If you have small patches of dandelions marring your otherwise green, lush lawn, you may wonder what you can do to get rid of them without resorting to harsh chemicals. If so, try one or more of the following natural ways to control the small dandelion population in your yard.

Pluck the Plants from the Ground

One of the most natural ways of getting rid of the dandelions in your yard does not require any special equipment. You only need your hands to pluck the plants out of the ground. However, this does not mean that you can simply pull the flowers off. The roots must be removed and the tap root either taken out or severed.

When you pull the plants out, make sure you do so either before they blossom or while the flowers are still yellow. Waiting until the flowers turn into balls of fluffy seeds will only spread the problem when they are disturbed, as this allows the plants to spread and germinate.

Boil Them with Water

If you do not want to manually pull out the plants or seeds that have already formed, you can try boiling them with water. The boiling water not only scalds the outside of the plants, but it also heats up the chlorophyll inside, causing the plants to wither and die.

To use this method, simply pour a cup of boiling water over each plant. Then, wait a couple of days and repeat the application to ensure you have covered all of the leaves on the plants.

Pickle the Dandelions with Vinegar

If the boiling water did not work on particularly stubborn dandelion plants, pickle them by applying white distilled vinegar. The acetic acid in the vinegar will burn the plants. It will also kill the roots when the vinegar is sucked down into the foliage.

When spraying vinegar on the plants, pour the liquid into a plastic spray bottle at full strength, then turn the nozzle to a tight stream. This tight stream keeps the vinegar from getting on your grass or nearby flowers, as it will burn any plant or grass in your yard.

The above methods can help you keep small numbers of dandelion plants at bay in your yard. However, if your lawn is overrun by the weed, you may want to ask a representative at a home and garden center for their recommendations for weed control supplies that can handle a massive invasion of dandelions on your property. For more information, visit websites such as http://www.asepestandweedsupplies.com.

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