January 30, 2023 11:30am
Nothing is more frustrating than putting time and money into your lush lawn’s upkeep, only for bright yellow weeds to swarm your yard. Dandelions are everywhere; not only are they hard to avoid, but they’re also challenging to eliminate. You might even wonder if lawn care is worth investing in if your grass gets invaded anyway. Unfortunately, weeds in Maine don’t go away overnight, especially when they’re as hardy as dandelions.
So what do you do when your neighbor’s dandelions are drifting into your lawn? Even though they might pop up in your turf, we still believe lawn care is worth it. Consistent lawn care can help reduce dandelions in your lawn even if the seeds keep blowing over. So let’s dive into how lawn care can help eliminate your dandelion invasion.
WHY ARE DANDELIONS BAD FOR MY LAWN?
This question is tricky because while dandelions aren’t necessarily bad for your grass, they are a nuisance in other ways. Dandelions are notorious for spreading like wildfire. Their seeds pick up in the wind easily and multiply quickly. So when bunches of dandelions grow in a green lawn, they’re noticeably unattractive. An overwhelming amount can even harm your property value in the worst cases. Most lawn owners unanimously agree that having dandelions makes their yard less aesthetically pleasing. As a result, it distracts from the beauty of a vibrant, green property.
SHOULD I STILL HAVE LAWN SERVICE EVEN IF MY NEIGHBOR’S DANDELIONS BLOW OVER?
Absolutely! Lawn care is one of the best ways to prevent dandelions from taking over your yard. Sometimes, dandelion seeds making their way across property lines is unavoidable. However, a healthy lawn is the best method to prevent them from growing around your home. We understand that getting lawn care for an invaded yard can be futile. But we highly recommend investing in your grass’s health because it can be the key to eliminating weeds from your yard once and for all. Here are three ways that lawn care can help;
1. A thick, healthy turf can ward off weeds naturally.
If you want to know how to get rid of dandelions naturally, nurturing your grass is the place to start. Believe it or not, simply having healthy grass is the best way to get rid of dandelions in your lawn. Just like how a strong immune system can help us avoid illnesses, healthy grass is much more capable of fending off weeds. In addition, when your grass has the nutrients it needs to strengthen and spread its roots, it can effectively compete with incoming weeds. Therefore, investing in your lawn’s health is essential to preventing dandelions.
A great way to ensure your lawn receives the nutrients it needs is to have consistent lawn care. Proper fertilization is vital in growing and maintaining robust grass blades and roots. Additionally, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium each play a crucial role in boosting your lawn’s well-being. Of the three, nitrogen is the essential macronutrient for growth because it’s a key component of amino acids, the building blocks for proteins that make up your grass’s plant structure.
2. Pre-emergent control products can help prevent dandelions.
If those white dandelion puffs keep appearing like obnoxious seed bombs, it might be time to step up the weed-preventing game with pre-emergent control products. Pre-emergents quickly kill dandelion seeds before they germinate. This can be helpful if you’d rather not spend hours manually plucking them out of your yard.
The key to using pre-emergent herbicides is timing; Using them during high seeding time ensures that you stop the seeds before they sprout. In addition, pre-emergent control prodcuts typically need rainfall within a few days of the application to activate. So before applying your herbicides, check the weather to ensure it’s prime time.
Another benefit of pre-emergents is that it is designed to target only one growth stage. Therefore, these control products won’t attack your grass– only nearby seeds. So there’s no need to worry about harming your adult turf with pre-emergent herbicides. However, it’s essential to avoid using them while overseeding your lawn because they will prevent the germination of your grass seed. With this in mind, be sure to put off re-seeding until you’re done using control products!
3. Mowing dandelions before they go to seed will prevent them from spreading.
Contrary to popular belief, mowing your dandelions won’t spread seeds. If you cut them before they go to seed, mowing over dandelions will stop them from reproducing. If your dandelions are bright yellow, you’re free to mow them, pluck them, and chop them down without consequence. Otherwise, if they have fluffy, white heads, you’ll know it’s time to hand-pick them to avoid spreading the seeds throughout your lawn.
It’s important to know that while mowing dandelions will prevent them from repopulating nearby, it won’t kill the existing dandelions. The taproots of dandelions are so hardy that they’re tough to remove, and if the roots remain in the soil, the flower is bound to pop up again. This is why it’s essential to prevent the spread of dandelion seeds. With careful work, you won’t have to deal with them next season.
DON’T LET DANDELIONS GET IN YOUR WAY THIS SPRING.
We know how frustrating it is to deal with weed overgrowth due to your neighbor’s dandelions. Unfortunately, they’re both hard to prevent and hard to eliminate. However, while it might not be easy, there are solutions to your dandelion difficulties. With a little bit of faith and a lot of patience, your lawn can be dandelion-free again soon. Calling on your New England lawn care professionals is the best way to get rid of dandelions in your lawn.
With years of experience, we deliver results with the most effective, modern lawn care methods. Our Maine lawn care team at Northern Turf Management aims to protect local lawns from pesky weeds with high-quality lawn care. If you’re ready to wave goodbye to dandelions, reach out to us at (207) 544-9420 to learn more about our weed-resistant lawn care practices today.