Lawn full of dandelions

Trouble with digging them out is unless you get the whole root out it will just grow again. I’ve tried various weed killers but they just regrow. I share your frustration mine are nowhere near as prolific as yours. I do have a go at getting them out using a long flathead screwdriver. I hope someone gives you some ideas.

The bees love their flowers but if you do want to get rid of them over the winter pour vinegar into the middle of the dandelion plants.

My DH uses a gas burner and zaps them as soon as they appear.
We still seem to have plenty of yellow flowers in the lawn though. I try not to let them form clocks but I leave the flowers as long as I can for the insects.

My husband loves spray bottles filled with vinegar and a bit of washing up liquid. He sprays dandelions, right in the center, drenching that bit.

Ah - I have just tried spraying vinegar into the centre of them in a small part of the lawn to see what happens.

Luckygirl3

Ah - I have just tried spraying vinegar into the centre of them in a small part of the lawn to see what happens.

Is it sunny out?

They wilt quickly in the sun, if not - spray again.

Dandelions like a soil that is low in calcium, and compacted.

So maybe once you have got rid of them, you could employ some one over the winter to fork over the area and add calcium?

If they don't get the conditions they like they dont thrive.

I'm mowing round the few dandelions still flowering, as every time I get close to one I see at least one insect on it. I'd rather have flowers in my grass than a bowling green - particularly as I can't play bowls.

We just leave them, the daisies and clover for the bees and others to enjoy. There would be nothing left if we got rid of them anyway!!

My partner is going out to buy Resolver to put on the weeds on his patio. It’s ferrous sulphate so I don’t know how dangerous that is. I was going to just try hot water and vinegar. My lawn is full of weeds for the first time ever( so is my daughters). Not sure what I’m going to try.

Just call it re-wilding, and leave them to it.

I tried the vinegar method on weeds between paving slabs.
They seemed to die off but then grew back.

We bought a dandelion remover from the garden centre which targets the dandelion, root as well, it is easy but requires a bit of effort to use. The resulting holes can be filled with compost mixed with a little grass seed.
Spear and Jackson, I think.

Can you find someone to do this for you?

A few wild flowers in a lawn are lovely but total infestation with dandelions, no.

There are some fields near here which are just dandelion fields and, of course, the clocks blow everywhere.

Mow. Make sure you collect all the cuttings in your lawnmower bag and discard them at your local composting dump. It's all you can do.

Alternatively, just enjoy them! Seriously. Dandelions are beautiful flowers and insect-friendly. If they were rare everyone would want them. We have Cat's-ear as well as dandelions plus pignut, whorled caraway, wild angelica, knapweed, Herb Robert, Herb Bennet, Heath bedstraw, tormentil, various speedwells, hogweed, sorrel, lady's smock, lesser celandine, devil's-bit scabious and many, many more.

I thought it was all the rage to encourage wildflowers 🧐

If life gives you dandelions, make dandelion wine 🍷

Baggs

If life gives you dandelions, make dandelion wine 🍷

Is it a diuretic?

Get a couple of tortoises. They love dandilions and will soon eat them up, leaves and all.

Allira

Baggs

If life gives you dandelions, make dandelion wine 🍷

Is it a diuretic?

No idea, Allira. Mine wasn't very successful so MrB drank most of it. He didn't mention any such effect.

Dandelions are known as Pis-en-lit in France. The leaves are a diuretic.

I have taken the live and let live approach to the dandelions up till now, but the grass has more or less vanished now. I am not able to get anyone to mow regularly enough to curb their ardour so maybe I should continue to go with the flow.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Once a year I use Feed and Weed on the lawn. It gets rid of most of the clover, moss, dandelions, daisies and everything in between but they usually come back the following Summer. Once they've flowered I leave them to it until the Autumn, when I Feed and Weed again.

I once came down my garden path to the front garden and had a shock to find Mr Next-Door-Neighbour spreadeagled on his lawn, face down. He's 75 and for a horrible minute I thought he'd keeled over and died. Then he turned his head to say hello and I realised he was digging out his dandelions.

I know not everyone wants them on their perfect lawns but they really are a magnificent plant
Their roots aerate the ground ,they pull out calcium for other plants dandelions fertilisers the lawn !!!
They are medicinal for the liver
They were a much loved garden flower before people wanted perfect grass lawns
They are very nutritious all of them leaves flowers roots
The insects love them they are a great pollinator
They can put roots down 15 ft why they are so hard to get rid of

AreWeThereYet

Once a year I use Feed and Weed on the lawn. It gets rid of most of the clover, moss, dandelions, daisies and everything in between but they usually come back the following Summer. Once they've flowered I leave them to it until the Autumn, when I Feed and Weed again.

I once came down my garden path to the front garden and had a shock to find Mr Next-Door-Neighbour spreadeagled on his lawn, face down. He's 75 and for a horrible minute I thought he'd keeled over and died. Then he turned his head to say hello and I realised he was digging out his dandelions.

😂😂😂

My back garden 'lawn' has no grass, just dandelions and clover. I let it grow all summer for the bees etc. I might just leave it alone and let it help insects every summer.