The simple dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), somewhat sour, gentle with the flavor of spring, and delicious from root to blossom, is more than just a lawn weed.
The majority of pests and diseases don’t bother dandelions. Dandelions are resilient plants that can endure inadequate soil nutrients and frequent drought, although fertilizer and water supplied at periodic intervals encourage lush, quick growth.
Can You Grow Dandelions From Cuttings?
Dandelions grow taproots that can stretch up to 15 feet deep in ideal circumstances, with their distinctive yellow blooms towering high above the ground.
Perennials that thrive in hot climates and prefer USDA plant hardiness zones 3–10 thrive in disturbed soil with adequate drainage. You are not destroying the dandelion taproot by cutting it an inch underneath the surface; rather, you are unintentionally cultivating this robust plant.
Each portion of the robust taproot remaining in the soil can reproduce dandelions. To destroy the dandelion plant, you must cut the existing root.
Dandelion root system
Dandelions have a strong taproot, unlike plants with weak, fibrous roots. Just a few feeder roots spread horizontally seeking water and mineral nutrients, with one big main root that penetrates vertically into the ground. The dandelion’s taproots enable it to penetrate deep nutrients while aerating the soil.
Once you cut any portion of the root off, Master Gardener Steve Albert advises that even small bits of the root remaining in the soil will readily sprout into a new dandelion plant. You can momentarily uproot the plant, but based on the climatic conditions, it will regrow within a few days or weeks.
Removal of the Dandelion taproot
To locate all of the root fragments, the correct way to get rid of dandelion involves soil preparation. Removing the stem and leaf from the soil, for instance, only leaves the root mostly unharmed. To uncover all of the roots beneath your initial cutting point, hack into the soil using a garden hoe.
Because dandelions have fragile roots, they’re well-suited to root-piece regeneration. Furthermore, dandelions in the area may still spread their seeds to you. To properly prevent the proliferation of dandelion seedlings, you must painstakingly destroy each seedling.
Windblown seed spread
Cutting the roots of dandelion plants causes them to become disturbed, particularly if the plant has a seed head. Even if you remove the majority of the plant, their active seeding method leaves hundreds of possible subsequent dandelions in the region.
The composite blossom generally transforms into the distinctive, fluffy white seed head within a few days since these plants are self-pollinating. The umbrella-like hairs on these seeds help them sail with the wind. Because dandelion seeds require sunlight to develop, they fall in ideal spots for rapid growth.
Read also: How To Grow Dandelion Indoors From Seeds
Cultural Control of Dandelions
Without continual treatment, it’s hard to properly eradicate dandelions from your garden. Enable your grass to reach its tallest controllable height, such as 4-inches tall, for dandelion control in your lawn. The lush turf that shades the soil limits dandelion seed development and controls the water and mineral nutrients that dandelions require to flourish.
Applying landscape fabric under and around shrubs and trees to discourage dandelions and other weeds from growing in the soil is recommended by the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program.
To shield the fabric or plastic from direct sunlight, protect it with bark or other natural mulch. The mulch also adds to the landscape’s aesthetic appeal.
Recommended: Learn About The Dandelion Growing Conditions
Apply mulch around the stem bottoms of annuals and perennials in flower beds to prevent dandelion development beneath your chosen petals. Dandelion seedlings should be eliminated as soon as it occurs to avoid them getting rooted in the soil. As the dandelions develop and blossom, this also hinders broad seeding.
