Dandelions everywhere

[Deux]

I seem to be engaged in an unwinnable war against dandelions.

I'm sure it's from when DD was younger and she blew all the dandelion clocks she could find.

I have a special tool that corkscrews them out which does work quite well.

I'm sure I read somewhere of an old fashioned dandelion/weed killer, something like borax or ammonia.

Does anyone know? And how do you deal with dandelions?

Don't pick them, or you'll wet the bed.

That's all I know

we call them pittley-beds here in SW Durham

I just knife the buggers out

Place making as I am infested and weed killer and digging them up hasn't worked.

They are good for the bees - leave them.

Can you not just leave them for a bit for the bees?

Why destroy them?
Leave them be.

I am trying to start the trend to keep dandelions - who decided they were weeds anyway? They are bright and yellow and we should embrace them as wild flowers rather than weeds (can you tell our "lawn" is beyond redemption?!)

Thistles I am dead against - spikey buggers - but clover, daisies and now, this year, dandelions, I am going to embrace as part of our garden's ecosystem. Sorry neighbours!

I quite like them! When the grass is slightly too long, it makes the garden look like a meadow.

Our garden is very bee and insect friendly.

At the moment I'm just dead heading them before they turn to seed. On the grass I mow over them. I managed to get some young ones out.

I might start a thread on how my DH took the strimmer to a flower bed full of weeds, except they weren't, they were my cranesbill and other young plants.

I'm becoming over invested in weeds.

I am leaving my top lawn to do what the hell it likes this year and not cut it. Next door but one is battling clover and birds foot trefoil etc so I am digging that out for them and will plant it in mine

i shall henceforth refer to it as 'the top meadow' (pronounced ' medder')

Dandelions are the one weed I dig out as they spread like mad and are almost indestructible...my lawn is 90% daisies...I like them- they look pretty and it means the 'grass' needs mowing less
For some reason I think this is a good year for dandelions -seems to be a lot around - I noticed some in a park the other day, one country road has lots growing on the verge - even growing out of a stone wall ...some council maintained land also has lots ...I'm seeing them everywhere I look at the moment. And they seem to be thriving!

I have loads of stuff out now that provides pollen, so I am merciless about removing them. I think if you do leave them to flower for bees, and you don't want to be absolutely overrun, it's a good idea to get the clock off before it disperses!

I was also told loads of dandelions meant a hot summer

I leave my front garden till we have had a crop of dandelions (it was mown on Wednesday) I'm sure my neighbours love me..I saw next doors son pointing and laughing when they moved in

It does mean they have rather taken over and we have left a strip between trees unmown. Out the back I try and remove the heads before they clock and have been waging war on the rest for awhile as I do want some lawn back. I've got a weed puller but a trowel or knife works just as well

How could you not love these....

DS and his friend picked some flowers....friends Mum rejected them......her loss

I will have your dandelions if you'll take my ground elder

You can't get rid of dandelions completely. In our last house, I got on top of them by cutting the grass short regularly, deadheading, weed and feed plus digging the fuckers up. You need the soil to be loose enough to get the root though. Some of them are like carrots.

I'm a bit over invested in weeds.

Tell you what loves dandelions- sheep. I had a grand idea that rather than mowing our lawn I could get a couple of our sheep just to eat that luscious green grass. One ewe and two ram lambs later, the lawn still needs mowing but they scoured the place of dandelions.

It does explain why I have dandelions everywhere except the fields.