How to control dandelions in grass?

When is best to apply or what to use to control dandelions in grass ? In the last few days the rain stopped and it heat up over 60'f here around Sacto Ca and looks that i notice few dandelions start coming up and looks that they multiply really quick.
I used before Scotts Turf Builder Weed and Feed Lawn Fertilizer from Home depot and on the bag it say to use early spring, but if you read in the comments someone asked the question when to use and Scotts replied that late spring from April,May,... Hmm confused as is not what the bag say.
Any ideas when is best to use? today here is 54 to 70 F, Next day will be rain for the next 4 days. hmm.

Thanks for any advice

 

Don't forget that location is very important. Where did the person live who was advised to apply in April/May? I find it pretty reliable to pay attention to what is blooming. Here in NC I call daffodils very early spring. Redbuds are early spring. Dogwoods are spring and honeysuckle is late spring. The plants bloom based on your local climate and weather for that season and are more reliable than a chart created before global warming moved the seasons a few weeks.

 

As mentioned, depends on your climate but generally if your lawn has greened up and almost ready to be mowed for the first time in a while, it's the prime time to apply it.

 

Dandelions are very easy to spot apply. Get a spray bottle and mix some weed killer and give them a single shot.

You cant get them all at once but week after week your will get 20-30% of them so in shot time they will be gone.

This way your not over fertilizing the yard and time of year is irrelevant!

 

Marq1 "spray bottle and mix some weed killer" What weed killer u recommend ? (homedepot or amazon)
Thanks

 

@XSleeper Yes this is my first time mowing the grass in a while. Rain is due tomorrow for about 4 days.

 

Any general liquid yard weed killer will work!

 

I think i have some ortho and will try and see what happens, hopefully does not kill some of the grass around the dandelions weed. Thanks,

 

The weed killer doesn't aggressively kill grass but it might kill some, but in a couple weeks that spot will fill in from the surrounding grass and disappear!

The same process is used for other hardier invasive grassess but for those you use a ground clearer, it will kill the grass but again a couple weeks later it starts to heal.

With large patches of invasive grass I just throw down some seed after a couple weeks when the ground spray has broken down and it re-grows.

Its a marathon not sprint to keeping a yard weed/grass free!

 

Thanks for that info.
Looks what i have at home it will kill grass too, so i may have to visit Home Depot to get some that kills weeds and minimal on the grass.

This is what i have at home and was just use it weeds that grow around sidewalks, and other places where there is no grass.

 

This is what I use but I get the concentrate and mix an ounce per spray bottle fill up, a quart last me several seasons!

]

 

Thanks!

 

I'm in the North I apply it in early April East and I use Scott's Turf Builder Plus Halts. I very seldom have dandelions or weeds, other than clover. The Scott's prevents weed seeds from germinating. For spot weeding flower beds, sidewalk cracks etc, my first attempt is a spray mix of vinegar, dish soap and epsom salts. It is pretty effective as long as the weed is in sunlight. For stubborn weeds I break out the spectricide.

 

Thanks for that info!

 

Research products that contain 2,4-D, dimethylamine salt 46.8%...50%
Also prodiamine and MSMA.
DoMyOwn dot com has these products.

 

If you don't want to use herbicide......I have heard this will work : Get a propane torch or similar and lightly wilt the critter. Don't burn to the ground. Wilting will make the tap root struggle to send up more leafs. You will have to do this more than once.....before the tap root dies. Apparently, burning the critter 100% to a crisp ... does not affect the root.

Anyone tried the wilt method on anything ?

 

I have a torch that I use to keep my gravel driveway mostly weed free. I have never used it for wilting though. The weeds growing in my drive seem to die when crisped but I wouldn't use it on my lawn.

 

I have used the "dip a sock on a pole in vinegar" method. It works especially in hot sun. The part about re-doing it again is what gets me to go !@#$%!

 

My 2¢ - dandelions don't really bother me, so I generally just make a point of mowing when they're flowring, thus preventing the seeds from maturing. Repeat and after a few weeks they will mostly have exhausted the tap root.

A similar version of the 'vinegar on a stick' is the spot-application of the lightly salted boiling water left over from making pasta. Make dinner, drain boiling salty water onto weeds in walkway or driveway cracks.
Also a works when making a seafood boil with crab or clams.

Interestingly, you can ALSO spot treat with hot coals or ash from a BBQ. I learned from a U-Penn botanists that to understand lawns, it helps to know that 1) broad leafed trees grow from the tips and have evolved to drop leaves to suffocate grasses and expand their forest growth area. 2) In response, grasses grow from the base and have evolved to accumulate and cause brushfires to remove trees and expand their prairie growth area.

So, most grasses are designed to survive fire and sprout right back.
Succulents like dandelions- eh, not so much, they just die.