Killing dandelions

[Wesley]

Rototiller...

[azepp]

I tried the weed be gon max and had no luck. It's a bad year for dandelions at my place. I guess I'll be trying the trimec!

[CyCrazy]

I tried the weed be gon max and had no luck. It's a bad year for dandelions at my place. I guess I'll be trying the trimec!

Weed be gone blows. As do much of the other products from box stores, unless its Roundup.

[egunzy]

Use 2-4-D. I know you can get it at Farm and Home and I'm sure Earl May probably carries it. Fall is actuallly the best time to spray for dandelions as the 2-4-D will prevent them from cropping up in the spring. It will help in the spring as well though. If your neighbors don't spray you will always get them though.

[FDWxMan]

Use 2-4-D. I know you can get it at Farm and Home and I'm sure Earl May probably carries it. Fall is actuallly the best time to spray for dandelions as the 2-4-D will prevent them from cropping up in the spring. It will help in the spring as well though. If your neighbors don't spray you will always get them though.

Yup.

Earl May has got a couple different of their own brews with it.

Kept mine in check until today. About half a dozen random ones throughout the front and side yards.

Of course between the neighbor's back yard and the yard across the street, there's a couple hundred, so I felt I did a decent job holding them off this long.

Maybe some spot treatment tomorrow after I mow...

[wartknight]

I got a late start after buying a house just over a week ago that hasn't had anyone in it since early summer '08. Gave it some Scott's this past Monday with weed killer and crabgrass preventer. Some weeds are barely starting to shrivel up, but over the last 3 days, its like I spread dandelion seeds all over the yard and fertilized them.
Makes it a little worse since I'm pretty sure I've got the only dandelions in North Ankeny.
Also have an extremely bumpy backyard with a few pretty thin spots of grass.
Any suggestions from the experts out there?

[cyinne]

Fall is really the best time for effective dandelion control but here are some ideas.

Roundup - Use a sponge and wipe it on the dandelions to avoid killing your grass. Cover all the leaves. It will take time to see them die (5-10 days) due to the way glyphosate kills the plant.

Trimec - available at farm stores. Cheaper than Ortho WBG (similar chemicals) in the long run since it is sold in the concentrated form but you will need a sprayer to mix in. Very effective but should avoid flower beds and shrubs. Safe on grass as long as you spray when the temperature is below 80 degrees (according to the label).

-Ph.D. student in Weed Science

Say I get some Trimec- do I have to use all of the brew that I mix or does it have a shelf life post mix so I can hit more dandelions as they pop up? Also would it help to put in a "crop oil" type product?

[CycloneYoda]

My daughter and the neighbor girl do a pretty good job of getting them while they're still yellow. Sure, some get by and I have isolated dandelions, but no field of doom to worry about. I'd rent out the kids, but I think child labor laws would prohibit such action.

[ISUAgronomist]

Say I get some Trimec- do I have to use all of the brew that I mix or does it have a shelf life post mix so I can hit more dandelions as they pop up? Also would it help to put in a "crop oil" type product?

Usually, letting a mix set isn't the best idea as some of the chemical will breakdown (lower temp and out of direct light will slow this down). I'd just mix up a small amount at a time. The label states that adjuvants (crop oil or surfactant) can increase the chance of injury to grass and does not recommend adding adjuvants.

[azepp]

If you get the yellow flowers, does that stop them from going to seed? I never knew if the yellow flowers turned into seeds or if the seeds were on a separate stalk. It's been a very long time since I took any plant biology classes.

[ISUAgronomist]

If you get the yellow flowers, does that stop them from going to seed? I never knew if the yellow flowers turned into seeds or if the seeds were on a separate stalk. It's been a very long time since I took any plant biology classes.

You can keep it from going to seed by pulling all the flowers off but dandelions are perennial so that plant will be there the next year for you unless you kill it.

[HawkFanISUalum]

If using Trimec, how long do you have to keep kids/pets off the lawn before it's safe for them to play in the grass?

[ISUAgronomist]

If using Trimec, how long do you have to keep kids/pets off the lawn before it's safe for them to play in the grass?

The label states a restricted-entry interval of 48 hours.

[CyCrazy]

The label states a restricted-entry interval of 48 hours.

You should work for OSHA.......

[ISUAgronomist]

Also, do not mow for a few days before and after application. Make sure you will have a minimum of 24 rain-free hours after application for best results.