If your home is situated on a plot of land where soil conditions make it prone to dandelion growth, you most likely battle these yellow blooms every spring and summer in order to keep your lawn weed free. If you do not want to add chemicals to your lawn to remove dandelions, you do have some natural alternatives you can try. With some of the following methods, dandelions can be eliminated easily from your yard, leaving you with plush, green grass without weeds intertwined within the blades.

Pick The Weeds By Hand

If you take the time to pick dandelions by hand while they are yellow, you may be able to get them under control as they will not have a chance to get to their seeding state. This is when they turn into a white fluff ball of seeds that disperse around the area as the wind blows. Make sure to pick each dandelion with force so the entire root is brought out of the ground. If you pick them so the stem breaks, the dandelions will regrow. Consider purchasing a dandelion removal tool from your local home goods store. This tool is pushed into the ground so the prongs fit around the dandelion stem. It will allow you to remove the entire root as you dig the dandelion from the ground.

Change The Condition Of The Soil

Dandelions tend to grow in soil where conditions are slightly alkaline. Test your soil to find out if an additive would be helpful in growing grass instead of dandelions. To make your soil less conducive to dandelion growth, change it to a more acidic state. Soil additives like mulch or compost are safe for your water supply and the foliage growing within the soil. Adding one of these will increase the acidity to your soil. Pick some up from the landscaping department in a home goods store and add it directly to the effected grounds. 

Try Smothering And Scalding

If dandelions are growing in large numbers, making it impossible for you to keep up with their removal, you can try some more aggressive natural methods in their elimination. Try placing black garbage bags over patches of dandelions for several hours during a time where the sun is abundant. The darkness of the bag will retain heat from the sun, leading to the smothering of the dandelions it is covering. The grass will not be effected by this method if you limit the process and remove the bag at the end of the day. Another way to eliminate dandelions is by pouring boiling water directly over them. They will shrivel up and die after taking this action. If you don't feel comfortable taking on dandelions alone, contact a business such as Snyder's Weed Control.