Dandelions/weeds

[stampsx2]

Has anyone ever seen the dandelions/weeds as bad as they are in the city this year? They are out of control. You can pull weeds and spray all you like, they’ll be back.

Home depot shelves with weed killer were just about empty last wednesday.

City property is pretty much a shade of yellow and white everywhere. If you ask me, it doesn’t look great for tourism either.

What’s everyone using for weed killer? I’m looking for something stronger chemical wise. Killex isn’t powerful enough.

[undercoverbrother]

You need a country friend.

When we lived in Sylvan my buddy lived on a acreage and would would get this product from UFA, herbicide and fertilizer.

I can't recall the name, but it was great.

[btimbit]

Between killex and weed b gone, one of them worked great for me and the other one didn't do a thing. Sadly I can never remember which was which.

Great help I know lol, sorry. What I do remember having is the most success with the style that attaches to a hose

[2Stonedbirds]

You'd be better off getting drunk and pissing on weeds the next day than using the junk for sale on the shelf at Home Hardware, ect.
Par 3 is your friend.

Dandelions are a perennial, and when pulling, if you don't get the entire root system, more just pop up.
Spraying 2-3 times a year helps build control. After a year or so your neighbors lawn can be yellow, and you'll be good to go.
Failing that, you can spot spray or apply roundup or glysophate with a paint brush.

[vtec260]

I decided not to use any type of weed killers anymore. Weeds not pretty to look at, but I'd rather try to get rid of them manually when possible or use hot water/vinegar mixture. I don't have the best looking yard in the neighbourhood, but feel better using non-chemicals.

[Nancy]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Between killex and weed b gone, one of them worked great for me and the other one didn't do a thing. Sadly I can never remember which was which.

Great help I know lol, sorry. What I do remember having is the most success with the style that attaches to a hose

Weed-b-Gon uses chelated iron, which burns the leaves but does not necessarily kill the roots. It acts more quickly and has a more dramatic immediate effect. With Killex, the weeds die more slowly but it seems to do a better, more permanent job, IMO. I have heard others swear the exact opposite, though.

I saw some guy in an unmarked truck hosing down a yard with a very strong weed killer, absolutely drenching the yard with the stuff, so I guess there is a black market for a nuclear powered weed control service out there somewhere, if you really need it. (The smell was absolutely overpowering from a block away.)

[81MC]

Personally, I think dandelions are cute. Pouring toxins all over the ground in a vain seems beyond stupid to me.

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by vtec260

I decided not to use any type of weed killers anymore. Weeds not pretty to look at, but I'd rather try to get rid of them manually when possible or use hot water/vinegar mixture. I don't have the best looking yard in the neighbourhood, but feel better using non-chemicals.

Mow before they go to seed, or pull them up if you have the time. Or put them in a salad. Par 3 will eventually kill your dogs or cats, and probably isn't that good for you or your kids as well. There is a grassroots movement in Cochrane to get Par 3 out of the rotation for town control of weeds.

[Roughneck]

Timing is the key. the late August/early Sept sprays are more effective since the 'flush' ends to be more consistent, and it knocks the plant back before going into winter, so it can't make anything to get through. The trick is to just try to keep up in spring, make sure you get the fall one right, then it should be easy sailing for a couple years.



You need to spray when the weed is still 'on the way up' so to speak. 3-way products work by 'growing the plant to death' so you an still see weeds to go seed after spraying if it's too late. A well timed spray is always great (i.e. Saturday morning, don't see anything, by noon see a yellow flush, spray ASAP) where by the next day you see the dandelion death spiral. All that energy has been put into getting it to that point and then it can't convert it to seed, even if the weeds are still unsightly for a bit.



One of these

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/hdx...yer/1000755742


Plus Killex concentrate you can also by at home depot: 50mL/sprayer full would give you the same active ingredient rate as the ag/professional products like Par 3 and Trillion (exact same ingredients, just half the concentration). That said, always follow the label rate and what not. But that's as cost effective and reliable a setup as you'll find, and can effectively spot spray to make the product last a really long time.

[stampsx2]

Originally Posted by vtec260

I decided not to use any type of weed killers anymore. Weeds not pretty to look at, but I'd rather try to get rid of them manually when possible or use hot water/vinegar mixture. I don't have the best looking yard in the neighbourhood, but feel better using non-chemicals.

I feel much better having a nice lawn. Goal is to have it look like golf grass. If you can make it happen it’s something to be proud of. Big respect to those guys that manage to somehow get a perfect lawn when you drive down their street. Makes you do a double take it’s so well done.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by vtec260

I decided not to use any type of weed killers anymore. Weeds not pretty to look at, but I'd rather try to get rid of them manually when possible or use hot water/vinegar mixture. I don't have the best looking yard in the neighbourhood, but feel better using non-chemicals.

Driveway, sidewalk, patio stone, etc boiling water is definitely the ticket. Basically anywhere you'd consider using glyphosate. Effective for all growing stages, any weather, no leaching.



Pulling also good if you can keep it up. Only option when the plant isn't growing enough for selective products to work. Filling the voids (particularly when you get a nice, juicy taproot) with soil/sand is a step people usually skip, but helps the grass move back in quicker which helps keep weeds out.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by 2Stonedbirds

You'd be better off getting drunk and pissing on weeds the next day than using the junk for sale on the shelf at Home Hardware, ect.
Par 3 is your friend.

Dandelions are a perennial, and when pulling, if you don't get the entire root system, more just pop up.
Spraying 2-3 times a year helps build control. After a year or so your neighbors lawn can be yellow, and you'll be good to go.
Failing that, you can spot spray or apply roundup or glysophate with a paint brush.

Yes Par 3, that was the product buddy lent me.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Roughneck

Pulling also good if you can keep it up. Only option when the plant isn't growing enough for selective products to work. Filling the voids (particularly when you get a nice, juicy taproot) with soil/sand is a step people usually skip, but helps the grass move back in quicker which helps keep weeds out.

I usually fill the hole with a bit of grass seed and lawn food after getting the taproot out. This week's rain should be good for it.

[D as in David]

Saw an older lady trying to clear dandelions off of city property by using a grill lighter to light the ones that had gone to seed. She had a very large job in front of her.

[zamler]

This product is mazeballs wipes out basically any weed type and also crabgrass. Takes 2-3 weeks to show full effect, seems expensive but is good value this will last me a couple of years at least.
https://www.seedranch.ca/Tenacity-He...de-8-fl-oz.htm

You will need a powered sprayer otherwise don't see how you'll get a consistent application.

[Calgary14]

I just pour some vinegar on them and within 2 days they are gone. Yes I know its lazy and not great for the surrounding grass but there are like 300 of them and I dont want to use harsh sprays

[SportsJunky]

Par 3 is what I use. Nothing off the shelf seems to work very well. Par 3 twice a year does the trick.

[2Stonedbirds]

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

Par 3 is what I use. Nothing off the shelf seems to work very well. Par 3 twice a year does the trick.

The fall application like Roughneck said is key.
The plant pulls in as much as it can in prep for shutting down for the year. Basically stops it from getting a start in spring, which is how you actually develop control.

Ideally you want to apply on a sunny day, but not too hot. Above 26, 27° C you're essentially wasting money. Keep water off for 10, 12 hours, don't cut your lawn for a day or so, and you're golden.
If you decide to go the commercial route and let someone do a weed and feed (fertilizer) application for you, I'd keep water off for the 10-12 hours. But especially now with it being so dry, and hot, you're gonna want to get water back on it after that time period so you don't run the risk of the fertilizer burning your grass.
Typically under the right conditions, 95% or so of the applied herbicide is taken in by the plant within the first hour. Still, I prefer to keep water off and let it do its thing.

[2Stonedbirds]

I can appreciate how some like dandelions, you can make wine, tea, salad and what have you. They are considered an invasive species and not native to North America sooo... nuke em all I say.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

Par 3

Of course it works active ingredient is 2,4-D.