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Help.....overrun with 'blooming' Dandelions

Anonymous
Anonymous

Hi there everyone

We moved into our current house last June and we understood it was empty for a while before we moved in so got over-run with all sorts of scrub, and wild flowers ie Dandelions

In the past week the Dandelions has gone in to over-drive and have spread everywhere {due to the gardens neglect last year the Dandelions would have seeded themselves everywhere}

The lawnmower will cut the heads off some and weaken them in the area of grass, and the others on the flower beds will need to be taken out by hand - this is before they seed once more - others are growing in the gravel paths

Anyone got any handy tips, and their experiences to share, as to the best way to remove them in a organic way - tricks of the trade etc....

Thank you in advance

Regards

Kathy and Dave

  • Hello Kathy

    I have a 'dandelion tool' like Kezsmum mentions, but I also buy a Touchstick weeder and all I need to do is daub it on the middle of the dandelion rosette and it kills it. It's a pain if you have a lot of them though, and you have to be careful to not get it onto the lawn. However, it works for me so if all else fails it might be worth a go

  • bramble67 said:

    I don't mind a few, but wouldn't want too may and my mum and nan always used to say i'd wet myself if i picked them so that put me off them at an early age. To a lovely pic of one earlier though. thread on here somewhere.

    Sarah

    Hello Sarah

    My mum always used to say that too. It's odd isn't it because you might think that people would want to encourage children to pick dandelions while they are yellow flowers so that they don't seed. I suppose what would happen instead is that the children would pick the clocks and blow their seeds all over the lawn

  • Yes Kelly, I definitely remember doing that. LOL

    Sarah

    I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramble67/

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous 17/04/2011 17:11 in reply to bramble67

    Hi Kelly/Bramble

    Here too as it was supposed to be good luck if you blew all the seeds in one blow - never managed to do that at all.

    Regards

    Kathy and Dave

  • I've surrendered - the white flag is waving lol  I use dandilion leaves to feed my buffalo worms (and soon probably my woodlice) so I don't want to use any chemicals on them as these will go to my geckos (either directly or indirectly as vivarium custodians!).  I'll pull a few up that are in the border but the ones in the lawn, as long as  they stay low I don't care anymore!  They are making the lawn look rather pretty at the moment.

  • I say embrace your dandelions and your garden could look like this......

    Now what's wrong with this.....you've got grass and pretty flowers.....

    'EMBRACE YOUR DANDELIONS'.......

    That's what you call  'proper' wildlife gardening!

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous 18/04/2011 08:02 in reply to KatTai

    Hi Kat

    Good idea to use the Dandelions as food stuff.  I have never seen Buffalo worms before so we learn something new all of the time.  Wow Woodlice as pets - what next! LOL

    Heard of people giving Dandelions to their rabbits etc...so they have thier uses too as well as for insects.

    They do make the lawn look pretty. a lot

    Regards

    Kathy and Dave

    KatTai said:

    I've surrendered - the white flag is waving lol  I use dandilion leaves to feed my buffalo worms (and soon probably my woodlice) so I don't want to use any chemicals on them as these will go to my geckos (either directly or indirectly as vivarium custodians!).  I'll pull a few up that are in the border but the ones in the lawn, as long as  they stay low I don't care anymore!  They are making the lawn look rather pretty at the moment.

     

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous 18/04/2011 08:10 in reply to higgy50

    Hi higgy

    LOL haha

    Thank you for your lovely photo.  It feels although there not many in my garden after all now {smile}

    Maybe we should petition for Dandelion appreciation organisation LOL

    Regards

    Kathy and Dave

    higgy50 said:

    I say embrace your dandelions and your garden could look like this......

    Now what's wrong with this.....you've got grass and pretty flowers.....

    'EMBRACE YOUR DANDELIONS'.......

    That's what you call  'proper' wildlife gardening!