Help Please!! I have 48 before dh sprays weed killer!!!

[crunchy_mama]

We have dandelions all over the front yard, dh has bought some weed killer and fertilizer for the yard. I of course tell him no way not in the yard because - well obvious reasons. So, he tells me I have 3 days to come up with a different solution- it cannot kill the ground because we want grass to grow there- so salt and vinegar are out. Any ideas? Or does anyone know where good info is to convince him we do not want this in our yard?!!


TIA,
Amanda

[stafl]

try cross-posting in Diggin' in the Earth forum.

My DD would never let DH kill all the pretty dandelions - yellow is her favorite color!

You can burn them out with a hand-held torch. Keep a low flame on them while all their juices sizzle out of them. Kills 'em dead and doesn't poison the earth. Same method works especially well with weeds growing in cracks in the driveway, too.


for info on why you don't want to use Round-up or other herbicides, do a quick search for Monsanto. I believe they are the most evil corporation on the planet!

[Amydoula]

dandelion greens, not the flowers, are actually very healthy to eat, even better for you than spinach! They are not *weed* at all. Very tasty stir fried with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. I wish you luck with saving these wonderful plants.

Amy

[weebitty2]

Scalding hot water poured onto each dandelion. It even kills the long taproot. It will kill whatever grass is in that spot, but you can re-seed and it grows right back (the grass, not the dandelion)

You can also run around with scissors and just cut the heads off every one that starts growing, and toss them in the trash. If the bloom isn't there, they won't go to seed and spread.

Keep your lawn grass at a height of 2 - 2.5 inches, because shorter height than that can kill the grass which allows a dandelion to germinate more easily. Corn gluten meal on the lawn will stop the dandelions from germinating/growing also, but it won't kill the existing plants. Do NOT use fertilizers that contain potassium! It increases dandelion growth and spread approx 20x.

Also .. if you garden - you may want to convinve him to just leave them there. The roots aerate the ground, and the plants themselves extremely attractive to ladybugs, which are notorious for eating up aphids. They also suck up a good amount of ground minerals, which are returned to the soil when they die.

[lynsage]

pick them!

use the leaves for salads or cooked greens and use the blossoms to make dandelion wine. and compost the stems!

another use for the stems: my grandma said that if you ever get a pimple, break a dandelion stem and put a dab of the white sap on it to make it heal and disappear faster.

[CryPixie83]

Ugh, my landlord has been spraying our dandelions, and he didn't even mention it to me until I asked. My dd loves dandelions (picks them, eats them, all sorts of stuff), so I was really upset when I found out he'd sprayed *poison* where my dd plays :

What are the dandelions hurting? do your kids play in your yard? Why does your dh want to dump poison where your dc play?

[crunchy_mama]

nak--thaks ladies for the replies! .yes, my dc will be playing there- he thinks it is sufficient to keep him off it for a week. we have well water as well so that is an issue. there is no way I could get rid of each dandelion one at a time, we have a big yard and it is covered in them. perhaps I can play up the positivs and do a seach on monsanto--It is good to know they are ok to eat- ds loves them!!