May 16, 2008 8:20 am US/Central
Getting Rid Of Pesky Dandelions
ST. PAUL (WCCO) ―
-
-
Dandelions are built for survival. With root structures so massive and deep, they're tough to kill unless you pull out nearly the entire root.
CBS
The annual battle to beat dandelions is a little late from a cooler than normal spring, but they're now here in full bloom.
"This spring, because of the unusual coolness, and for as long as it's taken the weather to kind of warm up, everything is just behind and dandelions, like other plants, aren't much of an exception," explained Bob Mugaas, the turf expert for the University of Minnesota's Extension Service.
Mugaas said the nasty and prolific weed is built for survival. With root structures so massive and deep, they're tough to kill unless you pull out nearly the entire root.
"What you've done in that case is you've managed to pull out the foliage and the flowers, but you've left behind the majority of that root, which can be as much as 14 inches in the soil," Mugaas said.
What happens then will sour the most persnickety of lawn lovers. That single yellow flower will multiply four, five and maybe even six-fold.
"Where that broken part of the stem would have been, where someone tried to cut this off, you now have at least 1, 2, 3, several other shoots just on this side and we turn it around and there are more and that's what happens," Mugaas said. "You get multiple new buds forming and they of course all produce new plants that all have buds in them that are going to be blooming here shortly."
If you want a lush, green yard, chemical control may be the best solution. It should contain 24D.
"Ideally, we'd still like to see that done more in the fall than in the spring," Mugaas said. "We know that fall treatments take any plants that have germinated over the summer and can destroy them as well as any plants that got missed earlier."
If you want to treat your lawn this spring, Mugaas recommends using a hand applicator unless your yard is covered entirely by dandelions. Treating individual plants uses less herbicide and it's better for the environment.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
GQ: Is Any Industry Recession-Proof?
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
