Dandelions in a veg patch - salt v. weedkiller?

Question

In my new house, we've dug a veg patch in the garden, but the dandelions that have been there for an eternity have such deep roots that we just CAN'T get them up in their entirety. Having had a look at various sites, all the advice for dandelions seems to relate to lawns, and suggests either salt or a paint/spray weedkiller that is absorbed all the way to the root.

I'm not keen on having chemical weedkiller in the veg path but my other half says that salt will leave the soil so that NOTHING will grow in future years.

What's the best solution for this?

Answer 1

Leave the Dandelions and use salt, it's the best way..☺

Answer 2

hi the best solution is to leave the dandelions! they bring bees, and dont have nasty seeds or do any harm, you could buy a guinea pig, they love them! and if you place a cage over the spot will eat it down repeatedly till the plant weakens. and the piggy provides fertiliser for no extra cost!
i am assuming this is the flat soft hairless thistle relative.. some folks call an african daisy a dandelion too, G-pigs will nibble , but not decimate that one..also muscovy ducks are great green keepers, but messier to keep.
definitely do not salt them! it wont dissipate and is not a sound practice, ditto weedkiller. boiling water will knock em round also..free and effective. they only have a 1 season lifespan, they are not an annual, so i am surprised at your saying the roots are so hard to dig out? they have a yellow flower or two, and turn into fluffy seedheads that you blow to tell the time. right? go to a plant info site and positively id it !

Answer 3

NO SALT!!! Learn to appreciate them as a vegetable. The young greens are delicious (a bit bitter so usually mixed with others) the flowers make a delightful wine, the roots are used medicinally. Believe it or not, dandelions were imported to the USA by the early settlers because of their excellent food value. That they are in your vegetable garden is a freebie. When you learn to use tem, they will start getting hard to find.
Even something like Round Up has been shown to leave a residue in the ground, and while no harm has yet been proven, how many years did i take them to show the dangers of DDT?

Answer 4

If you are growing your own vegetables dont use weedkiller, Im afraid though it is going to be hard work you must dig them out, there is a specific tool you can buy for this! Good luck with the veggies (we grow our own) Dandelion leaves are edible as a salad leaf and by drying out the roots and roasting them in the oven you can make a coffee substitute.

Answer 5

Salt lying near your veg patch will not stop the slugs, but it wil harm your plants. The most efficient way to get rid of at least some lugs is to have a beer party for them. They love beer and will be drawn to it. Open a beer bottle (you can drink half of it yourself if you don't want to waste all of it), dig it into the ground so that the opening is more or less level with the ground. Forget about it for a few days. Then dig up the bottle and see what's inside ;-)

Answer 6

Two options - Dig them out or use that Bio Degradeable weedkiller stick - like a pen that dispenses a small amout of weedkiller onto the leaves and kills down to the root - once it touches the soil - it is harmless to other plants - available at most good garden centres/DIY stores - about £3.95

Answer 7

ok basically alot of commercial weedkillers are really salt based such as weedol and path clear,

your best bet is a systemic weedkiller such as round up which has an active ingredient called glyphosphate. this is neutrolised by soil,

basilcally round up only acts if it touches the leafs of the plants, meaning you can use it and within an hour plant the same area up and it will have no ill affects on the new plants

Answer 8

Dreaded Dandi's! They have 'tap' roots. This means that unless you get it ALL out, it will grow again, and again and again. Dig, dig, dig til you get it all out. It is worth the hard work. Also, make sure the flowers are not allowed to seed themselves. Before the fluffy white head comes on, pull off the flowers and dig up the root immediately. The hard work will pay off and you'll reap the rewards in your veggie patch. I never use chemicals, but I didn't know salt kills the dreaded things. I'll give it a try!

Answer 9

Just keep taking up the dandelions, eventually the root will run out of the ability to grow. The only other solution is chemical weed killer.

Answer 10

In the old days gardeners and farmers used a long corkscrew type tool I made one from strong fence wire but unfortunately it was'nt quite strong enough for my lawn but it might work in a veggie, patch where the soil is loose and soft the cork screw coils around the long root so when you pull it out it brings out the whole tap root out, its much better than chemicals or salt.
give it a try.

Answer 11

Dandelions are fairly easy to deal with if you catch them before they develop too much or seed. I would resist using weed killer on a veg' patch if you are going to eat the produce- I don't care what the chemical manufacturers say. One reason for growing your own produce is that you know what is NOT in it!!