dandelions

Muckit

I've noticed a lot of dandelions around this year. Passing tge road some fields are covered in a sea of yellow. What causes them to be more prevalent in some fields more than others?

Birdnuts

A sign of good soil with higher ph(for most species - there are thousands btw). Dandelions are safe and highly palatable for all stock. Indeed with deep tap roots they provide stock with many essential elements they wouldn't get from conventional grasses.

greysides

I saw them completely take over large patches of one field this year. I was wondering why. I remember that field was grazed to the ground during the time grass was in short supply last year. I wonder if the bare earth made for a great seed bed. Dandelions would be a species well able to capitalise on an opportunity.

Muckit

I always looked on them as being unsightly but they appear to be high in minerals. Couldn't imagine them being overly palatable to stock.

jfh

Always thought dandelions were in fields that were short of sulphur, not sure where I heard this or validity of it..

I said

Birdnuts wrote: »

A sign of good soil with higher ph(for most species - there are thousands btw). Dandelions are safe and highly palatable for all stock. Indeed with deep tap roots they provide stock with many essential elements they wouldn't get from conventional grasses.

I have a great lawn so

gozunda

You definitely know spring is here when the Dandelions appear!

This has some useful info

http://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2013/2907/WeedManagementInGrassland_IrishField_March2013.pdf

"Dandelions
These can also reduce the overall value of a pasture if allowed to establish. The key to dandelions is to watch out for them after poaching etc as they are only spread by seed. Once established, dandelions develop a large tap-root but unlike docks, creeping thistles or buttercups, will not propagate from their root system. One thing I have found about control of dandelions is that they catch farmers by surprise each year. The trouble is that dandelions flower once they get one warm week in March and usually before most people think of spraying them. Once flowered, it is very hard to get good control of the root system. Products based on Fluroxypyr and aminopryalid offer the best chance of translocating into the roots. Recent Canadian research has shown very effective control of dandelion by a bio-herbicide based on the fungus Sclerotina. This product has been recently commercialised for lawn weed control."

I would be interested in the bio-herbicide. Anyone have any experience of this?

Reggie.

I said wrote: »

I have a great lawn so

Same as that

severeoversteer

fields with heavy covers of grass over the winter have no dandelions on my land,

some of the bare paddocks have some dandelions though

all my recently reseeded ground has no dandelions on them because they cannot compete with grass


i read a few years ago that with their deep root system they bring nutrients from deep soil to shallow soil helping to fertilise the top soil, weeds are natures way of fertilising soil in whatever it is deficient in

they are unsightly though and probably hinder tillering in grass this time of year

Birdnuts

Muckit wrote: »

. Couldn't imagine them being overly palatable to stock.

They are actually very palatable to all grazing stock since their leaves are basically salad - and have been used by humans for this purpose in the past before the like of supermarket lettuce etc. became availiable

munkus

Birdnuts wrote: »

They are actually very palatable to all grazing stock since their leaves are basically salad - and have been used by humans for this purpose in the past before the like of supermarket lettuce etc. became availiable

They're so tasty that they're known as pissy beds :pac:

Consider them a curse and once established they take over. Very hard to kill. Spraying them in May is you're only chance. Get rid of them if you can, we're in the business of growing grass, not weeds.

mayota

munkus wrote: »

They're so tasty that they're known as pissy beds :pac:

Consider them a curse and once established they take over. Very hard to kill. Spraying them in May is you're only chance. Get rid of them if you can, we're in the business of growing grass, not weeds.

Ya piss the beds. Would'nt touch them as a youngster.

deise08

Dandelions are a great early source of nectar for bees so soon after coming out from hibernation.
I'd be very wary of certain weed controls as a lot of them, although are biological, contain neonicotinoids which are destroying our bee populations.

conor t

deise08 wrote: »

Dandelions are a great early source of nectar for bees so soon after coming out from hibernation.
I'd be very wary of certain weed controls as a lot of them, although are biological, contain neonicotinoids which are destroying our bee populations.

Neonicotinoids are insecticides and wouldn't be in herbicides