4 Best Dandelion Killer – The Ultimate Guide

Dandelions are beautiful. Seeing them in the field ignites a level of happiness in children. Because of their raw appreciation for nature’s beauty, kids tend to appreciate the presence of the yellow flower that attempts to add some color to your perfectly green lawn. However, as you grow older, you begin to see beauty in perfectly green lawns. The greenness brings you closer to nature.

But those annoying dandelions that pop up from time to time on the lawn might ruin the perfection you initially hoped to see on your lawn.

Dandelions

Now, the fact that you want to get rid of the dandelions doesn’t mean dandelions are a pain in the ass. Sure, they tend to randomly sprout irregularly amongst your lawn, making the lawn look unkempt and weird.

Uses of Dandelions

But they have quite a lot of great uses. For starters, Dandelions can be used to treat

• eczema
• loss of appetite
• upset stomach
• prevent urinary tract infection, etc.

Although there isn’t enough research to back up this claim, dandelions have been said to be lifesavers for some of the conditions above. Nevertheless, certain people can have an allergic reaction to them. Some of these allergic reactions include stomach upset, heartburn or diarrhea.

Sod

On the flip side, leaving dandelions on your lawn might not entirely be a good idea for sod. The reason is, that dandelions can be selfish. They can’t seem to share with your grass.

Hence, when you water your lawn with dandelions in it, they tend to suck all the water, leaving your grass dull and malnourished. Aside from losing the pure green view that your lawn gives, it’s best to get rid of dandelions as soon as they start to grow because it is harmful to the health of your grass. Also, their growth is quite wild.

What are Dandelions?

By Definition, Dandelions are a wild yellow flower that symbolizes a lot of meaning to different people. While some people see dandelions as a plant that depicts emotional healing etc., others see them more as a bother and barrier to their dream of cultivating a healthy-looking green lawn. In this light, here are some of the best dandelion killers for lawns.

Choose from our narrowed-down outline of effective dandelion killers to forever get rid of the yellow Dandelion that keeps sprouting on your lawn. Then, thank us later. Without further ado, let’s dive in.

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Types of Dandelion Killers

Before we dive into the various types of Dandelion killers that exist, you should know that these types of dandelion killers come in two forms.

Forms of Herbicides

The two forms that these herbicides come in are

• the granular form
• the spray form.

The Granular Form

To use the granular form, simply sprinkle it around garden plants. Granular herbicides are compatible with garden beds and lawns. Hence, it is safe to use it on your lawn to get rid of the growing Dandelion.

The Spray Herbicides

The second form is the spray herbicides. Unlike the granular forms that require you to sprinkle on the garden plant around the Dandelion, you have to attack the dandelions by spraying this herbicide on them directly. The only thing is, you’d need more than one application of spray herbicide to get rid of dandelions growing amidst your lawn finally.

Types of Herbicides

Now that you know the forms of herbicides, let’s take a peek at the various types of herbicides that exist and their best uses.

Pre-Planting Herbicides

If you are tired of the weed and Dandelion that keep ruining your garden and you’ve thought of starting your gardening dream all over again from scratch, or you just got a new garden, this herbicide is perfect for this cause. Nevertheless, this herbicide type is best for agricultural and commercial landscaping contexts. Very few gardeners make use of these pre-planting herbicides.

For this herbicide to be effective, you have to apply it in your garden 15-45 days before you commence the work of planting your seeds, etc.

the reason? It takes 15-45 days for the herbicide to properly eliminate weeds and other disturbances that might want to sprout in your garden along with your seeds. It ensures that weeds and dandelions won’t be a problem going forward.

Note: Do not use this herbicide on your fresh garden unless the goal is to start cultivating your garden afresh.

Organic Herbicide

Sure, you’ve heard of the word “organic.” Even though you’ve still not looked up the meaning in the dictionary, you should already know by deduction that anything “organic” is healthy and good. Hence, it is not surprising that this type of herbicide is excellent and eco-friendly. Unlike using chemical herbicides, organic herbicides aren’t harmful to plants and kids.

An effective organic herbicide is a homemade DIY herbicide that is safe yet effective. An example of a homemade dandelion killer that won’t kill grass is Vinegar. Nevertheless, too many organic herbicides can, in the long run, ruin the health of your lawn and other plants surrounding it. In other words, apply it moderately.

A downside to using organic herbicide is that it only works on weeds like dandelions but not on every type of weed.

Pre-Emergent Herbicide

This herbicide is another very effective tool for killing dandelions. However, you have to ensure that it is applied before those dandelion seeds have the chance of germinating into your field. Now, you’re probably wondering that you’re not a plant god. So, how will you be able to tell those Dandelion seeds are about to germinate?

Well, here’s an easy technique based on their life cycle. The best period to use this type of herbicide is during winter and fall. This way, the seeds won’t germinate in spring as you’d have gotten rid of them in winter and fall.

However, if you missed the chance to apply this herbicide during winter and fall, opt for another dandelion-killing herbicide because applying pre-emergent herbicide during spring would have become pointless.

If you have the chance to make use of pre-emergent, you’d be better off with the granular form as the herbicide has to make direct contact with the surface of the soil. Once applied, don’t forget to water the lawn. It would activate the pre-emergent herbicide so that it resumes its duty.

It is worth noting that you shouldn’t be seeding your lawn after or before applying this herbicide. Because this herbicide has to prevent dandelion seeds from germinating before spring, it could end up killing your seeds as well.

Hence, after applying this herbicide, wait for at least two weeks and at most three weeks to start seeding your lawn. To be safe, wait for three weeks so you won’t waste your effort. Also, it isn’t advisable to not use pre-emergent often because it takes a while for the soil to get rid of its residue.

Post-Emergent Herbicide

What happens when you miss your chance to apply pre-emergent herbicide during winter and fall and dandelions harras your lawn? Allow post-emergent herbicide to save the day.

Just as its name implies, post-emergent herbicides come in handy when dandelions are virtually everywhere on your field. Apply it only once on your field and watch as the dandelions begin to die. You only need a single application as it is a very effective herbicide. However, if there are still few stubborn dandelions surrounding your field, you can reapply this herbicide.

Types of Post-emergent Herbicide

There are two types of post-emergent herbicide. They are

• organic-based post-emergent herbicides
• chemical-based post-emergent herbicides.

While the organic-based post-emergent herbicide only works for small to medium weed growing areas, chemical-based post-emergent herbicide works best for areas dominated by weed.

Selective Herbicide

If you’ve only got Dandelion issues and you do not want the surrounding plants and grasses to be affected, this herbicide works best for you.

Non-Selective Herbicide

Non-selective herbicides have no limits. They kill dandelions, other weeds, grasses, and plants inclusive. Hence, if you opt for this type of herbicide, ensure a professional make the application for you as applying this herbicide is not a task for amateurs.

You have to apply it skillfully so that no drop touches your plants. While it sounds easy, you might find it challenging to do, especially when weeds, dandelions, and grasses surround your plant.

Factors to Note When Looking for the Best Dandelion Killer

Not all dandelion killers are effective. Hence, you might fall victim to buying dandelion killers that might harm your lawn in the process. If you can’t access the dandelion killers that we would review in this article, you can use this buying guide as a compass to decide which dandelion killer is best for your lawn.

Having the best dandelion killer that won’t kill grass in Australia would make a lot of difference in carefully eliminating the intruding dandelions on your lawn. Here are some of the features you need to run dandelion killers through before finally deciding to purchase them. Ready? Set? Shop!

Effectiveness

When talking about the best crabgrass and dandelion killer, ensure the product you opt for is weatherproof. The reason is, that harsh weather conditions like rain can render your herbicide ineffective, especially if it is not weatherproof. Also, when subjected to intense sunlight, herbicides without weatherproofing would be diluted.

Once diluted, it would cease to be effective at all. Aside from the weatherproof feature, the other factor that might affect the effectiveness of your dandelion herbicide is the chemical concentration and the type of herbicide you purchased.

For starters, if the chemical concentration in your herbicide is low, it might take a long to kill the dandelions. Also, now that you know the various types of dandelion killers in existence, you would carefully select the type of herbicide that is perfect for your lawn and watch it effectively yield the result you want.

The Form of Herbicide

As explained earlier, there are two forms of herbicides. They are in the granular and liquid/ spray form. Both forms of herbicides have their perks and downsides. For starters, the liquid herbicide is simply a combination of herbicide and water mixed in a spray can. Then, it is sprayed over the field. It seems pretty convenient, and it would most likely yield a faster result.

Here’s why! For herbicides to work, it has to sit right on the plant you’re trying to kill. Now, the liquid herbicides sit right on the weed as you spray it. To ensure the liquid herbicide is evenly distributed, it is best to use calibrated cans. A downside to using spray herbicide is that it could negatively impact your plant if you apply too much.

On the other hand, the granular herbicide is dry. You can also spray this form of herbicide. However, you can’t spray it the regular way liquid herbicides are sprayed. You’d need machines like drop or broadcast spreaders. This form of herbicide is best used as pre-emergent herbicides because they won’t stick to the weed’s leaves like liquid/spray herbicides.

You’ll need to wait for an extended period for this dry herbicide to start working. One of the downsides to granular herbicides is that you won’t achieve even distribution like with liquid herbicides. Also, liquid herbicides are more effective as post-emergent herbicides compared to granular herbicides.

Potency

All forms of herbicides, granular or liquid, have to be mixed with water before being used. When checking the potency of any herbicide, you have to be sure that it would still function well after being diluted.

Also, when you are trying to get rid of dandelions in a large expanse of land, you would have to dilute the herbicide. With a very potent herbicide, you can mix a tiny portion with a large quantity of water. It ensures that your herbicide lasts long.

Multipurpose Weedkiller

Sure, you want to get rid of only the dandelions on your lawns. But, sometimes, it is better to get dandelion killers that also work for weeds generally. It saves you the stress of buying and gathering too many weedkillers on your shelf.

A multipurpose weedkiller works to kill an impressive number of weeds which makes it an excellent investment.

Herbicide application temperature

The Herbicide application temperature is another feature you should beware of. It is another factor that determines the effectiveness of your herbicide. Here’s what I mean. Not all herbicides can function at the same temperature.

While some herbicides function between 90–100-degree temperature range, others function below or above that range. Hence, ensure that your herbicide can function outdoors if your garden is an outdoor garden.

Long-lasting effect

When it comes to long-lasting effects, there are two types of dandelion killers. They are the persistent and the non-persistent killers. Persistent killers have a long-lasting effect when applied. As a result, it would take a while for dandelions that have been crushed to rear its head again.

On the flip side, non-persistent killers are not precisely long-lasting. While they would work for a while, you would most likely need to keep reapplying them to achieve a long-lasting result.

Keep reading to discover some of the FAQs about the best Dandelion killers.

How Do You Kill Dandelions but Not Grass?

The best method to get rid of dandelions without affecting the grass on your lawn is to use a broadleaf herbicide. This herbicide will only attack the dandelions and other broadleaf weeds on your lawn. The grass would be untouched and unharmed after spraying broadleaf herbicide on it. It is an easy, safe, and trusted way to get rid of dandelions.

How Do You Permanently Remove Dandelions?

Getting rid of dandelions permanently is relatively easy. Luckily, there are a few techniques to get rid of them permanently.

• You can either pull or dig out dandelions from their root using a weeding knife or dandelion fork. This pulling or digging method is best if the dandelions on your lawn are few.
• You can also get rid of Dandelion with the help of special herbicides. We refer to them as special herbicides because they are designed to kill both the root and the plant of dandelions. Not all herbicides can kill both the plant and root of dandelions.

You have to ensure that the manufacturers specify the herbicide that it can kill dandelion root and plant.

Will Vinegar Kill Dandelion Root?

Yes, Vinegar will kill the dandelion root. Although Vinegar is an organic herbicide, you should know that it can negatively impact your grass. In essence, it can kill your grass if it comes in contact with it. Hence, if you would rather resort to killing dandelion root with Vinegar, you must be extra careful and apply it to the dandelion root like a professional.

Should I Remove Dandelions?

If you do not like how they intrude on your lawn during spring, then you should get rid of dandelions. They sprout aggressively on any lawn. Sometimes, they could steal the spotlight from your green, lush garden or lawn with their yellow shine.

If you do not like what they’ve done to your lawn, by all means, get rid of Dandelion. However, if you do not mind the fact that they’ve grown on your lawn, then you should leave it.

How Do You Control Dandelions Without Chemicals?

Applying chemical-based herbicides can be harmful to your plant. If you’ve been a victim, you should look at other methods to handle Dandelion. For starters, you can use more organic-based herbicides. It is an easy and effective way to control dandelions without breaking a sweat. Some organic-based herbicides include Vinegar, Epsom, or Table Salt, etc.

Why Do I Have So Many Dandelions?

You have so many dandelions on your lawn because it has good drainage and is exposed to direct sunlight. Besides, Dandelion grows in between perfectly mowed lawns during the spring. So, it is perfectly normal to see dandelions sprout on your field. Don’t worry; you didn’t do anything wrong to make dandelions sprout on your lawn or garden.

How Long Does a Dandelion Live?

If undisturbed, a dandelion can last 10 to 13 years. Their growth is quite fascinating as they can cover up an entire field in the blink of an eye. Now, you have to uproot dandelions to get rid of them entirely. Otherwise, this persistent flower would grow another one in the place you plucked a flower.

Will Epsom Salt Kill Dandelions?

Epsom salt is another sure-fire organic way to kill dandelions. Both Epsom and table salt can kill dandelions. They do this by desiccating the Dandelion’s root and the leaves. Once desiccated, it begins to die till it is no more. For a more effective method, dissolve the salt in boiling water. Then, pour it generously on the target.

Does Dish Soap Kill Dandelions?

Dish soap is another organic ingredient that can help tarnish the life of dandelions. However, it cannot do so all by itself. It needs reinforcement. You have to mix it with Vinegar and salt. Then, you can successfully end the reign of dandelions on your lawn or garden. This organic mix can also work for all kinds of weeds.

Find out more about Landscaping HERE.

Generally, dandelions mean no evil. They are beautiful yellow flowers that eventually turn white and harbor quite a lot of benefits. They can be eaten as a salad. But that’s if you’ve never treated your garden with chemicals. Nevertheless, getting rid of them doesn’t put you at any loss. So, if you want to get rid of them, that’s fine.

We’ve simplified your shopping process for you by enlightening you on what to look out for when shopping for the perfect dandelion killers. We’ve also highlighted some of the best dandelion killers in the market for you. While some are chemical-based, others are organic-based.

Although, the majority of home gardeners prefer to thread the organic-based herbicide roots to kill dandelions. You should too as it is an eco-friendly route. Also, it makes your garden safe for your kids and pet to walk into any time they please.

With the right dandelion killer, you can quickly get rid of pesky dandelions.

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