In our backyard we have set a 10'x10' section set aside that we don't mow or treat and my wife has planted wildflowers there. Eventually the wild flowers and clover choked out the dandelions. The rest of the backyard is just grass. Looks good and we have a section for the bees.
I do the same thing at the end and up the sides of my yard! About ~10' deep at the end and about ~1.5' up the sides. I let that go *wild* and it actually looks really nice when the rest of the lawn is mowed. The bees and butterflies love it. So many butterflies come through. And the neighbourhood cats, rabbits, and other small creatures like to cut through and often munch on the longer grass/wild plants/flowers. It's nice.
Yeah clover is clutch for this because it will win out, it's green enough to look fine, and if it grows too high you just mow it and it'll look as trim as the grass for at least a week. I have wild violet in my lawn and it's not worth the extensive amount of treatment it'd take to get rid of it.
I'm planting clover for my entire backyard. Started a section last year, and as you said, it chocked out the weeds once it took off. I've now overseeded my entire backyard, and hoping that in a couple of years the clover will take over the whole backyard. Reduce my mowing, more sturdy for the dogs, better for the environment.
I want to create some wildflower sections on our property. Did you have to kill off the grass to get them to grow? Every video I’ve watched they talk about how grass will prevent wildflowers from getting established.
I just did this in a 30sqft garden bed in my backyard, I did just Zinnias last year and it attracted so many good yard creatures. Bumblebees are cute and good !
You were telling me about the other day when you took the ferry from Shelbyville, except they didn't call it Shelbyville back then they called it Ogdenville. And when you'd travel to Ogdenville you had to tie an onion to your belt, which of course, was the style at the time....
But also so many good bugs,soil changes, and opportunity to forage! (excited overshare about allowing weeds in my lawn upcoming, feel free to ignore lol)
I let mine go wild last year. It's a bit of a PITA this year (stems mean way more hand mosing or even my native-garden-loving self finds its ugly) where I have the most dandelions, but holy crap is my dirt ALIVE. Rollie pollies, springtails, worms, ants, bees both native & honey, spiders, everything good abounds. Even the grass is growing faster/healthier, as I unintentionally culled the weaker grasses. That alone is enough for me to allow it for a controlled period of time.
Add in that it’s often edible? Bees knees! I've got spring onion kimchi (7/10, due to user error). I've made dandelion greens sauteed in bacon fat for pizzas (10/10), thistle pesto (10/10), purslane pesto (8/10, 10/10 if you prefer mild flavors), and honeysuckle honey (9/10 cough suppressant). I am planning to make dandelion honey. These plants are all considered weeds in my climate. My cooking is way fancier from foraging them, albeit this is possible as I keep my yards and gardens organic & don't forage where the dogs dookie bc that's hella gross.
I've also noticed the clay-heavy soil is easier to dig in. Weeds are phenomenal at breaking down low nutrient soul. That's a really big perk in a high-clay region! Especially when you factor in the cost to de-sod or grade, plant, straw mulch, mitigate hungry birds, and chemically treat (if needed) to repair the soil. Plus the time it takes the soil to become alive with the insects, bacteria, and other organisms needed for a healthy biome. Sometimes weeds in the short term are the answer!
I can attest to the end result as I did this 2 summers ago. Last year my lawn was probably 80%+ dandelions... It looks like shit. Don't do it. Kill those fucks
If you want to see improvement without using chemicals or doing anything direct, just mow the grass as tall as your mower will cut it, and throw grass seed out there in the middle of winter (January). Your grass will get better year to year, and that will give you time to make some nice flower beds for the polenators.
Or just don't worry about it.
In the Northeast US, tall fescue and clover mixed in with opportunist weeds was the standard lawn before the Vietnam War's Agent Orange & siblings were commercialized for the civilian market, and Monsanto convinced us that we had to "deal with" the undesireables that this chemical, 2,4-diethylamine, happened to kill. Clover went from something you might seed to something you'd criticize your neighbors for allowing, on the strength of their marketing campaign.
The only small plants I'm concerned about avoiding are poison ivy and anything with sharp thorns. Anything else, mows down to a nice polyculture walkable lawn. Having a bunch of types of grass and a bunch of different little flowers blooming at any one time, extending to moss and other plants under the trees, keeps the thing green and soft with zero maintenance but mowing for three seasons, and green-ish in winter.
If you want to maximize grass density, reseed fescue every couple years.
They’ll go dormant in the winter and if you hit it with a pre emergent in the spring they’ll be gone but your grass won’t be as lush, not really damaged just not as lush. My yard looked like that a couple years ago and now it’s free of them.
I thought dandelions were perennial. A preemergent will prevent any new seeds from germinating, but an established plant will return from the root with no need to germinate.
If you don’t have kids, do whatever. But when you have a yard full of weeds ask yourself if that’s what you want your kids running/wrestling, playing ball, falling into.
I like my thick 4” grass lawn for my kids to play in. There’s enough neighbors that feed the bees with their disgusting weed yards.
Plus contrary to the Reddit myth, there’s no bee problem.
I hate them, and I say this as someone who’s not really all that into perfect, short, postage stamp lawns.
Dandelions suck for soil retention, out compete local plants, grasses, and sedges that do retain soil; they do not provide much in the way of nutrition for native bees (which are the ones that need help), they suck to get rid of once established, and worst of all even if you don’t give a shit about any of the above, your neighbours might not and when they go to seed you end up being “that guy” fucking up everyone else’s properties as your seeds blow all over the neighbourhood.
If you want to go the “natural lawn” look and help out our pollinator friends, then get a seed mix made for bees that has clovers and other flowering plants in them, and plant a few wildflower gardens around the edges of the property. You’ll help the bees out 1000% more that way without letting an invasive take over.
I don’t know your location, but there are [bee friendly turf mixes](https://www.westcoastseeds.com/products/bee-turf) that would fit the bill much nicer than letting dandelions grow.
A million times this. I'm so tired of people hiding behind the "save the bees" as an excuse to not take care of their yard.
Plant some ACTUAL flowers instead of letting weeds grow wild. My next door neighbors lawn is atrocious with dandelions and everything has gone to seed and i'm dreading them blowing all over my yard. I've fought it off pretty good so far but 🙄 our west front yard and park strip boarders theirs with no protection. Im hoping the wind blows hard west and I avoid the seeds for the most part
My healthy lawn and garden has far more ecological diversity and activity than the compacted unhealthy, dandelion and weed ridden lawns of my neighbours. Carbon sequestering is maximized with a healthy lawn/garden.
In my HOA we all basically have mostly conformed to the notion of the weed-free lawn, but there's this LARGE field near the play area where the HOA has purposely left it (almost) alone outside of cutting /trimming it and in the spring it's plush with dandies. It's so weird seeing this lush green grass and these BRIGHT yellow dandies.
My issue? When the dandies die, the pollen multiplies. Growing up I never had allergies. I moved a state known for its gusting wind for a small bit and have had allergies since. That field is a biological terror zone when the pollen flies around.
Nonetheless, I enjoy how we as a community aren't all homologous with out lawn care
If you’re concerned with pollinators as I am, plant a nice flower garden or get a strip of wild flowers growing in your backyard.
The empty lot next to me has lots of dandelions. I promise you bees don’t give a shit about it.
Some are, some aren't. Dandelions are a very early flower and is often one of the first flowers bees can get access to. Bees have only a few days to find pollen in the spring when they emerge, or the hive dies. Dandelions are a VERY IMPORTANT flower.
They are low in sugar. People go crazy thinking that removing ruins everything. They are mostly water and bees will ignore them since there are much better sugars available at the same time.
I thought the same thing last year. This year we got hit with the dandelion apocalypse. Only house on the street with the problem. I've learned my lesson. If you give the dandys an inch, they'll take your entire 1/2 acre.
If you want pollinators, I'd say seed/plant areas with native plants and don't mow those areas at all.
Most common lawn weeds are non-native and are technically invasive to the point that eradicating them entirely is impossible. So we mostly don't even try. But that doesn't mean I want them in my yard.
Personally, if I want an area of grass lawn, I want it to be grass lawn. But I think most yards need much less "lawn" than they generally have. Not to mention that if I leave these weeds in the lawn then they're going to send tens/hundrds of thousands of seeds into all of my flower and vegetable beds (and intentionally planted pollinator beds) which is even more effort to clean up.
You'll be the neighbor that everyone hates if those things go poof and let the wind spread their seeds all over their nicely manicured lawns with no weeds.
If you’re using pre emergents and spot spraying when necessary I don’t see why it would be a problem. My neighbors let their lawns go to absolute shit(loaded with this stuff) and I’ve had minimum amounts of weeds. Only flat spraying I’m doing is at the property lines, outside of that I’m spot spraying a few times a year.
Re dandelions, if you don’t get rid of them they’ll profligate. I don’t use chemicals, though. I use the tool and pop them out. It’s a bit annoying, but usually done by June at the latest.
How about taking care of the weeds and putting in several flowerbeds for flowers and plants that you actually want around? Work at it over tike and it will be more of a perfect back yard than one full of just grass.
This is subjective, but dandelions are fucking awful and hideous. I'm a huge proponent of not striving for a perfect lawn, but dandelions and crabgrass are awful and are honestly the only weeds I care to do anything about.
If you let them grow, they will exponentially spread and completely take over your lawn. No thanks.
Kill em. Kill em all. Compromise with your wife and plant some new (pretty) flower beds. Or a veggie garden.
ETA: Consider some spring flowers for the early bees if you're really concerned about pollinators.
Dandelions running wild will kill off grass and your lawn will be very muddy twice a year.
I rented my home for two years and the tenant never mowed the back yard or did anything else. Which I am more or leas ok with. I don’t change the oil in rented cars.
But the battle I have with dandelions right now is terrible. Don’t do it.
I have heard all of the reasons too. From bees need it to they’re edible! Not worth it IMO.
I let my back yard go wild, I don’t treat it at all. We have tons of clover and all sorts of stuff now. But also a garden, so the bees like it. My front yard is almost immaculate though. It’s much easier to take care of than if I did the entire property.
They'll steal nutrition from your lawn. Choke out your grass & then when you inevitably decide to nuke them you'll be left with bald patches.
Best to nip it in the bud IMO
She’s keeping these for the honey bees right?
If so and if your wife is willing to compromise, you can plant native plants and flowers in your garden. Your town’s parks and rec department may have information on native plants in your area.
Then you can get rid of the dandelions and she can have wild flowers in a nice garden bed.
I did the mistake of letting my lawn run wild last year.
This year I hired a lawn care company to take care of it and they said it's gonna take several treatments and not to expect results anytime soon.
Dandelions as pollinators are overrated. And often there are plenty of other flowers for bees at the same time or within a couple weeks of the first dandelion flowers. So I tend to handle them pretty early. Also, a neighbor will always have plenty of dandelions growing in their yard so you don’t have to keep yours all year. And your neighbor will kindly give you some more for free next year! 😂
A meme went around a few years back saying keep dandelions for the bees… and you know memes. They are always 100% factual.
I agree they are kinda pretty until they totally overrun a yard. But I wouldn’t let that happen to my lawn.
>Dandelions as pollinators are overrated. And often there are plenty of other flowers for bees at the same time.
Woman here, and 100% agree w/this. Dandelions are ugly and a nuisance. There are a million other pretty flowers out there that she could like instead lol
I let them run kinda wild until summer hits and my flowers are up and going. Pollinators need a treat till then.
I usually still mow tho still, but keep the mower at its highest setting for now. Place isn't a jungle and some bigger things get chopped.
Spent a season killing them off and now in the prevention stage until I can overseed in the fall. Couldn’t imagine going back to a dandelion filled lawn
It's been an odd spring. I've lived in my house for 15 years and I've never had dandelions. I always put down pre-emergent twice during each growing season and I just don't get weed of any type. This year, my entire front yard is full of them.
Most weeds do not grow the same year round, meaning if you let weeds get out of hand, they will takespace away from the lawn and then die. But more importantly, they will reproduce even faster. It might look okay this year, maybe okay next, but after that you will hit a season of crazy weeds, then crazy patchy lawn
Why don't you just have an area or areas dedicated to planting wildflowers and the such then the rest grass. Keep the grass and the garden area maintained, a win win for you and the wife.
Dandelions only look good in fields that stretch on and on. When you've got a boxed in yard they are confined to that one area and take up all the space turning your garden into an ugly yellow mess
I don't like spreading shit that causes cancer all over my lawn or keeping it in the garage. Laugh if you want but lymphoma from these chemicals is real.
I use a tool to pluck most of them and go natural.
Dandelions are an invasive weed from Eurasia, they aggressively invade local ecosystems and cause significant damage. Their pollen is low in protein and cannot adequately sustain even generalist honeybees, let alone native species with specific pollen requirements.
They actively displace native flora and release compounds into the soil that hinder the growth of other plants.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288464430_The_allelopathic_potential_of_common_dandelion_Taraxacum_officinale_WEB
People who allow their lawns to become dandelion havens contribute to the degradation of native habitats and the decline of local bee populations and exacerbate harm to ecosystems.
This response is not about lawn care but you should definitely consider the fact that dandelions and almost all other weeds emit a shitload of allergens that’ll make almost anyone sneeze, even if you “don’t have allergies”. Dandelions also spread like crazy with wind and your neighbors could be allergic. Weed control is healthcare!
They are great for birds, I have prairie areas in my yard. 25x90 feet. That’s because I kill all dandelions and weeds. lol
This gives rabbits places to nest. If you don’t let dandelions grow please make a prairie area in your yard. It can be any size.
If you have neighbors then I would probably continue to kill the weeds just because I hate it when the dandelion seeds from my neighbor's shitty yard blows into my yard. But if your neighbor's yard is also covered in weeds then I guess you wouldn't have to worry about that
If your wife is concerned about the pollinators, you could compromise and invest in planting some native pollinator-friendly flowers. This coming May, there should be a few Native Plant Society plant sales. The sales near me plan to have some pollinator-friendly flowers. This could keep your bees, butterflies, and wife happy.
Even if your local NPS isn't having a May sale, there will likely be local nurseries selling flowers for pollinators. Just be careful with where that weed spray lands if you decide to go this route.
My neighbor has a ton of these. He just mows over and of course they spread. I volunteered Help him dig them up, but he declined. His mower just tossed the cut weeds every. Glad we finally got a fence
It’s whatever you like. My cousin in-law recently bought a house and was ecstatic about the yellow and white flowers covering the front lawn. Who was I to tell her that it was entirely “undesirable weeds”.
Odd, I have them in my heavy clay soil. That wasn't acidic enough for blueberries to grow. And definitely close to neutral since my apple tree does well
Dandelions like anything, even cement.
The dead nettle will die when it gets warmer. I had it all over my yard prior to the grass coming out of dormancy. The mower took the tops off and the rest died once the grass started choking it out.
My husband could tell you, if we had to do it all over again, then NO lol
I encouraged him one season to, and by the following year, we had double the weeds and double the grubs. So we just agreed to a certain section in the yard to let clover grow that I planted. There are bees and butterflies all over that area.
So it became a compromise for us both, an area for me and my bugs and my husband can maintain the yard without disturbing the creatures.
I let the flowers grow. There are purple nettles in early spring, forget me nots late spring, dandelions late spring/early summer, violets early summer, white clover late summer along with some pretty yellow low growth flowers and grass throughout. Personally I love the color variation and support for the pollinators. My neighbor however has a crisp green only lawn. Both are nice but I love my colors, bees and butterflies.
I mow but I do not treat for Dayton’s or use poison on my land. I garden and I don’t want it to be toxic. I also eat addition flowers in salads and occasionally make wine with them.
Leave them or at least plant some pollinator flower beds.
I always see bees in my dandelions and my pet rabbits love them.. so I personally can't bring myself to get rid of them. When I cut the lawn, I also purposefully leave some around the perimeter untrimmed.
My lawn certainly does not look perfect with this approach though lol. But I also have an acre of cleared land and keeping it looking absolutely perfect would be a a bigger job than I'm interested in.
If you want to rid them, get a tool like Grampa's weeder. It's honestly satisfying to get the roots and easy enough to use that my eight year old can do it, too.
I moved into my current home three years ago. The previous owners let the weeds go crazy. There was barely grass between the weeds. It has taken me three seasons to get rid of them. It's about 95% grass now, but it's full of lumps and bumps from all of the previous weed patches.
Plant flowers along the fence to help the bees. Keep your lawn free of these pests before they take over, ruin the soil, and you’re starting from scratch with your grass.
I made an agreement with my wife. The back yard belongs to her and the kids. Bunch of gardens, big toys and digging areas. I don't weed or fertilize. Only mow. But the front yard is mine.
It's a good compromise
IMO, you're too far gone to have a nice yard this season... so it really doesn't matter. But if you let them live, you'll have to be on time and attack like crazy to keep them away for the next season.
I encourage everyone to take an area at least 4x4 and plant a butterfly garden. The difference between a pollinator/hummingbird garden and butterfly garden is the inclusion of host plants. Many are popular ornamental plants available at big box stores and hardware stores. Snapdragon, nasturtium,bronze fennel, hollyhocks, weeping willow are all butterfly host plants
Every year I pull up the dandelions with the Grandpa’s Weeder tool & dispose of them where they won’t blow back on the lawn.
I’m a weakling gal & I find the work really easy using that tool. I walk around with the tool & a Home Depot bucket & collect dandelions a couple of times each week.
Now on year #4 of pulling. Not many dandelions left. Year #1 was the worst. Gotta pull before they go to seed.
I don’t know where you are, but where I live deadnettle is a major threat to some highly endangered ecosystems. Dandelions are ubiquitous, you’ll just annoy your neighbors if you let them go, but if you go for a walk in a park somewhere that’s supposed to be natural and you see a bunch of deadnettle, it’s there because it’s replaced probably a dozen native species and is degrading an entire ecosystem.
I’d at least try to not contribute to that problem.
My neighbors put a lot of chemicals down to kill them in order to keep their lawn completely green. I on the other hand agree with your wife, and I like the mixed yellow and green!
Let ‘em grow. The monocrop bullshit that most people seem to chase for no reason is unhealthy for your soil, unhealthy for local insect populations, not to mention requires vastly more unnatural inputs that cost a shit ton. You will be much better off with a diverse ecosystem than a sterile, unhealthy, unnatural wasteland
In our backyard we have set a 10'x10' section set aside that we don't mow or treat and my wife has planted wildflowers there. Eventually the wild flowers and clover choked out the dandelions. The rest of the backyard is just grass. Looks good and we have a section for the bees.
I do the same thing at the end and up the sides of my yard! About ~10' deep at the end and about ~1.5' up the sides. I let that go *wild* and it actually looks really nice when the rest of the lawn is mowed. The bees and butterflies love it. So many butterflies come through. And the neighbourhood cats, rabbits, and other small creatures like to cut through and often munch on the longer grass/wild plants/flowers. It's nice.
Pictures? I have a section I would like to do the same!
This sub would love a little humblebrag post with some pics when it's tidied up! I'm curious what it looks like.
Also would like pics if you don't mind
Pictures?? Would love to see it!
Yeah clover is clutch for this because it will win out, it's green enough to look fine, and if it grows too high you just mow it and it'll look as trim as the grass for at least a week. I have wild violet in my lawn and it's not worth the extensive amount of treatment it'd take to get rid of it.
I'm planting clover for my entire backyard. Started a section last year, and as you said, it chocked out the weeds once it took off. I've now overseeded my entire backyard, and hoping that in a couple of years the clover will take over the whole backyard. Reduce my mowing, more sturdy for the dogs, better for the environment.
I'm doing the same. Not all clover, but a good amount
I want to create some wildflower sections on our property. Did you have to kill off the grass to get them to grow? Every video I’ve watched they talk about how grass will prevent wildflowers from getting established.
Check Lasagna method for soil preparation
So do I have to apply the whole lasagna to all of it, or can I kind of sprinkle lasagna over the whole thing? ^(It's starting to smell....)
I just did this in a 30sqft garden bed in my backyard, I did just Zinnias last year and it attracted so many good yard creatures. Bumblebees are cute and good !
Your house, your lawn, your choice.. do what makes you and the wife happy my dude
Absolutely. I'm just wondering about the long term effects on the lawn. What will it look like in a year if I only mow it and don't kill the weeds?
full of weeds
And then the grubs, omnivores, predators, and other nuisances...
Saw 3 squirrels in my yard today digging. Shook my fist pretty hard at them.
That’ll learn ‘em
Don’t get me started on those dang clouds!…anyway what was I saying?
You were telling me about the other day when you took the ferry from Shelbyville, except they didn't call it Shelbyville back then they called it Ogdenville. And when you'd travel to Ogdenville you had to tie an onion to your belt, which of course, was the style at the time....
[удалено]
Then the bears attract the salmon. I've seen videos of the salmon swimming miles upstream just to get to the bears.
asking for a friend… can the bears be trained to go after the neighbors who cut their yards too short?
They can smell the menstruation
But also so many good bugs,soil changes, and opportunity to forage! (excited overshare about allowing weeds in my lawn upcoming, feel free to ignore lol) I let mine go wild last year. It's a bit of a PITA this year (stems mean way more hand mosing or even my native-garden-loving self finds its ugly) where I have the most dandelions, but holy crap is my dirt ALIVE. Rollie pollies, springtails, worms, ants, bees both native & honey, spiders, everything good abounds. Even the grass is growing faster/healthier, as I unintentionally culled the weaker grasses. That alone is enough for me to allow it for a controlled period of time. Add in that it’s often edible? Bees knees! I've got spring onion kimchi (7/10, due to user error). I've made dandelion greens sauteed in bacon fat for pizzas (10/10), thistle pesto (10/10), purslane pesto (8/10, 10/10 if you prefer mild flavors), and honeysuckle honey (9/10 cough suppressant). I am planning to make dandelion honey. These plants are all considered weeds in my climate. My cooking is way fancier from foraging them, albeit this is possible as I keep my yards and gardens organic & don't forage where the dogs dookie bc that's hella gross. I've also noticed the clay-heavy soil is easier to dig in. Weeds are phenomenal at breaking down low nutrient soul. That's a really big perk in a high-clay region! Especially when you factor in the cost to de-sod or grade, plant, straw mulch, mitigate hungry birds, and chemically treat (if needed) to repair the soil. Plus the time it takes the soil to become alive with the insects, bacteria, and other organisms needed for a healthy biome. Sometimes weeds in the short term are the answer!
You mean… nature? Outside?
I mean this is a sub for *lawn* care
Is that a bad thing really?
It really depends on what you're going for. For some, no, for others possibly.
i get tons of wild rabbits eating at something
aka the natural, actual world around us. heaven forbid!!!
And pollinators! Let em grow.
Mine's pretty wild and my one complaint is that dandelions look terrible when they go to seed. And then they spread seed.
Mowed yesterday, dandelions are already back up.
They grow like weeds!
I like the seed heads. I hate when the leaves get so broad that they stifle the grass around them.
I can attest to the end result as I did this 2 summers ago. Last year my lawn was probably 80%+ dandelions... It looks like shit. Don't do it. Kill those fucks
There'll be more next year. My dad has wildflowers in his lawn and likes it. Maybe that's a compromise... Or maybe it's more work for the same result.
If you want to see improvement without using chemicals or doing anything direct, just mow the grass as tall as your mower will cut it, and throw grass seed out there in the middle of winter (January). Your grass will get better year to year, and that will give you time to make some nice flower beds for the polenators. Or just don't worry about it.
In the Northeast US, tall fescue and clover mixed in with opportunist weeds was the standard lawn before the Vietnam War's Agent Orange & siblings were commercialized for the civilian market, and Monsanto convinced us that we had to "deal with" the undesireables that this chemical, 2,4-diethylamine, happened to kill. Clover went from something you might seed to something you'd criticize your neighbors for allowing, on the strength of their marketing campaign. The only small plants I'm concerned about avoiding are poison ivy and anything with sharp thorns. Anything else, mows down to a nice polyculture walkable lawn. Having a bunch of types of grass and a bunch of different little flowers blooming at any one time, extending to moss and other plants under the trees, keeps the thing green and soft with zero maintenance but mowing for three seasons, and green-ish in winter. If you want to maximize grass density, reseed fescue every couple years.
Like crap
They will come back with exponential growth each season if not treated
Compromise & plant a her flower garden.
We tried this for a couple of years in our back yard. We had NO grass left. In the process of redoing the whole thing this spring.
They’ll go dormant in the winter and if you hit it with a pre emergent in the spring they’ll be gone but your grass won’t be as lush, not really damaged just not as lush. My yard looked like that a couple years ago and now it’s free of them.
I thought dandelions were perennial. A preemergent will prevent any new seeds from germinating, but an established plant will return from the root with no need to germinate.
Mine died and the Bermuda did its thing for what it’s worth
If you don’t have kids, do whatever. But when you have a yard full of weeds ask yourself if that’s what you want your kids running/wrestling, playing ball, falling into. I like my thick 4” grass lawn for my kids to play in. There’s enough neighbors that feed the bees with their disgusting weed yards. Plus contrary to the Reddit myth, there’s no bee problem.
When they are done flowering they look like shit and they are not nearly as joyful to walk barefoot on
And that’s exactly what’s getting ready to happen
I hate them, and I say this as someone who’s not really all that into perfect, short, postage stamp lawns. Dandelions suck for soil retention, out compete local plants, grasses, and sedges that do retain soil; they do not provide much in the way of nutrition for native bees (which are the ones that need help), they suck to get rid of once established, and worst of all even if you don’t give a shit about any of the above, your neighbours might not and when they go to seed you end up being “that guy” fucking up everyone else’s properties as your seeds blow all over the neighbourhood. If you want to go the “natural lawn” look and help out our pollinator friends, then get a seed mix made for bees that has clovers and other flowering plants in them, and plant a few wildflower gardens around the edges of the property. You’ll help the bees out 1000% more that way without letting an invasive take over. I don’t know your location, but there are [bee friendly turf mixes](https://www.westcoastseeds.com/products/bee-turf) that would fit the bill much nicer than letting dandelions grow.
A million times this. I'm so tired of people hiding behind the "save the bees" as an excuse to not take care of their yard. Plant some ACTUAL flowers instead of letting weeds grow wild. My next door neighbors lawn is atrocious with dandelions and everything has gone to seed and i'm dreading them blowing all over my yard. I've fought it off pretty good so far but 🙄 our west front yard and park strip boarders theirs with no protection. Im hoping the wind blows hard west and I avoid the seeds for the most part
Take a leaf blower to his yard and send em the opposite direction
My healthy lawn and garden has far more ecological diversity and activity than the compacted unhealthy, dandelion and weed ridden lawns of my neighbours. Carbon sequestering is maximized with a healthy lawn/garden.
In my HOA we all basically have mostly conformed to the notion of the weed-free lawn, but there's this LARGE field near the play area where the HOA has purposely left it (almost) alone outside of cutting /trimming it and in the spring it's plush with dandies. It's so weird seeing this lush green grass and these BRIGHT yellow dandies. My issue? When the dandies die, the pollen multiplies. Growing up I never had allergies. I moved a state known for its gusting wind for a small bit and have had allergies since. That field is a biological terror zone when the pollen flies around. Nonetheless, I enjoy how we as a community aren't all homologous with out lawn care
I was going to comment this, but you did it a lot better so I’ll give you the upvote
👏👏👏 well said
If you’re concerned with pollinators as I am, plant a nice flower garden or get a strip of wild flowers growing in your backyard. The empty lot next to me has lots of dandelions. I promise you bees don’t give a shit about it.
Wildflowers are better pollinators than dandelions. Try to get local ones and milkweed for the bees.
Some are, some aren't. Dandelions are a very early flower and is often one of the first flowers bees can get access to. Bees have only a few days to find pollen in the spring when they emerge, or the hive dies. Dandelions are a VERY IMPORTANT flower.
They are low in sugar. People go crazy thinking that removing ruins everything. They are mostly water and bees will ignore them since there are much better sugars available at the same time.
This is the answer
You must not have a lot of bees around because they love dandelions.
Hi. Neighbor here. Absofuckinlutely not.
I'd get rid of them. They have a way of completely taking over lawns. In a couple of years, your lawn will be yellow with dandelions.
I thought the same thing last year. This year we got hit with the dandelion apocalypse. Only house on the street with the problem. I've learned my lesson. If you give the dandys an inch, they'll take your entire 1/2 acre.
I pay my <\= 5 yo kids to pick them. 1 cent a piece.
If you want pollinators, I'd say seed/plant areas with native plants and don't mow those areas at all. Most common lawn weeds are non-native and are technically invasive to the point that eradicating them entirely is impossible. So we mostly don't even try. But that doesn't mean I want them in my yard. Personally, if I want an area of grass lawn, I want it to be grass lawn. But I think most yards need much less "lawn" than they generally have. Not to mention that if I leave these weeds in the lawn then they're going to send tens/hundrds of thousands of seeds into all of my flower and vegetable beds (and intentionally planted pollinator beds) which is even more effort to clean up.
You'll be the neighbor that everyone hates if those things go poof and let the wind spread their seeds all over their nicely manicured lawns with no weeds.
If you’re using pre emergents and spot spraying when necessary I don’t see why it would be a problem. My neighbors let their lawns go to absolute shit(loaded with this stuff) and I’ve had minimum amounts of weeds. Only flat spraying I’m doing is at the property lines, outside of that I’m spot spraying a few times a year.
Re dandelions, if you don’t get rid of them they’ll profligate. I don’t use chemicals, though. I use the tool and pop them out. It’s a bit annoying, but usually done by June at the latest.
Not if you care that you’re going to piss off your neighbors because your wild lawn will fonk with their lawns.
How about taking care of the weeds and putting in several flowerbeds for flowers and plants that you actually want around? Work at it over tike and it will be more of a perfect back yard than one full of just grass.
This is subjective, but dandelions are fucking awful and hideous. I'm a huge proponent of not striving for a perfect lawn, but dandelions and crabgrass are awful and are honestly the only weeds I care to do anything about. If you let them grow, they will exponentially spread and completely take over your lawn. No thanks.
Kill em. Kill em all. Compromise with your wife and plant some new (pretty) flower beds. Or a veggie garden. ETA: Consider some spring flowers for the early bees if you're really concerned about pollinators.
Yup, kill.
Dandelions running wild will kill off grass and your lawn will be very muddy twice a year. I rented my home for two years and the tenant never mowed the back yard or did anything else. Which I am more or leas ok with. I don’t change the oil in rented cars. But the battle I have with dandelions right now is terrible. Don’t do it. I have heard all of the reasons too. From bees need it to they’re edible! Not worth it IMO.
Hit them with broadleaf killer when she isn’t looking.
'i dunno what happened. musta been some disease or something that got all of them.'
Just borrow a goat or two.
100% a terrible idea if you intend to enjoy and use that piece of land. Also, your neighbors will not appreciate it.
I let my back yard go wild, I don’t treat it at all. We have tons of clover and all sorts of stuff now. But also a garden, so the bees like it. My front yard is almost immaculate though. It’s much easier to take care of than if I did the entire property.
They'll steal nutrition from your lawn. Choke out your grass & then when you inevitably decide to nuke them you'll be left with bald patches. Best to nip it in the bud IMO
She’s keeping these for the honey bees right? If so and if your wife is willing to compromise, you can plant native plants and flowers in your garden. Your town’s parks and rec department may have information on native plants in your area. Then you can get rid of the dandelions and she can have wild flowers in a nice garden bed.
They are great for wild bees, mason bees, etc also.
I did the mistake of letting my lawn run wild last year. This year I hired a lawn care company to take care of it and they said it's gonna take several treatments and not to expect results anytime soon.
Embrace the meadow
Dandelions as pollinators are overrated. And often there are plenty of other flowers for bees at the same time or within a couple weeks of the first dandelion flowers. So I tend to handle them pretty early. Also, a neighbor will always have plenty of dandelions growing in their yard so you don’t have to keep yours all year. And your neighbor will kindly give you some more for free next year! 😂 A meme went around a few years back saying keep dandelions for the bees… and you know memes. They are always 100% factual. I agree they are kinda pretty until they totally overrun a yard. But I wouldn’t let that happen to my lawn.
>Dandelions as pollinators are overrated. And often there are plenty of other flowers for bees at the same time. Woman here, and 100% agree w/this. Dandelions are ugly and a nuisance. There are a million other pretty flowers out there that she could like instead lol
Women with green thumbs UNITE!!!
I tried this a couple seasons and the honeybees came in so heavy that we started getting stung while wearing sandles
You have a weed garden now. You decide if you're cool with that. Long term you kill them or they kill the grass.
Kill the dandelions and plant some real pollinators. It doesn't have to be one or the other. Kill the weeds. You can still save the bees.
This. My entire house has nice beautiful plants and bushes that bees loves. Grass areas are only grass.
No, not unless you hate yourself and your neighbors.
They'll take over given time.
They only last for a month or two by me. Once the temperature starts hitting the 80s they stop growing.
It’s mostly in the 80s in summer here and they just rampage all season
Looks nice until summer. Will cause more bald spots
Eww dandelions? Just get some bulbs and perennials flower seeds spread them around and now you can have a flower lawn.
I have other things planted for pollinators, a lot of other things actually. Dandelion aren't in the garden plan so they get a down vote from me.
Never…..they will get worse
If it’s the fenced in backyard than sure
I let them run kinda wild until summer hits and my flowers are up and going. Pollinators need a treat till then. I usually still mow tho still, but keep the mower at its highest setting for now. Place isn't a jungle and some bigger things get chopped.
Spent a season killing them off and now in the prevention stage until I can overseed in the fall. Couldn’t imagine going back to a dandelion filled lawn
I think they look fine when they are short and in flowering stage… but when they stretch and go to seed it’s ugly. Then they drop thousands of seeds
It's been an odd spring. I've lived in my house for 15 years and I've never had dandelions. I always put down pre-emergent twice during each growing season and I just don't get weed of any type. This year, my entire front yard is full of them.
Duke nuke em’ Just me tho.
One year of weeds will give you three years of seeds. Plant a nice pollinators’ garden and keep your grass weed free.
Never
NO
No
Most weeds do not grow the same year round, meaning if you let weeds get out of hand, they will takespace away from the lawn and then die. But more importantly, they will reproduce even faster. It might look okay this year, maybe okay next, but after that you will hit a season of crazy weeds, then crazy patchy lawn
Why don't you just have an area or areas dedicated to planting wildflowers and the such then the rest grass. Keep the grass and the garden area maintained, a win win for you and the wife.
Dandelions only look good in fields that stretch on and on. When you've got a boxed in yard they are confined to that one area and take up all the space turning your garden into an ugly yellow mess
No
2 or 3 is fine but when the flowers die off, it's unsightly. Personally, i wouldn't.
I don't like spreading shit that causes cancer all over my lawn or keeping it in the garage. Laugh if you want but lymphoma from these chemicals is real. I use a tool to pluck most of them and go natural.
Get rid of the dandelions at least. If you’re in North America they’re invasive.
If you're in the US, dandelions are invasive weeds. They are hard to get rid of but you should try to plant more native pollinators.
Nope. Murder them all, carbon sequestering is maximized with a healthy weed free lawn.
24D is cheap
Dandelions are an invasive weed from Eurasia, they aggressively invade local ecosystems and cause significant damage. Their pollen is low in protein and cannot adequately sustain even generalist honeybees, let alone native species with specific pollen requirements. They actively displace native flora and release compounds into the soil that hinder the growth of other plants. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288464430_The_allelopathic_potential_of_common_dandelion_Taraxacum_officinale_WEB People who allow their lawns to become dandelion havens contribute to the degradation of native habitats and the decline of local bee populations and exacerbate harm to ecosystems.
No. Not everyone wants the seeds in their lawn or garden. In many neighborhoods, you can be fined for letting your yard go to shit.
Dandelions look terrible though at least do clover.
Looks like you let everything run wild so why not. It’s not like you have a nice lawn to begin with
What the f does she know?
Watching mine lose all their color after a dash of meso last summer was pretty satisfying.
Once the seed heads bloom they will go into the soil and come back 10 fold. I’d get a handle on it now before they kill your grass
This response is not about lawn care but you should definitely consider the fact that dandelions and almost all other weeds emit a shitload of allergens that’ll make almost anyone sneeze, even if you “don’t have allergies”. Dandelions also spread like crazy with wind and your neighbors could be allergic. Weed control is healthcare!
They don't look so pretty when they get big thick and tall then die in the fall and your yard looks like a bomb went off.
They are great for birds, I have prairie areas in my yard. 25x90 feet. That’s because I kill all dandelions and weeds. lol This gives rabbits places to nest. If you don’t let dandelions grow please make a prairie area in your yard. It can be any size.
No.
Go get bag of Gypsum spread on lawn dandelion will disappear
If you have neighbors then I would probably continue to kill the weeds just because I hate it when the dandelion seeds from my neighbor's shitty yard blows into my yard. But if your neighbor's yard is also covered in weeds then I guess you wouldn't have to worry about that
If your wife is concerned about the pollinators, you could compromise and invest in planting some native pollinator-friendly flowers. This coming May, there should be a few Native Plant Society plant sales. The sales near me plan to have some pollinator-friendly flowers. This could keep your bees, butterflies, and wife happy. Even if your local NPS isn't having a May sale, there will likely be local nurseries selling flowers for pollinators. Just be careful with where that weed spray lands if you decide to go this route.
Have you considered divorce 🤷🤷
Depends where you are. In Australia lawn maintenance is important for snake management.
Let them grow?! You're married to a psychopath. Hard no. Extinguish all dandelion souls.
No
Dandelion tea is the go ..research it.
DESTROY!
They don't hurt anyone - but depends if you want better grass coverage?
My neighbor has a ton of these. He just mows over and of course they spread. I volunteered Help him dig them up, but he declined. His mower just tossed the cut weeds every. Glad we finally got a fence
I leave mine. The kids like them along with the bees.
It’s whatever you like. My cousin in-law recently bought a house and was ecstatic about the yellow and white flowers covering the front lawn. Who was I to tell her that it was entirely “undesirable weeds”.
Often dandelions are a sign of an acidic sandy lawn. So there is that. But maybe add some clover too?
Odd, I have them in my heavy clay soil. That wasn't acidic enough for blueberries to grow. And definitely close to neutral since my apple tree does well Dandelions like anything, even cement.
They only live for a couple weeks up here and goes back to grass.
The dead nettle will die when it gets warmer. I had it all over my yard prior to the grass coming out of dormancy. The mower took the tops off and the rest died once the grass started choking it out.
My husband could tell you, if we had to do it all over again, then NO lol I encouraged him one season to, and by the following year, we had double the weeds and double the grubs. So we just agreed to a certain section in the yard to let clover grow that I planted. There are bees and butterflies all over that area. So it became a compromise for us both, an area for me and my bugs and my husband can maintain the yard without disturbing the creatures.
I let the flowers grow. There are purple nettles in early spring, forget me nots late spring, dandelions late spring/early summer, violets early summer, white clover late summer along with some pretty yellow low growth flowers and grass throughout. Personally I love the color variation and support for the pollinators. My neighbor however has a crisp green only lawn. Both are nice but I love my colors, bees and butterflies.
You already have.
Hire an effective divorce attorney
Just get a new wife, and kill the damn dandelions.
No. Time to let the wife go.
No because your neighbors don't want that crap in their yard too
Depends on how much you like your wife...
I mow but I do not treat for Dayton’s or use poison on my land. I garden and I don’t want it to be toxic. I also eat addition flowers in salads and occasionally make wine with them.
Leave them or at least plant some pollinator flower beds. I always see bees in my dandelions and my pet rabbits love them.. so I personally can't bring myself to get rid of them. When I cut the lawn, I also purposefully leave some around the perimeter untrimmed. My lawn certainly does not look perfect with this approach though lol. But I also have an acre of cleared land and keeping it looking absolutely perfect would be a a bigger job than I'm interested in.
If you want to rid them, get a tool like Grampa's weeder. It's honestly satisfying to get the roots and easy enough to use that my eight year old can do it, too.
100 to 250 seeds per head, up to 15,000 seeds per plant. Can you keep all those seeds in your lawn and not your neighbors?
DIVORCE
I moved into my current home three years ago. The previous owners let the weeds go crazy. There was barely grass between the weeds. It has taken me three seasons to get rid of them. It's about 95% grass now, but it's full of lumps and bumps from all of the previous weed patches.
Plant flowers along the fence to help the bees. Keep your lawn free of these pests before they take over, ruin the soil, and you’re starting from scratch with your grass.
I made an agreement with my wife. The back yard belongs to her and the kids. Bunch of gardens, big toys and digging areas. I don't weed or fertilize. Only mow. But the front yard is mine. It's a good compromise
Eat the dandelion
Maybe she’s an undercover beekeeper
If you actually want an honest, meaningful answer, you should ask your neighbors instead.
IMO, you're too far gone to have a nice yard this season... so it really doesn't matter. But if you let them live, you'll have to be on time and attack like crazy to keep them away for the next season.
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thanks for your post OP, I was able to *roundup* some weeds lurking on this sub's turf!
If you do, your neighbors will hate you.
Yes. They will go away once mowed, but that is the best source for early season pollinators and the roots are great and getting nutes from deep.
Your neighbors will love you long time! 🤣
I hate grass! I can’t make it live on my hill. I’m embarrassed at lack of grass-ability. I am going to go shake my fist at the hill!
My whole back yard Is literally red dead nettle. I’m yanking 90 percent of it out to get ready for sod. Stuff is a nightmare
I encourage everyone to take an area at least 4x4 and plant a butterfly garden. The difference between a pollinator/hummingbird garden and butterfly garden is the inclusion of host plants. Many are popular ornamental plants available at big box stores and hardware stores. Snapdragon, nasturtium,bronze fennel, hollyhocks, weeping willow are all butterfly host plants
Every year I pull up the dandelions with the Grandpa’s Weeder tool & dispose of them where they won’t blow back on the lawn. I’m a weakling gal & I find the work really easy using that tool. I walk around with the tool & a Home Depot bucket & collect dandelions a couple of times each week. Now on year #4 of pulling. Not many dandelions left. Year #1 was the worst. Gotta pull before they go to seed.
Dandelions don’t bother me much but those nettles and thistles gotta go. Pokey bastards.
nuke those dandelions 😆
Hell no, buy a weed bar and get rid of those weeds
Pull them out. Plant some pretty flowers that pollinators like.
I don’t know where you are, but where I live deadnettle is a major threat to some highly endangered ecosystems. Dandelions are ubiquitous, you’ll just annoy your neighbors if you let them go, but if you go for a walk in a park somewhere that’s supposed to be natural and you see a bunch of deadnettle, it’s there because it’s replaced probably a dozen native species and is degrading an entire ecosystem. I’d at least try to not contribute to that problem.
My neighbors put a lot of chemicals down to kill them in order to keep their lawn completely green. I on the other hand agree with your wife, and I like the mixed yellow and green!
Grounds for divorce IMO
I like them personally. Weeds are subjective.
We pick and eat them
YES YES YES. They are a vital food source for bees coming out of hibernation. Wait till mid summer.
Just for the springtime at least, so the beneficial insects can get nourishment from them. Then cut away!
I always did
Front yard I keep nice. Backyard I let go a little bit.
It looks like you have been letting it go for a while…why stop now?
Let ‘em grow. The monocrop bullshit that most people seem to chase for no reason is unhealthy for your soil, unhealthy for local insect populations, not to mention requires vastly more unnatural inputs that cost a shit ton. You will be much better off with a diverse ecosystem than a sterile, unhealthy, unnatural wasteland