Question

We have loads of dandelions growing on the lawn, is it true that boiling water works just as well as weed killer? I'm presuming you have to dig them out once theyve shriveled and died?  

Answer 1

Why do people here hate flowers in the grass. Don't get it

Comments

@knutson love the name

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@achieve still think it looks prettier with daisy and other wildflowers

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@altagraciaaltaic/activity" class="qa-user-link">altagraciaaltaic each to their own @altagraciaaltaic/activity" class="qa-user-link">altagraciaaltaic  I'm sure your lawn looks lovely too

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@achieve to me yes

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@achieve I love my garden a bit wild though

Answer 2

I heard Salt water x

Comments

@addam ah right OK, does hot/cold water make difference? I presumed boiling water killed them but not sure about the root? X

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Please don't put salt on your lawn it will kill the grass as well

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@chao1 do u no x

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@cyclops65 don't kill the grass iv done it with cold salt water grass is fine yet to see if the dandilions come back x

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@addam just salt know water it dont kill the grass I have a beautiful garden. a trick my dad taught me as he is a Gardener by trade. X

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@chao1 I could remember what u said i did it then forgot what I did I been up to so much  x

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They dry out. with salt on no water needed

Answer 3

Leave them for now, they are ideal for bees. Once flowers start to bloom then kill them off.  

Comments

@kelter the birds love them too!  

Answer 4

Boiling water does kill them but also leaves dead patches on lawn where they were

Comments

@blockus what would you suggest? Some proper weed killer, won't that also leave bald patches once they are dead?  

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@snuffbox2 if I knew a good solution I'd let you know. Used boiling water and weed killer on a few different years and all killed grass off. This year I am just waiting for them to die naturally as have more than usual and dont know a good solution without creating brown patches or holes

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@snuffbox2 dug them out with a narrow trowel. Weed killer kills bees  and salt or hot water kills your grass

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@whelm I've dug some out in past but then left bald patches where I'd had to dig up lawn a bit to get them out

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@blockus thank you, I suppose it adds a bit of colour

Answer 5

Bees love them, they then die off quickly

Answer 6

This is the Bees first source of nutrition just leave them to die back

Comments

@cosine they don't touch it in my garden they prefer the Pulminaria and so do I.  

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@gaslit3157 but if you don't have anything else flowering right now this would be their go to.  

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@cosine I have had flowers in my garden for several months now well before the dandelions show their heads.  

Answer 7

Ok, cool. I didn't realise they were a favourite with the bees. To be fair we've not seen any bees around but I'll leave them if they die off naturally. Thanks guys

Comments

@snuffbox2 if you dont want them to spread everywhere just make sure you pull the heads off before they turn to dandilion clocks, it's not just bees that love them .  

Answer 8

Hook them out with a screwdriver. A couple every day and it will improve. Also make sure you pick the heads off when they go fluffy.  

Comments

@portion @riba6 May when they have fluffy heads the girls love blowing them everywhere, I presume once they land they grow the year after and you get more?  

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@snuffbox2 yes definitely! Every time they blow them around that’s the seeds spreading everywhere. I pick any heads off as soon as I see them and throw them in the bin!  

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@snuffbox2 yip, seeds with parachutes  

Answer 9

Get a fiskar they are amazing, I also pick the heads off late afternoon to stop the clocks. Doing late afternoon don't affect the bees

Comments

@llewellyn until other flowers bloom, it's the bees only source of pollen. It has nothing to do with the time of day. X

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I do have a wild patch in the corner we don't touch, which has lots of dandelions as does the side of our driveway

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@llewellyn what's a fiskar?  

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It's a tool grabs the dandelion from the root. Love mine

Answer 10

Salt just put salt on them and it will dry them out

Comments

@chao1 I do this works perfectly.  

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@bicarb it's best way your not adding poison to the ground then. x

Answer 11

No water

Answer 12

I’m opposite to you all. I love the dandelions. having two bitches that wee on my grass and kill it, a welcome relief that the daisies and dandelions keep my lawn green!  

Answer 13

Bees need these , I’m leaving mine till nature decides , then I’ll cut grass , we need to help our bee friends xx

Answer 14

Mines the same, I always leave it for the bees though. Daisies and dandelions are their first source of pollen ‍♀️

Comments

@rhetoric1 it's actually water to them what's in daisies and dandelions.  

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Not sure what that means Lorraine? They take the pollen from dandelions as they’re usually one of the first to flower. Early honey bees all over my garden/dandelions

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@abbe0 do you mean the nectar? Either way they’re good for the bees  

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@rhetoric1 yes that's exactly what I mean.  

Answer 15

For the bees.  

Comments

@abbe0 with you on this  

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@shattuck862 lovely. A weed is just a flower growing in the wrong place.  

Answer 16

Every morning I go out first thing and snap those yellow heads off before they set seed. It weakens them eventually. I’m not too keen on using chemicals but I do have some lawn weed killer waiting to be opened. I also have heavy clay so I have lined all my borders with newspaper - thick wads of it. That means if any dandelion, or other weed seeds get blown in they are so easy to pluck out by hand as they can’t get through the paper to lay down deep roots.  

Answer 17

Get a guinea pig  

Answer 18

Eat them more goodness in them than avocados

Answer 19

I've same problem and it seems that the more I cut the grass more grow ‍♀️

Answer 20

When the queen comes out of hibernation she is very thirsty. Dandelions provide vital drink to allow our bees to re-energise to pollinate our beautiful flowers, plants, fruit and vegetables.  

Comments

@abbe0 what even . queens have been active for months. Long before dandelions start to flower. And even at that. Queen bees don’t drink nectar. They only eat royal jelly which is secreted by the worker bees.  

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Ciarán Mac An Ghabhain I have a wild hive under my back doorstep we've lived in harmony for over 12 years. I love it when my big thistle blooms and grows.  

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@abbe0 yeah . doesn’t mean you know what you are talking about.  

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Ciarán Mac An Ghabhain and you do?    

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@abbe0 Erm, yes. Coming up with some nonsense about the queens needing dandelions to quench their thirst (when they don’t leave the hive) shows you don’t.  

Answer 21

If you pour boiling water on then then you will kill your grass also

Answer 22

I leave mine, love seeing the bees on them and then they bring the goldfinches too which I don't get to see very often.  

Answer 23

I use a screwdriver and make a deep hole in the middle pour salt in and they die within a few days

Answer 24

I love dandylions and so do the bees. Free flowers if you ask me xx⚘⚘☘☘

Answer 25

Yes hot salty water de root and pour down a hole not over the whole garden. Lol if you de-head a dandelion it will just grow another head, brilliant if you’re feeding the bees but if you don’t want them in your garden get some early spring flowers in it’s place.  

Answer 26

Dandelions are food for bees. Let them grow. They are good for the garden. Yea cut youre grass but let them grow back naturally

Answer 27

Make honey

Answer 28

This year I just pick the heads off them as they are on the verge of turning fluffy. I get the benefit of the yellow flowers, without masses of seeds flying around. I have lots of other daisy like flowers out for the bees.  

Answer 29

I love dandelions  They're the only thing that seems to grow in my garden  We collect any dry clocks too from the school run and blow them all over the garden as well. I bet my neighbours love me  

Comments

We collect them too  I place patches of them in different areas, we have giant leaves on some we've cultivated

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@eaglet373 my old neighbour hated dandelions and daisies. As soon as a tiny shoot appeared, they'd be out there cutting the grass  I really can't be arsed cutting the grass that often and everything we plant seems to die, so we water the weeds instead x

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I cut round my dandelions  xx

Answer 30

What's not to love. free flowers. Free salad leaves. superfood. ⚘⚘

Comments

@knutson oh wow you have award winning ones.  

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@abbe0 lol thank you. I just let them get on with it. low maintenance free beautiful flowers  

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@knutson I agree.  

Answer 31

Bees love dandy lions and they are soo pretty. Just nip the tops off before the seeds fly. Make dandelion wine

Answer 32

Leave them, they're beautiful

Answer 33

Make wine.  

Answer 34

I planted other plants that attract the bees.  

Answer 35

Yes don't boil the worms and other benificial insects that live in your soil. you will have lovely grass if you have worms underneath. just pick the dandelions out with a fork it's easier.  

Answer 36

As they are edible you could always cook them.  

Answer 37

Leave them for the bees  

Answer 38

I dig mine out with a knife they come out really easy

Answer 39

Leave them for the bees  

Comments

@huynh was going to say the same x

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@sneed @kelter and me. Yellow flowers are vital for the bees.  

Answer 40

Dandelion milk is good for getting rid of warts on hands  it really works

Answer 41

Dandelions are friends now. Google a mazillion uses for them!  

Answer 42

Wow, so many comments and uses, thank you guys :)

Answer 43

My rabbits eat ours, they love them

Answer 44

Please remove the flowers before using a weed killer. This will stop the bees settling and getting poisoned  

Answer 45

Not only beautiful, but bees and butterflies love the flowers and goldfinches and bullfinches eat the seeds. Plus you can eat it, as a honey, in salads and make tea with it. Too many positives to get rid of  

Answer 46

I’ve noticed more this year too! I hate them!  

Answer 47

I hate ivy more . lol

Answer 48

I even buy dandylion honey it's delicious ⚘⚘

Comments

@knutson my chum made her own!  

Answer 49

There the best flowers for bees!  

Answer 50

Maybe you could keep one wee corner like they do in parks for the bees and butterflies  

Answer 51

The  bees love them

Answer 52

Make Jelly - Dandilions r so good for u

Answer 53

Digging them out yesterday

Answer 54

Dandelions are a Bees super food and while they are producing energy to make more bees give them a chance and leave a few for them

Answer 55

Yes so you might as well dig them out in the first place to avoid boiled grass as well?  

Answer 56

Here's a few of my dandelions beside one of my pots, they are so cheery, brighten up a big patch of lawn along with daisies x

Answer 57

My tortoises eat mine and bees need them

Comments

@nefen Beckitt excellent for tortoises rabbit's guinea pigs etc xx. oh and humans lol  

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@knutson absolutely even the dog like them  

Answer 58

Yes! It's all I use in my garden for weeds if I can't dig them up x

Answer 59

I didnt realise u could eat them. Obvs wash them first. My partner said would save use a fortune to use them in place of buying a lettuce.  

Answer 60

I use a long screwdriver work around weed & lever root out

Answer 61

Pour salt in the middle it will kill them x

Comments

@smacker1098 and every other plant or life. So damaging for the soil

Answer 62

Leave until the heads have died of, they are food for the bees and butterflies, then take them out

Answer 63

Make Dandelion and Burdock soft drink. All parts of the dandelion are edible. Waste not, want not.  

Answer 64

A pinch if salt gets rid if you want, but they are food for bees

Answer 65

A spray of weed killer soon sorts them

Comments

@calvities I bet the bees love you

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@busload0 still don’t want weeds in the lawn though ‍♂️

Answer 66

  leave them bee

Answer 67

They taste sooooo yummy fried. Harvest them x

Answer 68

BOILi ng water will kill the grass too, try a tool like this .  
https://www.mad4tools.com/silverlin...emium

Answer 69

Leave them for the bees

Answer 70

Don't kill them, they are good for the bees

Answer 71

Yes, boiled vinegar water got rid of ours

Answer 72

If you’re going to dig them out when they died why don’t you just take them out while they’re alive then you’ll be able to see the difference and seal the root cause of the middleman forget about the boiling water

Answer 73

Dandelions make great syrup for pancakes

Answer 74

Weed and feed mix, rake and water end up with lawn like Wimbledon. .  

Answer 75

Chop the heads off before they seed.  

Answer 76

Everyone right. But boiling water will kill grass if in lawn. So just do the ones in cracks. Leave roots just everytime pour boiling water on it will in time weaken plant. Mow the ones on the lawn. We just pick flowers to make honey. And i had some leaves like spinach in march as had little food and kept other stuff for kids.  

Answer 77

Awww ☹ food for the bees