How to control dandelions in your garden

Diseases and pests

Dandelions, which bloom so beautifully in spring with their yellow suns, are very difficult to eradicate. They're extremely tenacious, and to get rid of them in your garden, you need to constantly combat them. Mow, pull, and dig them up, but don't let them bloom. Because even a mown plant finishes blooming and scatters seeds, which the wind carries throughout the garden, causing it to germinate again and again.

Folk methods for controlling dandelions

If you don't want to use chemicals to control dandelions, salt will do the trick. Cut the plant down to the roots and sprinkle it with salt. While this isn't ideal for surrounding plants, if you have a dandelion patch, you can easily treat it with salt and vinegar, sprinkling and watering it. Cut stems with flowers should be removed immediately, burned, or buried deep in a compost pit. Otherwise, if simply thrown on top, they will sprout again, and your efforts will be in vain.

Mowing can be a great help in this unequal battle. Regularly, every week, mow the plant at the root, and gradually, losing the strength expended on constantly growing greenery, the roots will die. Just be careful not to let the plant disperse its seeds, and your battle will be successful. The same applies to other weeds.

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Controlling dandelions with herbicides

If you're running low on traditional dandelion control, herbicides can help. We'll explain their effects in more detail.

If you've inherited an abandoned plot of land heavily overgrown with weeds, we recommend using products like Lontrel and Tornado. They can completely clear the area of all weeds. In the fall, or if it's too late, in the spring, about a month before planting, apply the aforementioned products to the plot, and then you can plant the desired crops. A word of caution: if there are trees or bushes on the plot that need to be preserved, be careful not to let the product come into contact with them.

If you only need to get rid of dandelions, use Lintur—it's designed specifically for their destruction. Don't mow the lawn before applying the product, as this will allow all the leaves to absorb as much Lintur as possible, and the plant will die. It will take about a month for the dandelions to be completely eradicated, although results will be visible within a couple of weeks. The product has no effect on other plants, so it can be applied to existing plantings.

Another excellent product for this purpose is Sniper. Apply it to plants using an applicator; it will destroy them completely, right down to the deep roots. Just be sure to prevent the plant from scattering seeds, and you'll be able to completely eradicate the weed from your plot. However, keep in mind that if there are dandelions in the area, you won't get rid of them completely, as the wind will carry the seeds back, settle in your plot, and germinate.

Or maybe not fight?

The fact is, the dandelion is quite beneficial, and perhaps we can transform it from an enemy into a friend and reap all the benefits it offers? And the benefits are quite extensive, as people realized long ago, and they used it to their advantage.

It was used to make honey, jam, and various syrups, the tender leaves were added to salads, the roots were dried, and so on. This is all because the plant has a wealth of beneficial properties, for example:

Antioxidants, which all parts of the plant are full of, help restore the liver.
Dandelion is beneficial for acne, diabetes, anemia, and even helps fight cancer.
Its properties were known to the ancient Romans, who used it as a laxative, fever reducer, choleretic and sedative.
The ancient Greeks used dandelion to increase lactation, boost immunity, and as a remedy for worms.
In many countries, dandelion is specially cultivated; it is used against tuberculosis, to fight viruses, and to remove toxins.
The plant is used to improve digestion, lose weight, treat inflammation of the lymph nodes, and as a choleretic and bleeding-stopping plant.

Dandelion is so rich in beneficial components that 2 tablespoons of fresh juice will provide the body with everything it needs for the whole day, honey made from it is excellent, and vitamin-rich salads with green leaves are incredibly healthy.

After learning all the information, consider whether you need to fight dandelions or use their presence in your yard to your health's benefit.