April Showers Bring May Flowers and Dandelions Too!

The snow is melting and we are finally starting to see our lawns.  It seems like the first thing we see in our lawns every Spring is the yellow flower of the dandelion.  Many people add dandelions to their salads or cook them like spinach since they contain a lot of vitamins A and C and are high in beta carotenes. If you are not one of those people who enjoy eating dandelions, you probably do not want them on your lawn.

Dandelions are a very hardy plant. One dandelion can make up to 15,000 seeds.  Those seeds can survive for as many as six years in the soil. That makes them a difficult weed to get rid of.  Adding to the problem is that dandelions have very deep roots.  That makes them hard to pull out by hand. If you do not get the entire root when you pull the plant it will come right back waving its little yellow flag as if to say” Ha, ha you missed me”! So, how do you get rid of them?

One thing you can do is to mow your lawn before the dandelions bloom and their yellow blossoms mature into seeds. You should also leave the grass clippings on your lawn. They will act as mulch and help prevent the dandelion seeds from germinating.  You can also use a dandelion digger to get them out by their roots. This is, of course, is back breaking work and is very cumbersome.  If you have dandelions in a large area you can smother them by covering them with plastic, cardboard, etc.  You can use anything that will keep them from getting any sunlight. This method is called sheet mulching.

One of the best things you can do to keep your lawn free of dandelions is to keep your grass as dense as possible. Dense grass crowds out weeds and blocks the sunlight their seeds need to germinate. Therefore, it is important to seed any bare spots in your lawn as soon as possible before the dandelions get a chance to take hold.

So what do you do with the pesky dandelions that survive despite your best effort?  Regular table salt will kill them. Once you pull them, just put a tablespoon of salt in the hole. You just need to be careful not to get the salt on any neighboring plants as it may kill them as well. Boiling water will have the same effect on the dandelions, but will not harm the soil.

Another thing that will help you get rid of dandelions is vinegar. Once you pull them, just spray vinegar in the hole. It will kill the root.  Regular white vinegar does work.  However, if you boil the vinegar it will work better. Boiling the vinegar increases the concentration of acetic acid. Since vinegar does not stay in the soil, it is a safe way to kill the weeds. You will need to re-apply it in spots.

Once you successfully get rid of the dandelions on your lawn, spread corn gluten meal on it.  It will keep the roots of weeds from forming during seed germination. If the root cannot grow, neither can the plant. Corn gluten meal is a natural herbicide that will not harm animals, people or your yard. The nitrogen in it is also good for your lawn.  You will need to apply it every five weeks or so.

If all else fails, you can use a weed burn torch to get rid of the dandelions. You will need to be careful with it so that you do not burn up your lawn or garden. Never use this during a drought or you may start a major fire.

You Can Still Have a Nice Lawn and Garden Even if You Have Allergies

The nice weather is finally here. We are all in the mood to start getting our lawns and gardens in order. That seems like it should be pretty easy. However, if you suffer from seasonal allergies, it is not quite that easy.

You can have a nice lawn and flower garden even if you suffer from seasonal allergies. You simply have to do a little more planning. First, start with the type of grass in the lawn. If you are allergic to grasses, the least allergic one is St. Augustine grass. If you are planting new grass, choose that one. Otherwise, when you mow the lawn, keep it less than two inches tall. This will help to keep the stems of pollen from getting too high in the wind. When you are mowing the lawn, wear a NIOSH approved face mask to keep you from breathing in pollen. Also, wear a hat, gloves, glasses, long pants and a long sleeve shirt to reduce skin contact with pollen. If you have a small lawn mow it with a reel mower. Power lawn mowers kick up a lot of grass particles and will aggravate your allergies. Leave your shoes outside to keep the pollen outdoors. Also, wash your clothes and shower when you go indoors.

If you have shrubs or hedges, you should keep them pruned and thin as they tend to collect dust, mold and pollen. Shrubs that cause a lot of allergic reactions include cypress, juniper, Japanese boxwood, Abelia and burning bushes. Also, male shrubs and trees produce more pollen. If your tree or shrub produces berries and a lot of twigs, it is female.

If you have or want to have a flower garden, there are some flowers that will not aggravate your allergies. Some of those flowers include begonias, daffodils, daisies, geraniums, impatiens, iris, pansies, periwinkles, petunias, snapdragons, sunflowers, tulip sand zinnias. Also roses, azaleas, orchids, dogwood and plums do not release much pollen and are less likely to cause allergy symptoms. Among weeds, ragweed is probably the one that causes the most allergic reactions.

If you are going to plant trees avoid planting alder, ash, alder beech, birch, box elder, cedar, cottonwood, elm, hickory, maple, mulberry, oak, olive, palm, pecan, pine, popular, sycamore. walnut, and willow trees as they are the most allergenic. The least allergenic trees are apple, cherry, chinese fan palm, fern pine, dogwood, english holly, magnolia, pear, plum and red maple.

Pollen counts are highest in the morning and early afternoon and on hot, humid or windy days. Gardening in the late afternoon, on cool, rainy or windless days will help keep allergies at bay. Also, weed early in the spring before they have a chance to flower and produce pollen.

Do not use wood chips or mulch around shrubs or hedges as they retain water. This encourages the growth of mold which is another major allergen. Do not over water your lawn or garden as it also may promote the growth of mold.

Spring is in the Air and so is the Pollen

Yes, spring is here. The birds are chirping and the snow is finally gone. It should be a time of joy. Unfortunately, for people with allergies it is a time of sniffling, sneezing and itchy eyes. It is called hay fever.

Hay fever occurs in the spring when the trees, grasses, weeds, etc. begin to bloom and release pollen. It is the allergic reaction to pollen that causes hay fever. Pollen is usually emitted between 5 am and 10 am. Therefore, the highest level of pollen is in the late morning and early afternoon. Warm temperature, high humidity and wind also raise the amount of pollen in the air.

Most prescription hay fever medications are steroid nasal sprays. They reduce inflammation, nasal itching and runny nose. Their side effects include an unpleasant taste and/or smell and nose irritation. Over the counter hay fever treatments are usually antihistamines or decongestants or a combination of the two. Antihistamines relieve sneezing, itchy eyes and runny nose. They do have some side effects. Those side effects include drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation and blurred vision. They are also not recommended for people with glaucoma, as they can raise the pressure in the eye. Decongestants are available as eye drops, nose sprays or as tablets. They narrow blood vessels and reduce blood flow in the eye, nose, sinuses, etc. and improve breathing.  The tablets should not be taken by people who have high blood pressure, heart problems, thyroid disease, diabetes or prostate problems.

Some of the natural hay fever remedies include the herb butterbur. This herb acts as an antihistamine. Vitamin C is also a natural antihistamine. A common flavonoid called quercetin has anti-inflammatory properties which block histamines. It is found in onions, apples and black tea Magnesium supplements help improve breathing, Drinking a lot of cool water will help your body eliminate toxins. Also, nasal salt rinses help to wash away the pollen in the nasal cavity. Avoid dairy products like milk and cheese as they increase the production of mucus.

To keep pollen out of your house, leave your windows closed and run the air conditioning to filter the air. Air purifiers will also help to filter the pollen out of the air in your house. Change the air filters on the furnace. The furnace filters should be an allergy grade. Using a dehumidifier will reduce the humidity indoors.

To keep pollen from building up, vacuum and dust often. The vacuum should contain a HEPA filter so it traps pollen instead of blowing it back into the air. Wear a NIOSH approved face mask when vacuuming or dusting. Wash all bedding regularly. Establish a “no footwear in the house” rule. This will keep the pollen on them from being tracked into the house. Also, wash your hair when returning from the outdoors as it will collect pollen. Do not run an attic fan as it will draw the pollen in from the outside. In addition, do not dry the laundry outdoors as it will pick up the pollen.