Agronomist told how to get rid of dandelions in their summer cottage

With the advent of warm weather, dandelions appeared in abundance in many summer cottages. Weed control is not easy.

In order to slow down the growth of the plant, to prevent them from blooming, you can use an ordinary scythe, trimmer or lawn mower. As agronomist Irina Semenova notes, if you mow a weed 1-2 times a week, the plant will eventually become exhausted. However, it is impossible to send mowed plants to compost or leave them on the site – the seeds can ripen even after mowing and scatter again in all directions.

You can try to dig out the weed with a shovel or root remover, but it is important to understand that dandelion roots can go up to 30-50 cm deep: if you pull out only the greens and the upper part of the root system, growth will resume over time.

Another way is to pour boiling water. Half a liter is enough for one bush. To be effective, repeat the procedure 2-3 more times. Avoid getting boiling water on other plants.

If there are only a few dandelion bushes on the site, you can cut off their aerial part – and sprinkle the cut with salt. However, if there are a lot of weeds, this method cannot be used, since salinization of the site may occur – and there is a risk that nothing will grow in such a place.

Another option for dealing with dandelions is spraying with vinegar. To do this, you need to mix in equal proportions water and vinegar essence, and then (on a dry and calm day) spray weeds abundantly with a spray bottle and pour a little mixture under the root. You should act carefully and pointwise, trying not to get on other landings. After 1-2 days, already dead plants can be dug up, and the hole can be shed with a solution.

You can also buy weed killer from a gardening store. It is important to consider that their action is continuous and selective. In the first case, chemistry will destroy all plants, and in the second, only monocots or dicots, which include dandelions. When choosing a product, pay attention to the packaging, it always indicates what the herbicide is suitable for – for example, to protect the lawn from dandelions and other weeds. The drug in the form of a liquid or powder should be diluted in water strictly according to the instructions.

To prevent the appearance of dandelions on the site, be sure to dig it deep in spring and autumn. And before planting at the beginning of the season, all weeds that have already appeared from the ground should be removed from the root. You can not leave the site empty – the beds can be protected with covering material, and the flower beds can be mulched – covered with wood chips or chopped bark. In empty places, you can also sow green manure, such as rapeseed or mustard. Such crops will crowd out weeds and suppress their growth.