The king of the jungle is the lion, so it only seems logical that the dandelion is the weed king of the lawn. Don’t be intimidated by their size or their ambition to conquer your yard. Dandelions – while persistent – can be controlled, even without chemicals. Here are a few ways to become a natural dandelion tamer.

• Mow them down. While mowing your lawn too often can ruin your lawn, strategically mowing dandelions on your yard workdays will help prevent the blossoms from transforming into seeds. While the dandelion seeds are fun to blow in the wind, preventing them from getting to that stage will keep their spread at bay.
• Apply corn gluten on dandelions before the seed has sprouted. Corn gluten works on other weeds, too, but adding them to pre-sprouted dandelions will inhibit the dandelion’s root growth. If and when the dandelion does sprout, it won’t be able to deliver nutrients effectively, causing the plants to wither and die.
• You can tame those dandelions the old-fashioned way too, by physically removing them yourself. Be sure to remove the entire plant and not just the top stem. Pull the dandelions out by hand, with a small hand trowel, or with a fancy dandelion digger.
• Carefully pour boiling water over the dandelions. Yes, it sounds harsh, but if you target the dandelion and avoid the rest of your lawn, you will have no extra dead patches to worry yourself.
• Aerate your lawn. Healthy, nutrient-rich soil is the best way to prevent weed growth in your lawn. Not only will aeration keep dandelions away, but you will also probably noticed your lawn looking a little greener.