April Showers Bring May Dandelions, Look Out and Take Action Now.

Once upon a time as a child I loved those yellow flowers in our lawn. Since then I have learned a lot, especially over the past 15 years while being in our industry. As a father of two children who are very active outside I realized just what those do to my lawn. Dandelions zap the energy from the sun and the nutrients from the soil, keeping a lush green lawn down the road at the neighbors.

Dandelions grow taller with a broader leaf than typical Kentucky Bluegrass or Fescue. The taller, broader leaf of the dandelion shades out the preferred turf grass. The lack of sunlight stunts the growth of the turf grass and it begins to thin out. Just as the leaves of the dandelion get bigger the roots do as well. Bigger deeper roots means the nutrients and moisture are taken up by the dandelion, thus making it even stronger. This cycle continues year after year until your lawn is painted yellow with little to no turf grass for the kids to play on. What happens next?

Dandelions are sneaky. They show their true colors in the spring, turn yellow, and spread their seeds. Once they spread their seeds dandelions basically disappear for a month or two. It’s at that point that your lawn turns bare, allowing more varieties of weeds to move in. In late August they are back for one last hurrah; and the cycle continues.

The good news: dandelions can be controlled with a proper treatment program. It is necessary to treat the broad leaves of the weed as well as give nutrients to the turf so it has the energy to grow lush and fight off possible other invasive species of weeds. Using the proper treatment discourages the growth of the plant as a whole. Trying to dig up a dandelion generally is not effective. The root of a dandelion typically goes down 6-12 inches in the ground and will likely grow back if not removed completely.

R&D Landscape would love to help you out. They currently treat 80 acres at Bonnie View Golf Course, 200 residential and commercial lawns, and the athletic fields at Eaton Rapids Public Schools.

For more information contact us as soon as possible.

Phone: 517-202-5543
Email: info@rdlandscape.com
or See our Facebook Page

Russell Thorn,
President of R&D Landscape