P U B L I S H ED FIVE TIMES YEARLY BY O . M . S C O TT & SONS CO., MARYSVILLE, OHIO DISTRIBUTED FREE TO LOVERS OF B E A U T I F UL TURF Number 49 ELEVENTH YEAR THE DANDELION scious at about the age of PEOPLE become Dandelion con- three. What little youngster upon first ven- turing into the yard on a bright spring morning has not toddled joyfully back into the house with a gorgeous bou- quet of beautiful, yellow flowers which to be growing everywhere? seemed That early admiration later turns to consternation. The Dandelion is a perennial and propagates by seeds. It will bloom at all months of the year when weather is not at the freezing point. Of course, it is most abundant in the spring. The seeds are ready for dispersal within three weeks after the unfolding of the flower. The parachute-like equipment for spreading the seeds to the four winds is well known. Why It Persists Methods of Control Man seems not to have made the slightest inroads upon the annual crop of Dandelions. The weed is downright insolent. Botanists tell us that wherever civilized man has es- tablished himself he has carried and sown this weed. Once in the soil, it can be de- pended upon to hold on. Drouth doesn't affect it because the l a r g e, r o ot drives deeply into the soil, sometimes to a depth of 20 inches. Cutting the crowns from the roots will not kill this pest as it will many deep- rooted species. Any part of the root will sprout leaves and m a ke a p l a nt if b u r i ed in warm, moist soil. fleshy On a small area it is customary to at- tack Dandelions individually. Where a large area is infested, suppressing with chemicals is m o re practical. Cutting of the blossoms to pre- vent seed from ma- turing is a n o t h er measure of control applicable to e i t h er large or small areas. Individual Attack The most com- monly used fluid for i n j e c t i ng into the plant is gasoline. There are a number of plunger-type ap- pliances on the mar- ket. By this plan the fluid is squirted into the crown of the plant. No stooping is involved. There are many variations of the n o n - s t o o p i ng COPYRIGHT. 1938. BY O. M. SCOTT & SONS CO principle. Mr. Joseph K. Bye of Colum- bus, Ohio, likes this device: "For a stabber or spear use a 30-inch metal plant stay obtainable at most gar- den supply stores. It is already sharp- ened. Fill a half-pint glass jar having a full open top with concentrated Sul- phuric Acid. Attach a wire handle the same length as the metal plunger. One may then walk over the infested area and kill each Dandelion by dipping the spear-head into the acid jar and then inserting it about one inch into the crown of the plant." Various commercial Dandelion kill- ers with hollow cylinders for the dis- charge of fluids are available. Another plan of individual attack in- volves cutting ofi the plant with a spud or knife just below the ground. The plants sprout again and require a sec- ond cutting but if no leafy growth is allowed to feed the roots even the old ones will finally starve. A pinch of dry salt or a few drops of acid or gasoline will retard the recovery and often kill the plant entirely. A third suggestion, differing slightly from either of the above, came from a Colonel in the Field Artillery. He re- ported an almost complete kill by sim- ply dropping Hydrochloric Acid on the crown of the plant. He says: " I can place a drop or two in the eye of a Dandelion with perfect accuracy and it never lives to tell the story. An ordinary medicine dropper is used and commercial Hydrochloric Acid is only 25 cents per quart." Hydrochloric and Sulphuric Acid are highly caustic and should be han- dled carefully. An early issue of "Lawn Care" con- tained a suggestion by Mr. E. P. Deat- rick of the West Virginia University which will bear repeating here. He re- ferred to it as the " Spotting Method of Weed Eradication." Rather than ad- minister a poison to weeds, he advo- cates an overdose of fertilizer. You ap- ply to the crown of the weed as much Nitrate of Soda or Sulfate of Ammonia as can be held between the thumb and fingers. If this spotting is done in early spring or late fall, best results are ob- tained. The weed disintegrates but the surrounding grass is actually stimulated so that, as Mr. Deatrick reports, "a fairy ring of thrifty grass replaces the ugly weed in about two weeks' time." Mass Attack The large area that is Dandelion in- fested presents the most serious prob- lem. It is difficult to outline the dimen- sions of the plot which may permit in- dividual Dandelion treatment, assum- ing then that all larger spaces qualify for collective attack. Much will depend upon the seriousness of the infestation and perhaps more than that upon the disposition of the owner to do the work personally or to hire it done. Iron Sulfate Reports coming to us indicate that Iron Sulfate (copperas) is thus far the most commonly used chemical killer and incidentally it is likely to have a suppressing effect upon many other weeds even though Dandelion eradica- tion may be the specific objective. The best way to apply Iron Sulfate is to spray it on the plants. If this is not convenient, it can be put on with a sprinkling can, although this is not as efficient or effective. To make a solu- tion for spraying, use ll/2 pounds in 2 gallons of water. This should cover 350 square feet of area. If the solution is to be sprinkled on, use 1 pound to 2 gal- lons of water for each 200 square feet. Caution On stone, cement, metals and cloth, Iron Sulfate solution produces a con- spicuous yellowish-brown rusty stain which is extremely difficult to remove. Accordingly, care should be taken to avoid getting any of the spray on one's clothing or on sidewalks, building foun- dations, monuments, curbstones, and the like. Iron Sulfate blackens all leaves but does not kill grass blades. If the lawn is cut a few days after being sprayed, the blackened ends of grass blades will be removed. It is unwise to use any spray during the hot weather of late July and the first weeks of August. Kerosene Spray Other effective spray materials are repeatedly coming to our notice. At the Iowa Experiment Station good results have been obtained with kerosene as the following account illustrates: "During the latter part of September a spray of straight kerosene was applied to the lawn at the rate of one gallon to each two hundred square feet of lawn. Best results were secured when the spray was applied during damp, foggy weather or in late afternoon after the sun had set. The longer the kerosene can stay on the foliage without evapo- rating, the better the results. This kero- sene spray will cause the grass to dis- color slightly but an application of Am- monium Sulfate will green the grass up in a few days. From then on the regular is fol- lowed, such as seeding and the use of a complete fertilizer in the following years. This spray should destroy the entire Dandelion plant." lawn care procedure Arsenic Effective In the East it is reported that kero- sene has not been successful whereas Sodium Arsenate or Arsenic Acid has shown considerable promise. The Dan- delion does not like Arsenic (neither does Chickweed). The chief difficulty with Arsenic is the fear of using it because it is such a virulent poison. The advantage is that it is cheap. Arsenic Acid or Sodium Arsenate may be used in the dry form with sand or fertilizer or in a liquid form as a spray. So- dium Arsenate is preferable for the dry method or liquid Arsenic Acid can be readily mixed with dry sand. The rates vary from 2 to 6 ounces when applied as a spray and from 8 to 18 ounces to each 1000 square feet when applied dry. The lighter rates, of course, cause less damage to grass but must be repeated more often than is required with the heavier rates. Where a serious burn is not objectionable, rate should be used. Where discoloration of turf must be held to a minimum, the lowest rates must apply. the heavier Arsenic Acid Precautions Pennsylvania State College reports that Arsenic Acid has worked well in their Dandelion control tests. They rec- ommend the following: "The normal safe rate of application has been 4 to 6 ounces of Arsenic Acid in about 5 gallons of water evenly dis- tributed as a fine mist-spray upon 1000 square feet. These considerations should be carefully observed: 1. Rate of application must be ac- curate. 2. Distribution must be uniform. 3. Soil must be fairly moist. 4. Late afternoon is better for treat- ment than morning, due to greater hu- midity in the evening. 5. Fall and spring are the best times to treat; avoid hot, dry weather. 6. Allow three to four weeks be- tween applications so that grass has a chance to recover. 7. Avoid very late fall treatment. If frost comes soon after the last applica- tion, the grass may not have a chance to recover and may suffer severely. 8. Spray in the spring about a week before blooming. If Arsenic Acid cannot be obtained readily, Sodium Arsenate may be used in the same way and at the same rate, we have found that 1 pound of Sodium Chlorate to 1000 square feet in addition to the 4 ounces of Arsenic Acid, effects better control than Arsenic Acid alone. Sodium Chlorate While Sodium Chlorate has been more often used to combat Crabgrass it has, as reported above, been notice- ably offensive to Dandelions. A Minne- apolis resident writes: "I purchased 4 ounces of Sodium Chlorate from my neighborhood drug- store, mixed it in a barrel and sprayed it on with the lawn hose by means of a proportioner. I used 2 pounds to 10 gallons of water on the front lawn and the same on the back (front 40x30; rear lawn 50x40). The Crabgrass was badly scorched but the Bluegrass re- mained unharmed. The Dandelions, al- though they were a secondary consid- eration, have completely dried up." An Extra Word of Caution It has already been pointed out that spraying with chemicals involves some risk of injuring the turf. Kerosene, So- dium Chlorate and Arsenic sprays are all likely to harm grass if conditions are other than favorable. Experiments in- dicate that the cool weather of spring or normal fall weather in advance of frost provides safe periods for a weed- spraying campaign. Suppressing Dandelions by Cutting When Dandelion heads are mowed or pulled off while in full bloom, the ques- tion arises, will seeds mature? Carl D. La Rue, botanist at the University of Michigan, wanted to know the answer and he found it. He selected Dandelion heads in various stages of bloom, from some just opening to the final stage where the white seed tufts had de- veloped. All the flower heads were planted in moist peat where they had a better opportunity for life than if left to dry on a lawn. Only where white tufts had appeared before cutting did any Dandelion seeds mature. Even these were shriveled and not normal in appearance. Some plants did develop from these matured seeds but not from any of the others. Based on his experi- ment, here is Mr. La Rue's conclusion: " If the white tuft of the Dandelion seeds can be seen at the time of cutting, you may expect a bigger and better Dandelion crop the following year. If, however, they are cut when in full flower, Dandelions may be allowed to dry on the lawn without danger of spreading the weed." An application of the same idea tried simply on a hunch is reported by a citi- zen of Winnetka, Illinois. He says: "For the Dandelion raisers among your readers, it might be interesting to know that we fought a losing battle until we adopted the procedure of pick- ing the blossoms as soon as they came out. I don't believe that more than a dozen have gone to seed within the last three years and Dandelions are now the least of our worries." Other readers have reported the good results by pulling off Dandelion blos- soms with rakes which are available at many garden supply stores. special Dandelion ® As with many weeds Dandelions are most troublesome where soil fertility is low. While it is true that Dandelions will thrive in rich soils, the grass is better able to compete successfully with such weeds if it is receiving adequate food of the right kind. No matter what method is used to control Dandelions it will be more effective if the turf is strengthened by the application of a special grass food. O. M.SCOTT & SONS CO. MARYS V I LLE, O H IO FOR YOUR PROTECTION THIS TRADE MARK A P P E A RS ON EVERY PACKAGE OF SCOTTS LAWN SEED [ 4]