals from those puffy seedheads.
Some helpful practices to prevent their return include fertilizing your lawn to produce a dense turf to crowd out weeds and controlling seed production with frequent mowing and mechanical removal of dandelions.
For weed seeds already in the ground, use corn gluten as a chemical-free pre-emergent herbicide before weed seeds germinate. Corn gluten will kill dandelion seeds and grass seeds, so don’t use it if you’re doing any seeding.
About The Expert
Adam Thoms, Ph.D., is an associate professor of commercial turfgrass in the Department of Horticulture and the Turfgrass Extension Specialist for Iowa State University. He has been at Iowa State since 2016, conducting research trials on new cultivars and products for the turfgrass industry, testing new maintenance processes and investigating how to manage turfgrass more sustainably. He also teaches as part of the Iowa State Turfgrass Program. Dr. Thoms has M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Tennessee.
