No. 15 // If Dandelions Just Aren't Your Thing

Each spring, lawn fanatics everywhere begin an annual battle with the dandelions. A few spots of yellow in a sea of green sets the average neatnik on edge, driving them to great lengths to eradicate this humble and even beneficial weed. Did you know, dandelions provide the first source of nectar for pollinators in the spring? They also help to aerate the soil and have deep roots which help bring up nutrients from deep within the soil including potassium, phosphorus, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, and silicon.

But benefits aside, dandelions can spread quickly and in some types of soil, they can seemingly take over. So what’s a natural gardener to do? You’ve got the horticultural vinegar but that’s non-selective, so if you’re not super precise in your application, you could fry the lawn surrounding the dandelion. You’re using corn gluten meal and while it keeps the lawn lush and green and is highly effective at keeping dandelions at bay, it’s not a silver bullet.

Sounds like it’s time for you to meet (drum roll please…) the 4 claw weeder. Few things are more cathartic than weeding and this is like weeding on steroids, precisely and easily pulling out weeds large and small by the root. We only just discovered this amazing tool and we literally hung out in our backyard vying to be the next one to use it. Our four-year-old loved it! No pulling, no bending, no sweat…and best of all, no herbicides.

Just be sure to leave a few dandelions for the bees and to let your neighbors know your lawn is a non-toxic one. And while you’re at it, blow on a dandelion to make a wish a wish for good measure. //