How To Eradicate Dandelions - Eat Them

Well that is just one suggestion and probably not the most efficient way of removing dandelions from your lawn. People have mixed feelings about these attractive yellow flowers which are generally regarded as weeds. Some like to enjoy the blooms, while others are driven mad by the annual invasion of these plants. If you are only concerned with a perfect green lawn you should read the first section of the article quoted below. On the other hand if you would like a free source of greens that are high in vitamins A and C, and iron just harvest the leaves. This information comes from an article by David Beaulieu which I found on The Spruce website.

What makes dandelion removal from lawns so difficult? Well, dandelions enjoy the best of both worlds. Above-ground, their seeds ride the wind currents, poised to drop into the slightest opening in your lawn to propagate the species. Meanwhile, below-ground, they strike down a taproot up to 10″ long. Pulling the taproot as a means of removal is problematic. Thick but brittle, the taproot easily fractures — and any fraction of the taproot that remains in the ground will regenerate.

How to Kill Dandelions: Pulling Them

If you’re hard-headed enough to want to try to pull these weeds, despite the difficulty just mentioned, here’s how to proceed:

To facilitate weeding, water the lawn first (weeds are more easily extricated from wet soil).

Make an incision into the soil, down along the side of the taproot, using a knife, screwdriver or similar tool (tools designed specifically for dandelion removal can be found in home improvement stores).

Wiggle the tool to loosen the taproot

Using the ground as a fulcrum, try to pry up the weed. Get a good grip on the leaves (as many of them as you can close your hand over) and use them as your “handle” on which to tug.

Give the weed a gentle tug to see if the taproot is yielding.

If the taproot is yielding, remove the dandelion weed from the soil. Otherwise, make further incisions around the taproot, wiggle and continue to tug gently at the leaves.