Learn more about what you can do with dandelions in your lawn.
Dandelions are a familiar sight every spring for many property owners. These prolific seed spreaders can grow in nearly any soil in a sunny spot but can also manage to grow in the shade. Dandelions in your lawn will produce a disc-shaped yellow flower on a stem. After blooming, the flower produces a ball-shaped seed head that contains nearly 200 seeds. While dandelions are relatively attractive weeds, you don’t want your carefully managed landscape to be overrun with these plants. The following information can help you understand what you can do to prevent excessive dandelion growth and what you may be able to do with the dandelions you remove.
What Causes Dandelion Growth?
Dandelion seeds have been documented to travel for more than 100 miles on a strong wind current, and every plant produces many seeds. This means that dandelions are very difficult to stop from spreading. If your soil is poor or your grass is not healthy, dandelions can quickly move into your lawn. They especially thrive in yards where the grass is mowed too low.
How to Remove Dandelions
The best way to remove dandelions in your lawn is to pull them out, ensuring the taproot is also dislodged. The best weed removal tools to use are ones that reach, twist, and pull the weeds and their taproot out without requiring you to bend down.
How to Prevent Dandelions in Your Lawn
Like other weeds, the best prevention against them is a healthy, thick lawn. Scientific Plant Service can recommend and provide the services you need to maintain a healthy lawn throughout the year.
One way to keep your lawn healthy is to avoid scalping your lawn when mowing. Keep your grass about three-and-a-half inches high to encourage deep roots, which grow healthier grass. Additionally, if you see ragged tips on your grass blades, you must sharpen your mower blades to improve the cut and avoid damaging your grass. You may also start leaving your grass cuttings on your lawn so they break down and fertilize the soil naturally.
Can Dandelions Be Beneficial?
Dandelions have flowers that bloom early in spring and are an important food source for several species of bees and butterflies. Birds eat the seeds, and hummingbirds utilize the fluff when making their nests. Animals like rabbits and deer can eat the plant as well.
Additionally, people can use dandelion greens in salads or sautés. The roots can be prepared like turnips or brewed into tea. The flowers can also make a unique addition to salads. The roots are used in some coffee substitutes, and the flowers are used to make wines.
Scientific Plant Service Is Your Go-To Source In Landscape Healthcare
Scientific Plant Service, located in Baltimore, is a privately owned corporation, chartered in Maryland in 1957 by Frank J. Burke. We started as a full-service Arborists specializing in the care of shade trees and ornamental shrubs, but today we are a Lawn Care company that is a huge part of the community. From aquatic environments and snow management to deer and mole control, SPS has services tailored specifically for your lawn and landscape.
We offer services in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia, including: Harford, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Prince Georges, Talbot, Queen Anne’s, Calvert counties in MD, as well as Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church in VA. For more information, contact us online, or call us at 410-321-0970. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.