Dandelion plants can last five to ten years in length and can spread in diameter up to 20 inches.
Because dandelions seeds are transported with the wind, no lawn or planting bed is impervious to a parachuting ordeal of dandelion seeds.
If farmers understand how to eradicate dandelions properly, and to not allow them to spread or resettle, farmers can reduce the number of work time towards getting rid of dandelions properly.
Dandelions are a sub-class of weeds called broadleaf perennials, often very difficult to get rid of, especially once the plant has become well-established and has a taproot that can measuring ten inches reabaded deep.
To get rid of dandelions once and for all, it is important to eliminate the plant suspended down to the roots.
Otherwise, it will grow back again. Dandelions can be killed off once and for all after they have been killed off quickly by chemical or natural methods such as boiling water (or vinegar mixture, also commercial broadleaf herbicides).
Just keep in mind that these work for both weed and plant, so proceed with caution by using them in the right conditions.
How to Get Rid Of Dandelions Fast and Permanently
The following methods work wonders at getting rid of dandelions for good.
Pure White Vinegar
Vinegar breaks down the cell membranes of plants which causes the plant tissue to dehydrate and ultimately die.
The effectiveness of vinegar as an herbicide is dependent upon its concentration and the age of the dandelion.
White horticultural vinegar contains 20% acetic acid and has potential to permanently kill young dandelions. However, vinegar is not strong enough to permanently kill well-established and deep-rooted old dandelions; your chance of vinegar killing them permanently is 50-50.
Pick a sunny day to spray the dandelions since the acetic acid in vinegar dries out weeds. Therefore, if you spray the vinegar on a day when the weeds are exposed to at least a few hours of direct sunlight it increases the drying power of the vinegar.
So here is the process:
- Pour undiluted vinegar into the spray bottle. Use a pump sprayer with a long hose and nozzle if working in a large area.
- Spray directly onto the weeds. Cover the leaves of the dandelions fully with the vinegar. Also spray down and around the weed roots, as well.
The vinegar will increase the acidity of the soil long enough to kill the roots of the unwanted weeds. Spray the vinegar only on the unwanted plants.
Within a few hours, the dandelions will begin to wilt and brown.
Note: To safely eradicate more established dandelions, spray them with vinegar and pull them three days after they’ve died.
You will still see some effects on the grass when using this method as well.
Once you’ve pulled the weeds up, water the lawn and mow to wash away any remaining vinegar.
From experience: Spray the weeds in the morning so they receive enough sunlight, and if it rains shortly after applying the vinegar, you’ll most likely need to apply another round as well.
Vinegar, Salt and Soap Mixture
If you are searching for a completely natural herbicide, then this combination of vinegar, liquid dish soap, and salt has everything you need to kill dandelions quickly.
Both salt and horticultural vinegar contain acetic acid, which is especially effective at sucking moisture out of the plant’s root system and has enough of a kick to kill the weed.
The liquid dish soap acts as a surfactant (a substance that reduces surface tension). So, the weed killer will stick to the leaves and give it time to make its way to the roots.
Mix one cup of salt, a gallon of white vinegar, and one tablespoon of liquid dish wash soap.
Fill up a spray bottle half-way and spray dandelions down thoroughly, including the roots, and it should be completely wilted in about three hours. If it’s not wilted after three hours, spray it down again and it will eventually wilt.
They will not come back, and nothing will grow there.
Quick note, don’t douse nearby plants because this weed killer will not know the different between weeds and plants you want to keep.
Boiling Water
Utilizing boiling water on dandelions may be one of the best, budget-friendly, and environmentally friendly processes you can utilize for long-lasting control of dandelions.
The results of using hot water are nearly instantaneous, and the best results may be observed a day or two after applying hot water.
Although a dandelion could be eliminated in a driveway (crack, sidewalk or lawn), this technique is most successful when utilizing the boiling water in a lawn, driveway crack, or garden path, as it is often difficult to manipulate the flow of the boiling water directly onto the weed.
To start, you should heat a kettle of water inside on your stovetop or outside. You can figure out how much of the area you’ve weeded and should plan to use probably more today if you positively plan to finish the area.
The opening of the kettle should be as close to the dandelion’s roots and leaves as possible.
Next, simply start pouring the water (over 200 degrees Fahrenheit) over the dandelion and it’s roots. The leaves of the dandelion will begin to turn yellow and quickly wither as boiling water travels over its leaves.
As the boiling water penetrates through the soil and fully saturates it, the heat from the soil surrounding the dandelion’s taproots will burn the connections to the main plant.
With damaged roots and no means to suck nutrients from the sun, the dandelion will die completely.
Broadleaf Herbicide
Dandelions belong to the group of broadleaf perennials that are very difficult to remove, especially if the plant has established a ten-inch taproot.
The long taproots are the only way to permanently eliminate the weed.
Even leaving a small piece of the dandelion taproot means that the weed will return.
The quickest way to eliminate dandelions for good with the least amount of work is with the use of broadleaf herbicide.
The herbicide will damage not only the leaves of the plant but destroy the whole plant.
The best broadleaf products need to have a blend of two or three herbicides.
MCPP, 2,4-D, dicamba and triclopyr are some of the best broadleaf herbicides and provide good results with dandelion control.
Fall is a good time to apply broadleaf herbicides to control perennial broadleaf weeds. In the fall, plants transfer food (carbohydrates) produced during the growing season from the leaves to the roots to prepare the plant for winter.
This means as the carbohydrates are being transferred, the treatment is being taken to the roots with the carbohydrates killing the dandelions.
Do not mow the lawn 2 to 3 days before or after applying the herbicide; at least 3 to 4 days should elapse. This gives the dandelions enough time to absorb the herbicide and translocate it to their roots.
Works Best: Do not apply broadleaf herbicide if rain is expected for the next 24 hours. Do not water for 24 hours after the application.
Final Thoughts
Dandelions are a very difficult weed to manage because their taproots can reach depths of up to 10 inches, and their seeds are carried off with the wind.
Additionally, since dandelions are perennial plants, they will naturally return every year.
Mot only that, but the only way to eradicate them is to remove the entire root system.
If you leave even a small piece of a dandelion root, it will return to grow despite all your efforts.