HAND PULL DANDELIONS TO ENSURE ELIMINATION

If you don’t want to become a weed farmer, follow simple tips to mellow that yellow

Q My question may be a little bit out of the ordinary. I live close to a field that is full of dandelions, and the result is that my lawn is also full of dandelions. I used to use chemicals to control them but I no longer want to do that. There are far too many to pull by hand, so I have decided that I will live with them and just mow them down before they have a chance to go to seed. What is your opinion of this? Am I creating a bigger problem for myself?

A Dandelions only became regarded as weeds during the 20th century. Before that they were raised for a variety of purposes, including as health remedies. Here are some little-known facts about dandelions:

Dandelions are members of the Asteraceae family. The same family that sunflowers belong to.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, dandelion greens are edible and an excellent source of vitamin A.

Now, before you decide to go into dandelion farming, remember that according to the City of Edmonton website, the city does not regulate nuisance weeds like dandelions, but your neighbours may not be too happy if you do end up letting them go to seed.

There are some non-chemical methods that you might like to try:

When mowing a lawn that is prone to dandelions, mow it frequently before they go to seed and leave the clippings on the lawn. Do not bag them. The mulched clippings on the lawn will tend to inhibit the dandelion seeds from taking root.

Keep the lawn well fertilized by following a regular fertilization schedule. The stronger and thicker the grass is, the less likelihood the dandelions can get a foothold. In the spring, consider overseeding the lawn to encourage thicker growth.

Although there may be many dandelions in the lawn right now, hand-pulling is the best way of ensuring they will not come back. Don’t look at the whole lawn, as it can appear overwhelming. Set aside some time and do a section of your lawn each week until all dandelions are pulled. Use a dandelion tool with a forked tip to pull out all of the root system.

Q I was wondering if you could provide me with some information on pruning. I have a couple of ornamental trees (a willow and a mayday, not too big) where there are some dead branches with no growth on them at all, then some branches have growth halfway up and the rest of the branch is bare, and there are also some suckers and water sprouts. I have a pair of anvil pruners. Can you advise where and how to cut the branches based on the above scenarios? For example, when I remove the dead branches, how close do I go to the trunk? If the top half of the branch is bare, do I cut that off ? How close to the branch do I cut off the water sprouts? How close to the trunk do I cut off the suckers?

A If the branch is totally dead, you can cut it even with the trunk. If the branch is partly alive and worth saving, cut only the dead parts off, leaving the living portion. By “worth saving,” is it important to the appearance of the tree? You can cut water sprouts and suckers even with the branch or trunk as well.

You can also prune for shape. Sometimes trees such as maydays end up growing lanky or a bit out of control and don’t even look like a mayday anymore. You can prune off branches that are not growing in the manner you want them to.

Pruning is a bit of an art form, as well as being a practical chore. Good luck and happy gardening.