Banish dandelions on your lawn by pouring this free liquid on it — no chemicals needed
Summer is almost here, and the perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy the warm weather.
And if you take pride in your pristine green lawn, there's nothing more unsightly than dandelions.
Not only do these weeds quickly take over your lawn, ruining your lush grass, but are notoriously tricky to remove due to its large central taproot. What's more, any nearby plants or flower beds will be at risk of smothering, and will struggle to survive.
And while it may be tempting to get out the commercial weed killers, these harsh chemicals can often damage or kill your grass — which is the last thing you need.
Luckily, there is one top tip to banish weeds from your lawn that won't harm the grass. What's more, it's natural, doesn't require strong chemicals, and completely free!
So what is this 'miracle' dandelion killer?
It's so simple. Gardening experts at The Spruce suggest pouring boiling water on weeds to prevent them from growing. Essentially, this will send the plant into thermal shock that will stunt its growth, and eventually kill invasive dandelions.
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Ideally, you should apply boiling water only to the dandelions that you wish to remove, and avoid any new plantings nearby.
It's recommended to reapply boiling water every seven to 10 days to ensure the taproot is killed — and there is no risk of new growth.
More importantly, always use a kettle with a spout to avoid burning yourself when pouring the water.
Alternatively, you could use gardening trowels or specific dandelion weeding tools to dig out the taproot. Handy weeding tools like this Grampa's Weeder are designed with a claw design, to easily get rid of weeds without the back-breaking, manual labor.
This weeding tool isn't cheap, but it saves you from having to bend down to dig up weeds from your yard. And it worked very well in my testing, saving me from unnecessary back pain. The 4-claw design can get rid of weeds easily on soft soil.
Essentially, dandelions are weeds that grow rapidly in unwanted places. Weeds compete with plants and other crops for nutrients in soil, water and sunlight, and can also provide a safe place for garden pests to thrive.
There are three main types of weeds: annual, perennial and tough weeds. Annuals are usually spread around the yard through seeds, but have weaker roots — making them easier to remove. Perennials are more difficult to get rid of as they spread through their roots as well as by seed, while tough weeds are extremely aggressive and invasive, such as Japanese Knotweed, Brambles and Ivy.
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Tom's Guide
3 days ago
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Banish this tiresome weed from your lawn for good with a natural item you can pick up for less than $50
If you take pride in your lush lawn, there's nothing worse than seeing a handful of dandelion weeds taking over your grass. Not only do these bothersome weeds grow rapidly in unwanted places, but are notoriously hard to fully remove due to its large central taproot. What's more, dandelions often compete with plants and other crops for nutrients in soil, water and sunlight, and risk killing them. While the first call of action would be to use commercial weed killers, these harsh chemicals can often cause more damage to your healthy lawn. Luckily, there is one natural item that can banish weeds from your lawn that won't harm the grass. What's more, it's completely natural, doesn't require strong chemicals, and you can pick one up for under $50. So what is this natural, dandelion weed killer? According to gardening experts, sprinkling corn gluten on your lawn can prevent growth of dandelion and large crabgrass seeds from sprouting. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. This powdery by-product of the corn milling process releases amino/dipeptides (proteins) into the soil, which starves the dandelion roots of water. What's more, corn meal gluten contains 60% protein in it, and nitrogen, which are the key essential nutrients needed to fertilize plants. 'Besides its high protein content, CGM also contains 10% nitrogen by volume, making it an excellent, natural, slow-release fertiliser for lawns.' states Linda Naeve, urban agriculture specialist at Iowa State University to the Daily Express. 'It promotes thicker lawns, resulting in fewer places for weeds to become established.' More importantly, corn meal is a natural weed control method that is much safer to use around the yard. 'Preventive methods like corn gluten meal, a natural organic weed killer, or polymeric sand make it harder for the weeds to take hold and prevent them from returning,' adds Trevor Knight, landscape expert at Marshalls. 'Just avoid chemical solutions that could be detrimental to the paving and any sensitive border planting. For maximum effect, try to apply any treatments when the weather is dry and warm." This natural ingredient can prevent more than 25 different types of weed and is safe to use around children and pets. It comes in a 15 pound bag which is ideal for a coverage of 5,000 sq. ft. Plus, it's now on sale making it a bargain. Another thing to bear in mind is that corn gluten meal is only effective against seeds, not mature plants — so you'll still need to manually remove them. You could use gardening trowels or specific dandelion weeding tools to dig out the taproot. In fact, weeding tools like this Grampa's Weeder are designed with a claw design, to easily get rid of weeds without the back-breaking, manual labor. So if you want to prevent dandelions rearing its ugly head in your lawn, you might need to invest in corn gluten meal to banish them once and for all.
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I got fed up wasting time using a weed whacker to remove weeds, so I tried an electric pressure washer instead — here's what happened
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Warning over Japanese knotweed growth in Norfolk village
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