Dandelions/weeds

[flylock shox]

Originally Posted by 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.

Dandelions are the best!



They're cheerful, low maintenance, edible, and turn into fun puffballs when they go to seed. You don't even need to worry about planting or watering them.



Why curate a bunch of difficult plants when you can just have a yard full of dandelions?

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

Goal is to have it look like golf grass.

Ef that. Bee Turf and wildflowers for the win. Big green monoculture lawns are just a stupid British Provincial landowner signal of "look how much land I have that I don't need to farm on." We need more pollinator friendly ground cover because when Bees go, we go.

[MoneyGuy]

I’m still looking for a remedy for crabgrass/quack grass. (I don’t know if they’re the same thing.) I’m going to try Par 3, Roundup or equivalent on a paint brush; if that doesn’t work then I’ll kill the whole area and reseed. Any other advice is appreciated.

[Roughneck]

Problem with rampant dandelions is that they take over, reducing biodiversity and their growth habit reduces ground cover which leads to runoff problems. So a big spring flush, then they go away, you're left with a runoff nightmare when the heavy rains come. Maintaining a nice grass monoculture might not help with biodiversity, but better to resist bad runoff and the like, and a more comfortable use for activities.



Bee turf, seedum turf, drought-resistant fescues with native wildflowers are all great alternatives to the traditional ornamental lawn, but their benefits go away when invasive weeds take over. If dandelions push out the other flowing species, it's a bad day for the bees since dandelion pollen is neither that good a source, nor the first source of pollen for bees (but the myth has persisted anyway).

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

I’m still looking for a remedy for crabgrass/quack grass. (I don’t know if they’re the same thing.) I’m going to try Par 3, Roundup or equivalent on a paint brush; if that doesn’t work then I’ll kill the whole area and reseed. Any other advice is appreciated.

They are not the same. Crabgrass is warm-season and tillers, quackgrass is cool season and rhizomatous. Quackgrass is much tougher to get rid of as a result.



Par 3/Trillion/Killex and any other broadleaf herbicide won't do a thing to them. Non-selective is the only way to go if the dabber is your thing, but with quackgrass you might get part of it, but those rhizomes can keep it alive. Pull out a clump, mow lawn lower for a while might keep it at bay. Killing everything would be the overkill way to deal with it, but is one of the ways.

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by zamler

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

Haha, what's a little agent orange amongst friends?

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Roughneck

They are not the same. Crabgrass is warm-season and tillers, quackgrass is cool season and rhizomatous. Quackgrass is much tougher to get rid of as a result.

Par 3/Trillion/Killex and any other broadleaf herbicide won't do a thing to them. Non-selective is the only way to go if the dabber is your thing, but with quackgrass you might get part of it, but those rhizomes can keep it alive. Pull out a clump, mow lawn lower for a while might keep it at bay. Killing everything would be the overkill way to deal with it, but is one of the ways.

How do I tell the difference? It’s warm so do I have crabgrass? If I take a clump to a knowledgeable garden shop maybe they can tell me and how to kill it. What do you mean by “dabber?”

[2Stonedbirds]

Originally Posted by flylock shox

Dandelions are the best!



They're cheerful, low maintenance, edible, and turn into fun puffballs when they go to seed. You don't even need to worry about planting or watering them.



Why curate a bunch of difficult plants when you can just have a yard full of dandelions?

If thats your bag, then fill your boots good sir.

[Roughneck]

Canada in early June it'd be unlikely to be crabgrass. Even if you're in southern Ontario or the Okanagan. But it's a fickle weed and keeps finding new places to get to so the 'warm-season' tag might need to be taken from it.



Google 'Quackgrass auricles' and you'll see the easiest thing to look for. Also the easier it is to pluck out, the more likely it's crabgrass, and plucking would be the most effective control.

[stampsx2]

Originally Posted by Roughneck

Problem with rampant dandelions is that they take over, reducing biodiversity and their growth habit reduces ground cover which leads to runoff problems. So a big spring flush, then they go away, you're left with a runoff nightmare when the heavy rains come. Maintaining a nice grass monoculture might not help with biodiversity, but better to resist bad runoff and the like, and a more comfortable use for activities.



Bee turf, seedum turf, drought-resistant fescues with native wildflowers are all great alternatives to the traditional ornamental lawn, but their benefits go away when invasive weeds take over. If dandelions push out the other flowing species, it's a bad day for the bees since dandelion pollen is neither that good a source, nor the first source of pollen for bees (but the myth has persisted anyway).

This is fantastic info why we don’t want dandelions.

After further research, bees go to dandelions when they are desparate. They much rather collect pollen from trees or blooming flowers in early spring than dandelions.

[stampsx2]

Anybody know where i can buy par 3?

[zamler]

Not as concentrated as Par III but has the same ingredients.
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ort...ate/1000120971

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

This is fantastic info why we don’t want dandelions.

We also shouldn't want golf grass as our lawns either, but that's a different matter.

[PepsiFree]

From everything I’ve read, having a deeply rooted lawn with good biodiversity is the best way to avoid weeds. Different types of grasses, flowers, clover etc. Adding compost to the lawn to give it more nutrients and encourage the roots, all that.

I’ve started implementing this myself and the results have been great. In areas where it hasn’t quite taken dandelions are an issue, but in areas where it has they are not at all.

Personally, I think the use of herbicides and the desire for a boring monoculture turf lawn are both really silly and pointless. You’ve basically bought into the marketing at that point. and to be fair, that marketing machine has been going for 50 or 60 years. But forget the chemicals, do a little manual work in the meantime, and focus on improving the strength of your lawn instead of just fighting an endless battle with a symptom of a ####ty lawn.

[CliffFletcher]

I honestly thought weedkiller was banned by the city a few years ago. But now I understand why none of my neighbours have dandelions, even though I’m the only one there digging them up by hand.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I honestly thought weedkiller was banned by the city a few years ago. But now I understand why none of my neighbours have dandelions, even though I’m the only one there digging them up by hand.

Weedkiller has never been banned. It's the combined weed and feed products that are banned.

[zamler]

"Weed and Feed" products were banned in Canada January 1st, 2010, and I thought 2,4-D specifically. So either there is no enforcement or the gubbermint forgot about it.

[Roughneck]

2,4-D was banned for cosmetic use in some provinces (Ontario and Quebec) but it wasn't a Canada-wide ban.

[dino7c]

Lawns are ridiculous...how much clean drinking water is wasted to try and have a greener lawn then your neighbor for 3 months

pouring chemicals into the ground is even worse

[MoneyGuy]

If you have the odd weed could you not eradicate them with weed killer in an eye dropper applied right on the weed? I may have 3-4.