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Dandelions thrive in soil that is calcium deficient. It puts down a deep tap root that’ll end up like a carrot and it’s trying to pull up calcium from the deeper soil to make it more available for the plants, in this case the grass. So as a longer term solution, maybe throw down some gypsum and/or dolomite lime and you’ll get less dandelions in future seasons.
That's good info to know. I've been having trouble with centipede grass this season and found out that stuff likes soil lacking phosphorous. I'd rather use fertilizers to control weeds and feed the grass at the same, then just use weedkillers.
Thanks for actually explaining the percentages after dilution. I always see people talking about the concentrate percentages, but never what it actually ends up being after it’s been mixed for spraying.
You're welcome Mark! It's an important point to understand, I should have shown my math in hindsight though. Example - if product is 30% 24d then 0.45 Oz of a 1.5 Oz pour is the active ingredient. If you add 1.5 Oz of product to 64 Oz of water then you have 0.45 Oz of 24d in a tank of 65.5 Oz of fluid. 0.45 / 65.5 give you your after dilution concentration. 👊
I've used a good many lawn week killing concoctions over the years, following label directions always. With dandelions especially, I noticed that they typically show the effects of the weed killer within a few hours - twisting of the stems, curling of the leaves, etc., and then they almost always ripen the seed head overnight and the seeds begin to sail away on the breeze. It's like they put their last gasp into of energy into reproduction. It would be nice if the yellow flower simply withered, dried up, and crumbled, rather than going into hyper-drive and releasing the seeds. Nice video. Thanks for posting the sxs comparisons. Cheers.
Charlie sucks. Thorns suck. Spectracide works. My opinion, Ortho weed b gone is better. It's an overwhelming effort, if nobody else in the trailer hood has the money to buy it, and don't care. It gets down to the lease agreement. Most nowadays say you have to take of the lawn.
Something that might be worth considering as far as the ready-to-use vs commercial concentrate: Method and intent of application. The concentrate, when used by a pro, is very likely to be used in wide-area sprayers like an ATV or lawn tractor sprayer, or at least a backpack, at a fairly high rate of speed, and correspondingly relatively low volumetric coverage. So the actual amount of active agent that's applied to each individual plant is likely to be a lot lower than spot-spraying like the squirt bottle. Each weed is likely to get several squeezes from the bottle from a standard homeowner in spot-spray like that kind of agent is typically used, resulting in a much higher volume of product being applied to each individual weed. Hence, it would make sense to dial back the concentration of active agents a bit, to prevent massive over-use of the herbicide to kill a single weed off. At least, that's how it works in my head!
I did use Ortho weed b gone today. I used a dail end hose spray on 2. Ya a little light, but I can apply more later, and I've done it before, so with my technique, it worked before. Just do some touch up later.
That's probably good practice. I do a lot of dandelion head plucking to prevent seeding but keeping the herbicide off flowers that bees frequent is probably beneficial for their population- I haven't researched that but but it makes sense.
@@TheCookster64 That's so sad. Definitely going to take the flowers off before I spray. Now I feel like leaving a small patch of dandelions in the backyard.
I let the flowers develop into seed heads and every day I go out with my shop vac and suck them all up. I’m sure the neighbours laugh, but it’s oddly satisfying to wave the vac wand over the head and see it vanish. It doesn’t take long to do. The plants soon stop flowering because I guess they sense they have produced all the seed they need to spew out. Then I hit them with the iron and they’re gone. I’ve gone from having tons of dandelions to a minimum and I think I could completely eradicate them, but of course seeds will blow in from elsewhere.
Spectracide is good weed killer, but I use the concentrate. You can get a heftier mix that way. It also does good on sour grass, chick grass, skunk cabbage, wild violet, and creeping charley. I've killed areas where I've had to reseed. Tall fescue seems to tolerate the weed killers with the less damage.
I have always used concentrate with a garden sprayer. Cheaper in the long run. If the directions say 4 ounces I might use 6. Then do it on a warm calm day.
I'd like to recommend Enforcer / Dicophar by Agriphar S.A. However, I don't think it's available in the US since you have your own manufacturers there.
The best all natural weed preventer, a thick turf! Didn’t use any pre or post herbicide and not a single dandelion while the neighbors are out spraying away.
Truth! My main lawn has a couple but this hill yard has never been seeded or sodded so it's got them in abundance. I'm looking forward to the hill yard renovation this season and then we'll see how many of them come back next year.
Retired crop duster here. You have to be careful with dicamba. Trade name is Banvel. It volatiles ( goes airborne via vapors) for days after application. It was outlawed for a number of years but they’ve brought it back.
Great video with lots of useful info. Thank you! I would have liked to see monthly photos of the trial tray, at the end of the video; not criticizing at all, I'm just an overly curious person.
I whack the dandelion tops 😮when I mow my lawn so I can get more dandelions! My bees love the dandelion/clover mix of my lawn. The leaves make a great addition to salads and are one the best cancer fighters in the planet. I hope you’re wearing gloves,Tyvek suit or r better and a respirator/ visor mask when you’re spraying all those neurotoxins. Btw, I used to be the biggest “sprayer” of them all until my farmer neighbors started get sick from all those chemicals. There are better natural ways to get rid of “weeds”. The weeds are telling you what’s wrong with your land. Also the “weeds” are some of the best medicines in the world.
Best control of dandelions comes with fall applications. I target mid September or later in Ohio. Straight 2,4-D at an equivalent rate of 32oz per acre with surfactant or a squirt of liquid dish soap will work. Fall is the best time because it’s when perennial weeds are storing energy for their hibernation and will pull the herbicide into the roots. Even following a light frost is ok.
This is a full summary of an earlier vid of mine that I've wanted to re-record this summer because the first version was way too poorly outlined and delivered. Excellent comment and I agree 100%.
I have a question. Are these products toxics for worms. Are these absorved by fruit trees? Keep in mi nd that mineral absortion of roots depends on bacterias associated with them. Felix
Dandelion leaves are used to stimulate the appetite and help digestion. Dandelion flower has antioxidant properties. Dandelion may also help improve the immune system. Herbalists use dandelion root to detoxify the liver and gallbladder, and dandelion leaves to help kidney function.
All of that may be exactly correct...but I won't be harvesting dandelions from my yard for consumption probably ever and neither will 99% of everybody else.
Nice video man! I prefer to use Speedzone or 4speedXT in spring and fall when temps are fairly cool because they are ester formulations. Then I use Q4plus in the hotter summer months which is an amine formulation. I may add a little extra Quin if I have to address some heavier crabgrass areas.
Because nobody I know likes to eat them, the puffy seeds look terrible, and the children step on the bees and get stung. I have $20 for anyone that's hungry and wants to eat all my dandelions 😅 The bees can hang out in another lawn with dandelions there is not a lack of the weed
Yeah, that's a problem that you'll run into with lawn products around the country, not all states allow for shipping to their states for a ton of different reasons that sometimes make no sense at all. just compare products based on active ingredients if you can't get Triad. Speedzone is used a lot although I don't own it (yet) and I know my local hardware stores have other products that are similar concentrates.
Thank you for your recommendation. I just went ahead and purchased the Triad solution via your link. I hope you get some affiliate compensation for sharing the link to the product. Great video as well!
Thanks for your trust; that's more important than the referrals. I'm sure it will work out well if applied in good weather conditions and if you expect it to take 10-14 days to fully work. It's been weeks now for me since I did this test and everywhere around the spots are still trying to make seed heads...but not the spots under the Triad.
I've had excellent results with Iron FeHEDTA and at even lower concentration (2%). I'm not sure that bottle sprayer was applying it properly. When I apply the Iron I can literally see the brown in the water from my Scotts hose end sprayer. When you were spraying from the bottle the water was coming out completely clear. I don't think there was enough iron applied for it be effective. I also use a surfactant when I apply the iron. Anyways, these results really suprised me like I said, I've had excellent results with the iron. However, I did apply it in July and not in the spring like this test. I saw blackened foliage the very next day. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve had excellent results as well with the iron. However I had so many dandelions I had to do something drastic to get them under control, so I went out every day with my shop vac and sucked up the seed heads. It doesn’t take long for the plants to feel they have sent their seeds out and they stop flowering. Then I hit them with the iron. Maybe they are happy to die if they sense they’ve successfully produced all the seeds they could. I’m sure my neighbours laugh, but it works.
@@sizzlacalunji I mix it as directed, I have tried higher application rates and it burns the grass a bit at higher rates. Make sure to use some soap or some type of surfactant (couple drops of dawn dish doap does the trick), this helps the solution stay on the plant foliage. Apply it on a warm dry day, but not smoking hot! if you apply it on a day where it is too hot (above 30'C) it increases the chances of the grass getting burnt by it. Apply just enough to cover the foliage but don't apply too much. Best of luck, I find it works great on dandelions, clover and some other random broad leaf weeds.
I'd argue if you get the same results with a lower amount of herbicide, then that's the way to go. Of course you could probably just dilute the Triad to a lower concentration and it would be more economical than buying it pre-mixed.
They probably could if you were careful with your spray and only applying in still calm air (no wind at all). I'd have to relook into the ingredient lists to double check for any soil mobility but I think you'd be fine. I personally won't do it but that's because I've always been determined to keep the garden as far from chems as possible but I'm sure there's lots of people out there that would be ok with it.
I am on my 5th year with Spectricide concentrate. Looks like the active ingredients have changed. I don't have an abundance of dandelions in my yard so mostly mix up for a spot spray a couple times in the spring.
always read the label. I have triad tz select that recommends not using surfactant due to increased grass stress risk. but it has sulfentrazone in it so that might be why.
I'd have to research that more but the sulfentrazone guess is probably right. The spectracide patch in my lawn looked like everything wilted a good amount so that might be what could happen to desirable turf grass leaves if the surfactants were used on that version of the triad product.
Sulfentrazone does more than just burn down or speed up the activity of other herbicides, it also broadens the kill in the product and yes it can kill roots. Sulfentrazone can kill nutsedge and goosegrass. 2-4 and other common chemicals simply do not kill those alone. That spectracide product is great, it's just really expensive for the amount of chemical you get. Better to just buy a 3-way and add in quinclorac and sulfentrazone than to buy that product on a cost per application basis.
very intelligent comment here, also I wish I could edit videos years after I publish them because this video could use a lot of extra info that I never put into it...not to mention my own knowledge base has increased since I put this video out. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
@@TurfMechanic You should! An Esther based formulation such as this will always work best in cool weather. Plus reseeding window is typically 2 weeks after treatment.
I suspect it didn't do well because those were mature dandelions instead of babies...also, the spray might start too watery, after a few seconds of spraying through the hose end device might have given a better mix of product and water.
Using a MSO (mentholated seed oil) can improve the performance of ingredients like 24D, Quinclorac, Diquat, and the product Triad. Could stress other stuff though. Not recommended for all herbicides, Glyphosate for example should only have a regular non ionic surfactant.
Takes multiple apps timed precisely. But it works well and can control grassy weeds other products don’t. Considered to be safer around pets and humans also
Tenacity works well, you can also add 1.8 oz of Gordon’s Speedzone to 1 tablespoon of Tenacity, per a 2 gallon tank, to really attack all types of weeds. I use this mix for my first application, then 3 weeks later apply Tenacity again. My lawn is weed free until the next spring.
You didn't see it in this video but we had a veggie garden about 20 yards away and chicks about 20 yards away off camera. I personally wouldn't spray these product between garden beds or on garden beds but so long as their is no wind drift while applying I'd feel comfortable taking them within about ten feet or so. Everyone's threshold will be different but that's mine. Also, FWIW, The FEHEDTA product which worked poorly on the dandelions does better on young broadleaf weeds (early season dandelions were usually alive the year prior) and it's not a chemical like other herbicides. It is just a special type of chelated iron, slightly different than the nutrient some people fertilize with. I still wouldn't spray on or close to veggie crops but it's probably a bit safer than the other harsher herbicides.
should have tried a granular weed and feed or weed killer as well. i used that this spring, and i had probably a 99% success rate. i know you dont like those, but i had amazing results.
There's actually a bunch of ingredients I would have liked to try but it's hard to test a ton of things at the same time. Right now I'm testing some natural weed killers on a handful of Black Medic plants in my main lawn. We'll see if I can put a video out on that sometime soon. FWIW, W&F products are just a blend of active ingredients, I try to look at those before brand names and product types.
I'm happy to see some of them but some yards have way too many. Getting them under control is important for having a lawn that looks good year round imo.
I know it; I just can't justify it when I don't need that as food. I'll be killing off this entire patch this year and growing clover so I'll still be supporting the pollinators our garden needs. I'm not perfect but I feel good about my decisions being well thought out. Thanks for your comments Patrick!
If you have dandelions growing you have a sick lawns. Your lawn is missing micro nutrients and other lawn fertilisers. “Weeds” only grow where nothing else will grow, they hold bare ground together. Love your weeds.
I would recommend mowing over them on the highest setting on your mower with a bag attached. Collect as many puff balls as possible then immediately after mowing apply herbicide. Let the stuff sit on the leafs for a couple days then mow over new puff balls daily until plants start dying off. They'll probably put up new puff balls at a swift pace for 10 says or so.
@@TurfMechanic Thank you for replying. You educate us thru your videos and you don't ignore additional questions from your fans! Does Triad Select kill flowers that I'm growing? How about weeds vs creeping phlox and other ornamental, low ground cover? Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
@@pandarush. you are welcome, triad is a concoction of three different herbicides in higher potency than you usually get otc. If you know what you have growing that you don't want to die just search your plants tolerance to all the of the actives in triad. Chances are good it will kill a lot of your desirables if you aren't careful. Those three herbicides kill or harm many plants. If you are worried about any particular ornamental plants just cover them up before you spray. Crop cover or plastic is pretty cheap when purchased in big rolls and once you have it you'll find lots of uses for the stuff.
@@TurfMechanic Your input, advice, videos, and how-tos are more respected by me than advice from the local nursery that's been in business since the 1980s. I'll use plastic covering for my flowers when I use Triad Select (which I bought after watching your channel).
Thank you sir....triad looks nice to have in hand. I also like that it doesn't not look burned up. A quart of Triad is $39....and a gallon is $54. Probably only makes sense to buy the gallon since I have about 30,000 square feet to maintain.
After spraying Triad Select, how long should I wait until I water that area? Is there an easy, lightweight sprayer? Like one gallon? That's all I can carry while spraying
2 4D is great for weeds. I just buy a gallon of that stuff at a time, lasts about 2-3 seasons for me. Only downside is it doesn't kill grass weeds, like crabgrass. Quinclorac is used for that. I just buy generic Tenacity and use that for crabgrass or St Augustine grasses (plus everything else). Finding the active ingredients in herbicides, and then buying the generic version is the way to go to save money.
He said that he wanted to use stuff that you can find off the shelf and tenacity is usually used by experts not by regular people since a tiny bottle is so expensive.
This video was informative, but who's going to take the time to read the fine print and the percentage of each and every chemical, and compare the brands in the store? If that's the case, a person is going to spend an entire day trying to select a weed killer because, there are too many herbicides to choose from. Nobody has that amount of time to spend when they're buying weed killer. They're not going to drink it, I hope! People are going to pick a brand of weed killer very quickly, buy it and then go home.
Hey Brian, I know it was a gamble reseeding this spring and not applying pre- emergent. Starting to notice poa annua and poa triv which is another issue. It’s the poa triv that concerns me. Didn’t expect to see it again after lawn renov last fall.
gotta get on your fall PE game then to get the annuals under control and maybe spot treat the triv. I'm working a test on a spot on my lawn now trying to kill unwanted rhizomatic fields grasses invading without damaging the main turf. We'll see how it goes, when the video comes out it may be an option for your perennial problems. :)
nothings wrong with them but some people don't want them. As I said in this video this was a test to better understand how things work and to better advise people on how to get rid of them if they want to get rid of them. I left the rest of mine in place after this video. :)
Well believe it or not, and I’m sure my neighbours were laughing, but I went around with my shop vac and sucked up every seed head. I did this day after day until the dandelions stopped producing flowers and seed heads. Every day there were fewer to vacuum. Then I went at them with the iron stuff with a surfactant and they turned black in a couple days and then vanished. I continue to get dandelions because I have an open field next to me so all kinds of weed seeds blow in. But I have been able to keep them minimal by this process. Maybe the dandelion plants believe they’ve successfully spewed all their seeds and they happily die. I dunno, but I had tons of dandelions and now I don’t.
@simpleshoes Woah...you live near a field of weeds and defeated the dandelions. That is very impressive and shows them who's boss. Mine still mock me as they grow puff balls right before a windy day.
@@pandarush. LOL get out the shop vac and keep sucking up those seed heads! You can do it! I did it either in the morning before the wind picks up, or in the early evening on still days when all the heads have opened for that day. Do it every day and it will make a difference.
You have to mow first when the dandelions are still in the yellow flower stage. No flowers means no seeding(puffy stage). After you mow, wait four days before spraying so that the grass blade tips can dry up first. If you don't wait, you'll kill the grass too.
The bees survived perfectly before dandelions were brought over in the ballast of ships from Europe hundreds of years ago. Like a lot of non native species, dandelions are not my favorite so I have a company spray in the Fall and I enjoy the look if a green lawn all growing season.
That would have been a good fourth ingredient to put next to these three. I didn't think to add it however mostly because I always find it hard to mix tiny batches of it. Also, I didnt day this in the video but these dandelions are the mature dandelions that emerged in early April in soil temps still in the 40s. All products will have a harder time killing these mature dandelions compared to young dandelions that germinate in warmer soil come May June Sept & Oct.
Tenacity is more expensive and from my understanding, it's not a strong post emergent except for a few weeds that aren't dandelion. A mature dandelion would maybe turn white for a bit, but regain color without multiple applications. Tenacity is very good at depriving young plants by flushing their chlorophyll, they can't get any energy and they have none stored being so young, so they die. A big plant has enough reserve energy to live out the effects.
@@Jaker788 effects last about three weeks, which is why two or three apps are needed at two week intervals. That is plenty of time to deplete most roots.
No!!! Dandelions are an excellent plant to have around! Their long tap root sucks up calcium from deep down in the soil and brings it to the surface. When you cut their leaves with a mower, you help to disperse that calcium back into the soil. They also show up where your soil is compacted and once again, those taproots of theirs helps to break up the hardened soil like little drills. Their flowers are also loved by pollinators. Please look into the benefits of dandelions before you start adding herbicides to the soil and groundwater.
I don't get rid of my dandelions they attract Bee's for my Garden. I eat my dandelions in salads and I have Dandelion tea. I will never kill my Dandelions.
I can't muster the courage to eat them, lol. I decided this year to renovate this hill yard as I call it to a stand of Buffalograss and Clover. We also run a 220 sqft garden and the dandelions always supported our early pollinator population too. In subsequent years the clover will fertilize the Buffalograss and support the pollinators at the same time and I won't have to worry about dandelion puff balls and stems sticking up all over the place all the time. Love that you are a gardener btw! Thanks for the comment.
@@karenrinearson5391 trust me, I know they are crazy healthy, my wife has even encouraged me to try them...but I just haven't gotten over my wall. We grow greens in the garden and are part of our local csa so extra dandelion greens just aren't appetizing enough for me yet. 😑 Respect to you though 👊
Finally I kept scrolling and scrolling and thinking was it a lie about dandelions Cause I've seen videos Of people making a jelly which sounds great for a breakfast toast
Correct, st Aug doesn't like 24d so Atrazine would be the obvious alternative however I don't have a patch of st Aug with dandelions to run a similar test on. Maybe one day I will.
I wouldn’t be killing off your dandelions. As this world is badly going, they are eatable. And one day as things in this country is fast falling apart you might have to resort to do just that.
@@TurfMechanic I think I commented before, but I assigned a corner of my yard to have wildflowers there. If it is nice, I will make it bigger next year. I saw it at other places and it was beautiful.
Well I think you have to leave the dandelion. Using poison is not a good idea. They are very useful for the pollinisation the bees in particular. Just wait the end of those dandelions and cut your grass. Here in my region, we are waiting the end of the floraison before cut the grass.
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Dandelions thrive in soil that is calcium deficient. It puts down a deep tap root that’ll end up like a carrot and it’s trying to pull up calcium from the deeper soil to make it more available for the plants, in this case the grass. So as a longer term solution, maybe throw down some gypsum and/or dolomite lime and you’ll get less dandelions in future seasons.
That's good info to know. I've been having trouble with centipede grass this season and found out that stuff likes soil lacking phosphorous. I'd rather use fertilizers to control weeds and feed the grass at the same, then just use weedkillers.
Yes sir! They also thrive when the ph of the soil is to high.
@@nickshively1192 indeed they do. And what makes soils have a high ph? Often high calcium! Ahh it’s a beautiful system
That’s interesting, I just put down gypsum for other reasons. Will have to keep an eye on that.
Wouldn't Calcium Nitrate be better? Gypsum is really only to fix sodic soils.
Thanks for actually explaining the percentages after dilution. I always see people talking about the concentrate percentages, but never what it actually ends up being after it’s been mixed for spraying.
You're welcome Mark! It's an important point to understand, I should have shown my math in hindsight though.
Example - if product is 30% 24d then 0.45 Oz of a 1.5 Oz pour is the active ingredient. If you add 1.5 Oz of product to 64 Oz of water then you have 0.45 Oz of 24d in a tank of 65.5 Oz of fluid. 0.45 / 65.5 give you your after dilution concentration. 👊
I've used a good many lawn week killing concoctions over the years, following label directions always. With dandelions especially, I noticed that they typically show the effects of the weed killer within a few hours - twisting of the stems, curling of the leaves, etc., and then they almost always ripen the seed head overnight and the seeds begin to sail away on the breeze. It's like they put their last gasp into of energy into reproduction. It would be nice if the yellow flower simply withered, dried up, and crumbled, rather than going into hyper-drive and releasing the seeds. Nice video. Thanks for posting the sxs comparisons. Cheers.
Great video. Perfect timing. Just bought triad select. Ty. Oh and my lawn looks better than it's ever looked so thank you for all the great advice.
So glad your seeing results! That makes it all fun 😃
Same here. My lawn looked like crap in 2021. Now my neighbors are asking me what's my secret and I haven't even over seeded yet.
" weed b gone" is my go to. They have broadleaf. Crab grass.. and creeping Charlie. I use it according and have always worked for me
Charlie sucks. Thorns suck. Spectracide works. My opinion, Ortho weed b gone is better. It's an overwhelming effort, if nobody else in the trailer hood has the money to buy it, and don't care. It gets down to the lease agreement. Most nowadays say you have to take of the lawn.
Something that might be worth considering as far as the ready-to-use vs commercial concentrate: Method and intent of application. The concentrate, when used by a pro, is very likely to be used in wide-area sprayers like an ATV or lawn tractor sprayer, or at least a backpack, at a fairly high rate of speed, and correspondingly relatively low volumetric coverage. So the actual amount of active agent that's applied to each individual plant is likely to be a lot lower than spot-spraying like the squirt bottle. Each weed is likely to get several squeezes from the bottle from a standard homeowner in spot-spray like that kind of agent is typically used, resulting in a much higher volume of product being applied to each individual weed. Hence, it would make sense to dial back the concentration of active agents a bit, to prevent massive over-use of the herbicide to kill a single weed off.
At least, that's how it works in my head!
I did use Ortho weed b gone today. I used a dail end hose spray on 2. Ya a little light, but I can apply more later, and I've done it before, so with my technique, it worked before. Just do some touch up later.
I remove the flowers before I spray so I don't kill the bees. Thanks for the Triad tip, I'll be using that from now on.
That's probably good practice. I do a lot of dandelion head plucking to prevent seeding but keeping the herbicide off flowers that bees frequent is probably beneficial for their population- I haven't researched that but but it makes sense.
Wowww never thought of that. The bees could be landing on the flower AFTER its sprayed and die?
@@pandarush. Yeah, they could land on the flower after it's sprayed and before it's died. And then they die too.
@@TheCookster64 That's so sad. Definitely going to take the flowers off before I spray. Now I feel like leaving a small patch of dandelions in the backyard.
I let the flowers develop into seed heads and every day I go out with my shop vac and suck them all up. I’m sure the neighbours laugh, but it’s oddly satisfying to wave the vac wand over the head and see it vanish. It doesn’t take long to do. The plants soon stop flowering because I guess they sense they have produced all the seed they need to spew out. Then I hit them with the iron and they’re gone. I’ve gone from having tons of dandelions to a minimum and I think I could completely eradicate them, but of course seeds will blow in from elsewhere.
Spectracide is good weed killer, but I use the concentrate. You can get a heftier mix that way. It also does good on sour grass, chick grass, skunk cabbage, wild violet, and creeping charley. I've killed areas where I've had to reseed. Tall fescue seems to tolerate the weed killers with the less damage.
I have always used concentrate with a garden sprayer. Cheaper in the long run. If the directions say 4 ounces I might use 6. Then do it on a warm calm day.
I'd like to recommend Enforcer / Dicophar by Agriphar S.A. However, I don't think it's available in the US since you have your own manufacturers there.
The best all natural weed preventer, a thick turf! Didn’t use any pre or post herbicide and not a single dandelion while the neighbors are out spraying away.
Truth! My main lawn has a couple but this hill yard has never been seeded or sodded so it's got them in abundance. I'm looking forward to the hill yard renovation this season and then we'll see how many of them come back next year.
You're right. A good stand-alone fertilizer will choke out most weeds, especially if you mow often.
Cut taller!!!!!
Retired crop duster here. You have to be careful with dicamba. Trade name is Banvel. It volatiles ( goes airborne via vapors) for days after application. It was outlawed for a number of years but they’ve brought it back.
Great video with lots of useful info. Thank you! I would have liked to see monthly photos of the trial tray, at the end of the video; not criticizing at all, I'm just an overly curious person.
I whack the dandelion tops 😮when I mow my lawn so I can get more dandelions! My bees love the dandelion/clover mix of my lawn. The leaves make a great addition to salads and are one the best cancer fighters in the planet. I hope you’re wearing gloves,Tyvek suit or r better and a respirator/ visor mask when you’re spraying all those neurotoxins. Btw, I used to be the biggest “sprayer” of them all until my farmer neighbors started get sick from all those chemicals. There are better natural ways to get rid of “weeds”. The weeds are telling you what’s wrong with your land. Also the “weeds” are some of the best medicines in the world.
Best control of dandelions comes with fall applications. I target mid September or later in Ohio. Straight 2,4-D at an equivalent rate of 32oz per acre with surfactant or a squirt of liquid dish soap will work. Fall is the best time because it’s when perennial weeds are storing energy for their hibernation and will pull the herbicide into the roots. Even following a light frost is ok.
This is a full summary of an earlier vid of mine that I've wanted to re-record this summer because the first version was way too poorly outlined and delivered. Excellent comment and I agree 100%.
I have a question. Are these products toxics for worms. Are these absorved by fruit trees? Keep in mi
nd that mineral absortion of roots depends on bacterias associated with them.
Felix
any thought on Triad vs Triad TZ?
Dandelion leaves are used to stimulate the appetite and help digestion. Dandelion flower has antioxidant properties. Dandelion may also help improve the immune system. Herbalists use dandelion root to detoxify the liver and gallbladder, and dandelion leaves to help kidney function.
All of that may be exactly correct...but I won't be harvesting dandelions from my yard for consumption probably ever and neither will 99% of everybody else.
Nice video man! I prefer to use Speedzone or 4speedXT in spring and fall when temps are fairly cool because they are ester formulations. Then I use Q4plus in the hotter summer months which is an amine formulation. I may add a little extra Quin if I have to address some heavier crabgrass areas.
you've got a great grasp on how to dial in your practices for best results. love it :)
@@TurfMechanic Thank you. I love this results video. Can you do one on fertilizer if you haven’t already?
What concentration did you mix the Triad Select in the handpump sprayer? Looks like a 2 gallon sprayer and you put in 4 oz, correct? 2oz/1gallon?
The dandelion is such a healthful food you can eat the leaves you can eat the flour I don't know why anybody would kill these.
Because nobody I know likes to eat them, the puffy seeds look terrible, and the children step on the bees and get stung. I have $20 for anyone that's hungry and wants to eat all my dandelions 😅
The bees can hang out in another lawn with dandelions there is not a lack of the weed
For the triad Amazon comes up with message that it can’t be delivered to my location in NJ?
Yeah, that's a problem that you'll run into with lawn products around the country, not all states allow for shipping to their states for a ton of different reasons that sometimes make no sense at all. just compare products based on active ingredients if you can't get Triad. Speedzone is used a lot although I don't own it (yet) and I know my local hardware stores have other products that are similar concentrates.
Thank you for your recommendation. I just went ahead and purchased the Triad solution via your link. I hope you get some affiliate compensation for sharing the link to the product. Great video as well!
Thanks for your trust; that's more important than the referrals. I'm sure it will work out well if applied in good weather conditions and if you expect it to take 10-14 days to fully work. It's been weeks now for me since I did this test and everywhere around the spots are still trying to make seed heads...but not the spots under the Triad.
@Drawn by Sean What kind of sprayer are you using?
I've had excellent results with Iron FeHEDTA and at even lower concentration (2%). I'm not sure that bottle sprayer was applying it properly. When I apply the Iron I can literally see the brown in the water from my Scotts hose end sprayer. When you were spraying from the bottle the water was coming out completely clear. I don't think there was enough iron applied for it be effective. I also use a surfactant when I apply the iron. Anyways, these results really suprised me like I said, I've had excellent results with the iron. However, I did apply it in July and not in the spring like this test. I saw blackened foliage the very next day. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve had excellent results as well with the iron. However I had so many dandelions I had to do something drastic to get them under control, so I went out every day with my shop vac and sucked up the seed heads. It doesn’t take long for the plants to feel they have sent their seeds out and they stop flowering. Then I hit them with the iron. Maybe they are happy to die if they sense they’ve successfully produced all the seeds they could. I’m sure my neighbours laugh, but it works.
@@simpleshoes Good idea, thanks for the tip!
I have decided to give the iron a try. What ratio mix do you use? As directed or you’ve found a particular ratio is better?
@@sizzlacalunji I mix it as directed, I have tried higher application rates and it burns the grass a bit at higher rates. Make sure to use some soap or some type of surfactant (couple drops of dawn dish doap does the trick), this helps the solution stay on the plant foliage. Apply it on a warm dry day, but not smoking hot! if you apply it on a day where it is too hot (above 30'C) it increases the chances of the grass getting burnt by it. Apply just enough to cover the foliage but don't apply too much. Best of luck, I find it works great on dandelions, clover and some other random broad leaf weeds.
@@RAHMX145 thanks for the quick feedback. Will give it a try it when it’s a bit cooler and see how it goes. All the best too.
I almost have no dandelions anymore. My premergent I put down for crabgrass also takes care of dandelions.
I'd argue if you get the same results with a lower amount of herbicide, then that's the way to go. Of course you could probably just dilute the Triad to a lower concentration and it would be more economical than buying it pre-mixed.
And if you apply in the fall you would easily be able to apply at the lower rate too.
My lawn has been attacked by Japanese still grass... Any ideas on how to get rid of that? It's a huge area manual is going to be very tough
I have used Spectrecide. It's cheap. I'm no pro. It burned leafy, but hey, if I had the money....... .
Also vevor has battery 4 gallon sprayer backpack for 79. Lots cheaper than one you have
Is the triade product safe around animals, does it take a few days for that to happen?
The dandelions are the only flowers in your garden, they look better than the mud/fence/cement blocks
Can these be used in the walkways of a raised bed vegetable garden without harming the vegetables?
They probably could if you were careful with your spray and only applying in still calm air (no wind at all). I'd have to relook into the ingredient lists to double check for any soil mobility but I think you'd be fine. I personally won't do it but that's because I've always been determined to keep the garden as far from chems as possible but I'm sure there's lots of people out there that would be ok with it.
The 3 most nutrients things that grow naturally on my land is blackberries, poison ivy and dandelion.
Eat it in a salad or drink it in a tea.
I am on my 5th year with Spectricide concentrate. Looks like the active ingredients have changed. I don't have an abundance of dandelions in my yard so mostly mix up for a spot spray a couple times in the spring.
always read the label. I have triad tz select that recommends not using surfactant due to increased grass stress risk. but it has sulfentrazone in it so that might be why.
I'd have to research that more but the sulfentrazone guess is probably right. The spectracide patch in my lawn looked like everything wilted a good amount so that might be what could happen to desirable turf grass leaves if the surfactants were used on that version of the triad product.
Sulfentrazone does more than just burn down or speed up the activity of other herbicides, it also broadens the kill in the product and yes it can kill roots. Sulfentrazone can kill nutsedge and goosegrass. 2-4 and other common chemicals simply do not kill those alone. That spectracide product is great, it's just really expensive for the amount of chemical you get. Better to just buy a 3-way and add in quinclorac and sulfentrazone than to buy that product on a cost per application basis.
very intelligent comment here, also I wish I could edit videos years after I publish them because this video could use a lot of extra info that I never put into it...not to mention my own knowledge base has increased since I put this video out. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Weed stop is a deal! Hands down!
Wead Beater Ultra works great for me. All the box stores should have it.
Thanks for the tip! I'll look that up today
@@TurfMechanic You should! An Esther based formulation such as this will always work best in cool weather. Plus reseeding window is typically 2 weeks after treatment.
That iron hedta works great in the fall but not in spring.
I suspect it didn't do well because those were mature dandelions instead of babies...also, the spray might start too watery, after a few seconds of spraying through the hose end device might have given a better mix of product and water.
Wouldn't it be easier to just take care of the lawn in the first place?
Every lawn has a starting point, this yard space full of dandelions was the starting point. We had recently fenced it in expanding our usable space.
I can’t buy the triad select in Buffalo ny.. does anyone know where in Buffalo?
Using a MSO (mentholated seed oil) can improve the performance of ingredients like 24D, Quinclorac, Diquat, and the product Triad. Could stress other stuff though.
Not recommended for all herbicides, Glyphosate for example should only have a regular non ionic surfactant.
Good stuff to chew on here, thanks Jake! You give me lots to research in my down time! 🤓
So how does MSO interfere with Glyphosate? What if we're trying to get rid of Ivy and other waxy leaved weeds?
But what do we do after they turn yellow and seem dead?
I just got some tenacity. I've heard good things about it's ineffectiveness. Any experience with this one?
Takes multiple apps timed precisely. But it works well and can control grassy weeds other products don’t. Considered to be safer around pets and humans also
Tenacity is great, kills clover and lions, plus many other weeds
Tenacity works well, you can also add 1.8 oz of Gordon’s Speedzone to 1 tablespoon of Tenacity, per a 2 gallon tank, to really attack all types of weeds. I use this mix for my first application, then 3 weeks later apply Tenacity again. My lawn is weed free until the next spring.
Is it safe to use any of these in the same yard where there are vegetable gardens?
You didn't see it in this video but we had a veggie garden about 20 yards away and chicks about 20 yards away off camera. I personally wouldn't spray these product between garden beds or on garden beds but so long as their is no wind drift while applying I'd feel comfortable taking them within about ten feet or so. Everyone's threshold will be different but that's mine. Also, FWIW, The FEHEDTA product which worked poorly on the dandelions does better on young broadleaf weeds (early season dandelions were usually alive the year prior) and it's not a chemical like other herbicides. It is just a special type of chelated iron, slightly different than the nutrient some people fertilize with. I still wouldn't spray on or close to veggie crops but it's probably a bit safer than the other harsher herbicides.
Would have been nice if you had set the bottles at the top of each section in the very beginning as you were showing the results…
Which brands are known for causing cancer?
Triad TZ is a better mix. Has Triclopyr and Sulfentrazone in addition.
should have tried a granular weed and feed or weed killer as well. i used that this spring, and i had probably a 99% success rate. i know you dont like those, but i had amazing results.
There's actually a bunch of ingredients I would have liked to try but it's hard to test a ton of things at the same time. Right now I'm testing some natural weed killers on a handful of Black Medic plants in my main lawn. We'll see if I can put a video out on that sometime soon. FWIW, W&F products are just a blend of active ingredients, I try to look at those before brand names and product types.
And why are you intentionally adding clover to your lawn?
Seems like the old saying, you get what you pay for, applies here as well
I love dandelions. A lawn without dandelions is like a day without sunshine.
I'm happy to see some of them but some yards have way too many. Getting them under control is important for having a lawn that looks good year round imo.
Dandelions have many uses, food, natural soil restoration, bees, etc. ua-cam.com/video/bpEy-Mpm6AI/v-deo.html
My neighbors will disagree with your love of dandelions lol
Who told you that lie?
Your whole lawn just looks like a variety of weeds😮
Why kill food ? You can eat dandilions!
You have a gold mine!
I know it; I just can't justify it when I don't need that as food. I'll be killing off this entire patch this year and growing clover so I'll still be supporting the pollinators our garden needs. I'm not perfect but I feel good about my decisions being well thought out. Thanks for your comments Patrick!
Where is it documented that vegetation is food for humans? You can eat sand too… stop it!!
If you have dandelions growing you have a sick lawns. Your lawn is missing micro nutrients and other lawn fertilisers. “Weeds” only grow where nothing else will grow, they hold bare ground together. Love your weeds.
Dandelions are very medicinal
I was really hoping the Iron would do well. Can you try it at higher concentrations?
Perhaps another fe hedta product?
You should have compared mesotrione ingredient with these.
Please help!
How should I get rid of dandelions in the puffy ball stage with Triad Select?
Thank you!
I would recommend mowing over them on the highest setting on your mower with a bag attached. Collect as many puff balls as possible then immediately after mowing apply herbicide. Let the stuff sit on the leafs for a couple days then mow over new puff balls daily until plants start dying off. They'll probably put up new puff balls at a swift pace for 10 says or so.
@@TurfMechanic Thank you for replying. You educate us thru your videos and you don't ignore additional questions from your fans!
Does Triad Select kill flowers that I'm growing?
How about weeds vs creeping phlox and other ornamental, low ground cover? Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
@@pandarush. you are welcome, triad is a concoction of three different herbicides in higher potency than you usually get otc. If you know what you have growing that you don't want to die just search your plants tolerance to all the of the actives in triad. Chances are good it will kill a lot of your desirables if you aren't careful. Those three herbicides kill or harm many plants. If you are worried about any particular ornamental plants just cover them up before you spray. Crop cover or plastic is pretty cheap when purchased in big rolls and once you have it you'll find lots of uses for the stuff.
@@TurfMechanic Your input, advice, videos, and how-tos are more respected by me than advice from the local nursery that's been in business since the 1980s. I'll use plastic covering for my flowers when I use Triad Select (which I bought after watching your channel).
Thank you sir....triad looks nice to have in hand. I also like that it doesn't not look burned up. A quart of Triad is $39....and a gallon is $54. Probably only makes sense to buy the gallon since I have about 30,000 square feet to maintain.
Yeah the price difference going up to tge gallon doesn't look bad at all. 30k sqft sounds fun and tiring! Lol
They are a super food and you’re killing them ?
After spraying Triad Select, how long should I wait until I water that area?
Is there an easy, lightweight sprayer? Like one gallon? That's all I can carry while spraying
Most people just recommend not watering for 24 hours.
2 4D is great for weeds. I just buy a gallon of that stuff at a time, lasts about 2-3 seasons for me. Only downside is it doesn't kill grass weeds, like crabgrass. Quinclorac is used for that. I just buy generic Tenacity and use that for crabgrass or St Augustine grasses (plus everything else). Finding the active ingredients in herbicides, and then buying the generic version is the way to go to save money.
Why did you not use tenacity?
He said that he wanted to use stuff that you can find off the shelf and tenacity is usually used by experts not by regular people since a tiny bottle is so expensive.
Damn spell check :)
This video was informative, but who's going to take the time to read the fine print and the percentage of each and every chemical, and compare the brands in the store? If that's the case, a person is going to spend an entire day trying to select a weed killer because, there are too many herbicides to choose from. Nobody has that amount of time to spend when they're buying weed killer. They're not going to drink it, I hope! People are going to pick a brand of weed killer very quickly, buy it and then go home.
You can also use gasoline, it is totally organic.
Gasoline on the lawn! Lol
Hey Brian,
I know it was a gamble reseeding this spring and not applying pre- emergent. Starting to notice poa annua and poa triv which is another issue. It’s the poa triv that concerns me. Didn’t expect to see it again after lawn renov last fall.
gotta get on your fall PE game then to get the annuals under control and maybe spot treat the triv. I'm working a test on a spot on my lawn now trying to kill unwanted rhizomatic fields grasses invading without damaging the main turf. We'll see how it goes, when the video comes out it may be an option for your perennial problems. :)
Yeah well, they aren't really gone. The tops burned off but the root persists and they will beeeeee back.
What’s wrong with dandelions?
nothings wrong with them but some people don't want them. As I said in this video this was a test to better understand how things work and to better advise people on how to get rid of them if they want to get rid of them. I left the rest of mine in place after this video. :)
Lots of Dandelions means the soil needs calcium.
Is it pet safe?????
many moons ago, I knew some people that made some pretty 'kick ass' wine from dandelines !!!! AAnmyone still doing this ???? ( just curious )
How do you deal with dandelions when they're at the puffy stage? I have a ton.
Also, I ordered Triad Select and a little battery operated sprayer.
Well believe it or not, and I’m sure my neighbours were laughing, but I went around with my shop vac and sucked up every seed head. I did this day after day until the dandelions stopped producing flowers and seed heads. Every day there were fewer to vacuum. Then I went at them with the iron stuff with a surfactant and they turned black in a couple days and then vanished. I continue to get dandelions because I have an open field next to me so all kinds of weed seeds blow in. But I have been able to keep them minimal by this process. Maybe the dandelion plants believe they’ve successfully spewed all their seeds and they happily die. I dunno, but I had tons of dandelions and now I don’t.
@simpleshoes Woah...you live near a field of weeds and defeated the dandelions. That is very impressive and shows them who's boss.
Mine still mock me as they grow puff balls right before a windy day.
@@pandarush. LOL get out the shop vac and keep sucking up those seed heads! You can do it! I did it either in the morning before the wind picks up, or in the early evening on still days when all the heads have opened for that day. Do it every day and it will make a difference.
You have to mow first when the dandelions are still in the yellow flower stage. No flowers means no seeding(puffy stage). After you mow, wait four days before spraying so that the grass blade tips can dry up first. If you don't wait, you'll kill the grass too.
@@illiniwood Thank you! Now it's too hot to mow. (I'll always have a reason not to mow)
The bees survived perfectly before dandelions were brought over in the ballast of ships from Europe hundreds of years ago. Like a lot of non native species, dandelions are not my favorite so I have a company spray in the Fall and I enjoy the look if a green lawn all growing season.
" im not going to kill them all... im going to be weird about it...😂
Why not tenacity?
That would have been a good fourth ingredient to put next to these three. I didn't think to add it however mostly because I always find it hard to mix tiny batches of it. Also, I didnt day this in the video but these dandelions are the mature dandelions that emerged in early April in soil temps still in the 40s. All products will have a harder time killing these mature dandelions compared to young dandelions that germinate in warmer soil come May June Sept & Oct.
Tenacity is more expensive and from my understanding, it's not a strong post emergent except for a few weeds that aren't dandelion. A mature dandelion would maybe turn white for a bit, but regain color without multiple applications.
Tenacity is very good at depriving young plants by flushing their chlorophyll, they can't get any energy and they have none stored being so young, so they die. A big plant has enough reserve energy to live out the effects.
@@Jaker788 thanks for expanding on that Jake! 👊
@@Jaker788 effects last about three weeks, which is why two or three apps are needed at two week intervals. That is plenty of time to deplete most roots.
@@TurfMechanic I add Gordon’s Speedzone with Tenacity. The 2 herbicides work well together. It kills all types of weeds.
No!!! Dandelions are an excellent plant to have around! Their long tap root sucks up calcium from deep down in the soil and brings it to the surface. When you cut their leaves with a mower, you help to disperse that calcium back into the soil. They also show up where your soil is compacted and once again, those taproots of theirs helps to break up the hardened soil like little drills. Their flowers are also loved by pollinators. Please look into the benefits of dandelions before you start adding herbicides to the soil and groundwater.
Great visuals and clear explanation! Good content, (I HATE these Dandelions) thanks Brian.
I'm glad my dandelion patch was good for something this spring! 😅
ua-cam.com/video/bpEy-Mpm6AI/v-deo.html
Killing Dandelions 😢😢😢
I don't get rid of my dandelions they attract Bee's for my Garden. I eat my dandelions in salads and I have Dandelion tea. I will never kill my Dandelions.
I can't muster the courage to eat them, lol. I decided this year to renovate this hill yard as I call it to a stand of Buffalograss and Clover. We also run a 220 sqft garden and the dandelions always supported our early pollinator population too. In subsequent years the clover will fertilize the Buffalograss and support the pollinators at the same time and I won't have to worry about dandelion puff balls and stems sticking up all over the place all the time. Love that you are a gardener btw! Thanks for the comment.
@@TurfMechanic If you look up Dandelion greens they are loaded with vitamins more so than lettuce.
@@karenrinearson5391 trust me, I know they are crazy healthy, my wife has even encouraged me to try them...but I just haven't gotten over my wall. We grow greens in the garden and are part of our local csa so extra dandelion greens just aren't appetizing enough for me yet. 😑 Respect to you though 👊
Finally I kept scrolling and scrolling and thinking was it a lie about dandelions Cause I've seen videos Of people making a jelly which sounds great for a breakfast toast
@@karenrinearson5391they taste bitter and nasty. You can keep them and the bees from my lawn can hang out there 😂
I love Dandelions, my lawn is a wash with them , accompanied by the equally lovely daisies!
You don’t have a lawn.
@@reggin_spelt_backwards
I do , and it’s awash with dandelions and daisies……I love my lawn !!!
😂 👊
2 4 D is not safe on st augustine
Correct, st Aug doesn't like 24d so Atrazine would be the obvious alternative however I don't have a patch of st Aug with dandelions to run a similar test on. Maybe one day I will.
@@TurfMechanic a good test u should run is with image and spectracide weed killer in purple bottle. its good for st aug.
even the atrazine is to dangerous for st aug. they should outlaw bonus s. to much atrazine
Do you know if it’s unsafe on Bermuda? I have common Bermuda inviting my mostly TTTF
Bermuda invading
I wouldn’t be killing off your dandelions. As this world is badly going, they are eatable. And one day as things in this country is fast falling apart you might have to resort to do just that.
Do the complete math with concentrates that you mix yourself and you will likely come out spending less $$
Yep, every time ive done the math it saves money doing concentrates! 👍
The dandelions look like the only green you have in your yard..
Just use salt. Organic, effective, inexpensive.
Poor bees…
I know. Makes me sad too but that's why I'm planting clover later in the season.
@@TurfMechanic I think I commented before, but I assigned a corner of my yard to have wildflowers there. If it is nice, I will make it bigger next year.
I saw it at other places and it was beautiful.
Poor 🐝 was trying to survive
Maybe moss out is actually dandelion food…did you buy on april fools day 😂
Don’t kill the Dandelions!!!
Turf Scientist
Lol
I think it's funny how people talk with their hands
Me too man...I try to ignore my flailing hands but it's hard sometimes 🤣
Bees need dandelions
You are crazy to kill dandelions they are a super food!
Is that a cheetah next door???
Well I think you have to leave the dandelion. Using poison is not a good idea. They are very useful for the pollinisation the bees in particular. Just wait the end of those dandelions and cut your grass.
Here in my region, we are waiting the end of the floraison before cut the grass.
Why do people who live dandelions even come to this video??
You have dandi-lyons because your soil sucks. Their job is to fix it stop killing them
Don’t kill dandelions.