'Lawn' FULL of dandelions - what to do?

[LaTristesse]

So I need to make my much-neglected-by-previous-owners lawn into a soft green space for my toddler to play on.

It's chock full of dandelions - digging them out individually would take a lifetime. Am I best digging it all up (with a rotovator? and reseeding? Will this get rid of the dandelions?

Any advice, or recommendations gratefully accepted!

[HettyAmaretti]

Rotavator will chop the roots into small pieces, propagating them in the process...

[Butterbur]

If you don't mind weedkillers, spot treat with glycophosate in about April, when growth is strong. You can get paint-on preparations which are good for this.

[Bideyin]

Cut the heads off (when they appear) and sprinkle salt into each plant. This is a victorian remedy for dandelions and does help but you have to get in early in the season.

[LaTristesse]

Thanks for the replies.

Bideyin, is salt in such quantities ok for the lawn / soil?

I'm not averse to weedkiller per se, but assumed using tons of it wouldn't be wise...

The lawn is about 4m x 12m if that helps and there is probably a weed around every inch .

[Bideyin]

Yeah it's fine. The alternative, using weedkiller, will destroy your lawn. But tbh they will always come back.

I tend to have a huge anti dandelion offensive at the beginning of the growing season then try and keep on top of it/get more relaxed/bored as the summer goes on. Don't really care about other weeds such as clover.

[hophophippidtyhop]

Do you have greenthumb in your area? I have used them in for my current garden and the one before. The last garden was exactly like yours, and within 2 quarterly visits, they had gone! Even if you just used them for a year to get it in good condition, it would make it easier to keep down yourself afterwards.

[Mspontipine]

I use Evergreen weed and feed (the one with the singing frog) as you need to start building up your lawn's strength too so new dandelions can't take hold.

My lawn was pretty crap as everyone round here doesn't give a stuff about dandelions so of course their seeds are constantly blowing around here. I did actually pick all mine out with one of those daisy grubber things - done on a damp day it doesn't take that much doing - and as satisfying as squeezing out a load of blackheads

Once they're out keep weeding and feeding and keep on top of them ( I have a quick walk round before I mow - nip 'm in the bud ) and as lawn is healthier and more resistant they're no longer a problem.

So my front lawn is gorgeous. Everyone now asks me how I get such a lovely lawn. And theirs are always crap and crammed full of weeds cuz all they do is mow the tops off now and again.

[in place of smug emoticon]

[AlaskaHQ]

We had a special device in our last house for digging them out of the lawn, without disturbing the surrounding lawn. It looked a bit like one of those things that elderly people have to pick things up from the floor without leaning over. You had to dig them before they go to seed, so we did a blitz at the start of each summer, and then shorter checks on any missed ones 1x or 2x a week. It was quite theraputic. Main problem was neighbours garden was full of them, so seeds still kept coming over.

[LaTristesse]

Thanks again people for your replies. I've given Green Thumb a bell, who for fifteen quid are going to sort me out! Marvellous!

[Mspontipine]

Phwoar