Dandelion is grown as a herb but can commonly be found in lawns as a weed. It is a perennial herb that irritates lawn owners across all regions of Australia. The fuzzy heads and brightly coloured petals look pretty, but the damage they do to your lawn greatly outweighs its appearance.
Dandelions grow a long taproot, quickly sucking up any nutrients in your soil and pushing out your grass. They can be quickly identified by their yellow flowers, fluffy seed heads, and rosette-shaped base.
These herbs can be hard to control and treatment needs to be completed annually to effectively remove Dandelion from your lawn. Dandelions can have over 200 seeds per flower and up to 10 flowers per plant. This large number of seeds combined with the fact that Dandelion seeds can travel several kilometres in the wind makes it very difficult to control within your lawn. Even if you irradicate it on your lawn, some seeds may blow over from a neighbours lawn and the cycle starts again.
Patience and thoroughness are the most important tools when removing Dandelion from your lawn. Permanent removal is difficult, and treatments must be completed annually to remove the herb.
Physical removal is the most effective method; however, it is the most time-consuming. Physical removal should be done in the spring, right when the first seedlings are starting to appear. It is important to remember to remove the entire taproot to avoid the Dandelion re-sprouting in a few weeks. Dandelion taproots can run deep into your turf and it can be damaging to your lawn to physically remove them. To aid removal speciality tools or “dandelion removers” can be purchased from any good garden care store.
Chemical removal is another great option for dealing with Dandelions. Killing the plant before a flower has sprouted is ideal. Keeping in mind Dandelions become more resistant to chemical removal as they mature. When applying chemical treatments it is best to leave it to the professionals to avoid creating more trouble by killing parts of your lawn. Your local Coochie HydroGreen technician has a selection of liquid treatments that can kill your weeds, and keep your turf looking lush and green.
Of course, as with all weeds, the best method of removal is prevention. A lush, healthy, green lawn can defend itself against weeds, and will not allow space for weeds to seed. Our Lawn Care Program keeps lawns healthy year-round and will treat any weed problems before they arise. Get in contact today to book a free 10 point assessment and quote and see what we can do for your lawn!