i need something that is safe to use for pregnant women and children.
2007-06-02 08:00:59 · 8 answers · asked by mrs.williams9_23 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Other than offering a nickle to your kids for each one they pull up and bring back you, which by the way, won't kill the plant, your best choice is to use any one of a number of fertilizers that contain a herbicide that kills dandilions. It will be more difficult to do that at this time of the year because most dandilion plants have already podded (spread their seeds from their distinctive puff balls)
But you can still use a dry fetilizer with a hebacide part and get the main plants.
But be aware of two things- 1) Check with your local garden store and buy a brand that is suitable for summer use. Many "springtime" fertilizers can burn up a yard when used in the summertime. Especially when it is as hot and dry as it has been in many parts of the country recently.
2) Try to apply it when the ground is damp, like morning when there is dew on the ground or after a rain. You may want to use a sprinkler to wet the yard down first.
As far as being safe for your kids to be around,, as long as they are not gobbling up handsful of the pellets, you should be fine. As a precaution, you can keep them in the house for about 24 hours after you apply the fertilizer. After that, get back out and enjoy that yard and enjoy watching those dandilions curl up and die.
Oh and remember this- those little seeds from the puff balls may cause a re-infestation. May, but the fertilizer with hebacide may take care of them.
Check with the garden store o nthe capabilities of what you use.
Good luck
2007-06-02 08:16:48 · answer #1 · answered by albodad 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As a kid it was my job to dig out the dandelions by hand with a knife. Dandelions have runners and so they spread but also if you pull one usually you can pull out several plants. And, as you do it yearly they get less and less, that is, unless the seeds are coming from your neighbor's yard. The neighbors used to use the small leaves from them in their salads (of course you wash them very good before eating).
I know of a product called roundup that you can use like between sidewalk for weeds but not on a lawn area. There's a new product out that will just get rid of the weed if you spray on the weed. I don't remember the name but your plant nursery or county horticulturist will know it. You need to know that because dandelions have such an extensive root system that after you get rid of them you may not have much grass left. So plan to also re-sod or plant grass in it's place. Best time to plant grass (I think) is in the summer right before a rain. The rain will push the grass further into the soil and give it a good start.
2007-06-02 08:08:19 · answer #2 · answered by sophieb 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The safest way, without the use of harsh herbicides, is to use some kind of long pointed tool i.e. a screwdriver, knife etc. (I also believe there is a garden tool just for this purpose.) Loosen the soil or dig around the base of the plant and and you will be able to pull it up. A lot of work but if you are able to get most of the main tap root it will not come back.
2007-06-02 08:23:30 · answer #3 · answered by berlie 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can just keep pulling them all up, over and over, until you finally exhaust the roots. Be sure to get them all before they go to seed and get rid of the flower heads because they can go to seed even after they are removed from the plant! This can take years.
OR
You can squirt them with Ortho Weed B Gone and get it over with. Wear long sleeves and pants, rubber gloves and spray when the air is still. Keep off weeds until they are dry.
Best yet, get somebody else to spray them.
2007-06-02 08:13:06 · answer #4 · answered by Wren )O( 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Try to see the dandelions as they are: nice yellow flowers that light up your lawn and help useful bees live their lives. After doing that, ask yourself: Why would these nice yellow flowers bother me? What harm do they do?
By the way, children love to blow the seeds away, and dandelion leaves make a nice salad, a bit like rucola (rocket salad).
I think by now you might consider sparing yourself a lot of time and money by choosing to enjoy the dandelions instead of trying to fight them.
2007-06-02 08:41:36 · answer #5 · answered by Peter W 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Weed B Gon by ortho. Let your husband do it. and keep the kids off the lawn for a day.
2007-06-02 08:13:13 · answer #6 · answered by LucySD 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dig them up after a rain; get the whole tap root, or they will be back.
2007-06-02 08:37:54 · answer #7 · answered by M S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
spray vinegar or strong salt water on them When its not going to rain for a few days.
2007-06-02 16:43:35 · answer #8 · answered by icruiseon2 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋