Prevent weeds and dandelions growing back by using 1 natural liquid

Garden weeds can prove to be the nemesis of any gardener's existence, but you could be undermining yourself by eliminating them incorrectly. Horticulture specialist Adam Kirtland, known as View From The Potting Bench on TikTok, revealed the proper method to eradicate unwanted dandelions, which can continue to grow and flower through to October, from your grass and prevent them from returning larger than previously.

Thankfully, you won't require any herbicide, for those seeking to steer clear of chemical remedies. Adam explained: "There's actually a right and a wrong way to weed your garden. And if you're doing it wrong, you're actually making the weeds stronger." Regardless of the weed's dimensions, they still require careful handling.

The gardening specialist disclosed that presently his turf is blanketed with dandelions. He remarked: "And while the flowers are great for bees and pollinators, I don't necessarily want a lawn full of them."

Adam advised fellow horticulturists to avoid cutting over dandelions, which would sever the tops, as this proved counterproductive.

The optimal method of eliminating weeds involves carefully extracting them gradually with a hand fork, ensuring you retrieve the entire plant, including its roots.

He added: "When weeding, most people just rip the top off a weed, not realising that what they leave behind could be catastrophic."

The specialist compared weeding to trimming, clarifying: "If you go around and chop the tops off, all that does is send signals down to the plant to produce more and more and fight it off. And while there really is nothing wrong with dandelions, nobody wants a whole garden completely full of them."

If you find that dandelions are sprouting through cracks and crevices in your patio, it's crucial to try and remove the weed's entire root. Adam advised people to be "extra gentle" when undertaking this task.

He recommended giving the weeds a slight squeeze to gauge the right amount of pressure, then pull slowly until the entire weed is uprooted. To give yourself a bit of an advantage, consider pouring some boiling water over the patio weeds you wish to eradicate.

The experts at The Spruce explained: "Reapply after seven to ten days to increase the likelihood of killing the deep taproot. Keep in mind that any other plantings exposed to the water will also be damaged or killed."

Boiling water can assist in removing dandelions and weeds by "shocking" them, ultimately damaging the plant's cells and, consequently, killing them. Carrie Spoonemore, co-creator of Park Seed's From Seed to Spoon app, told Southern Living: "It is particularly effective on young, annual weeds and weeds growing in cracks or small areas."

While this may be a less potent method to kill dandelions, it may not always be a reliable solution, and not effective in the long term. Robert Silver, gardening expert and CEO of Pro Gardening, told Real Homes that the reason is that the boiling water doesn't reach all the way to the root of the plant.

He said: "The main reason boiling water fails as a weed killer is that it cannot get to the entire root system of most weeds."

Therefore, to guarantee that dandelions won't regrow, concentrate on extracting the complete root to stop them from returning repeatedly.