You treat most broad leaved weeds in your lawn pretty much the same way you would deal with dandelions, the most common broad leaved weed. In this section we go into a fair amount of detail describing how to control dandelion. If you have other broad leaved weeds in your lawn, you can use the same technques to be successful.

Controlling Dandelion In The Lawn

Flat low-growing weed with highly lobed or toothed dark green leaves, a yellow flower, and poofy seed head.

Dandelion is one of dozens of “broad leafed” weeds that is found all over the country, but is particularly troublesome east of the Mississippi River. The word “dandelion” comes from their spiked leaves. They reminded the French of the lion’s teeth, or dents de lion. Showing up in early spring, dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) shares equal notoriety as a pest in the lawn along with crabgrass. The plant has a rosette of five or six lobed or toothed dark green leaves that can grow to one foot long. When the leaves are broken or cut a milky fluid slowly oozes from the wound. These leaves are edible when they are young and no more than 2 or 3 inches long; later they become bitter. The well-known early spring blooming dandelion yellow flower is 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches disks. Flower stalks are hollow, smooth on the outside, and milky white and almost furry on the inside. The infamous white seed ball looks like a delicate powder puff and entertains children who discover that the puff explodes when blown upon.