My wife and I bought property in Beavercreek a little over two years ago, the dandelions have completely exploded in that time. Areas that were mostly bare forest floor or grass pasture are now covered with weeds. In some areas, they're packed in so tight that other grasses and plants are choked out. The previous owners claim they never used chemicals on the property, I have no idea how they managed. I'm not opposed to herbicide. We're on about 5.5 acres. I just ordered a 40 gallon sprayer for my tractor and intend to try 2,4-D, but want to make sure I'm using the correct mixture and quantity, and avoid killing native plants. There are plenty of other weeds on the property we need to deal with, but the dandelions are by far the most common. Any help/suggestions are very much appreciated. Our horses graze the property in the spring and summer , FYI, so need to avoid lasting toxicity (obviously). Thanks!

Brenden, 2, 4-D is a good choice to get rid of dandelions. It is a broadleaf herbicide and will kill any broadleaf plants, native or not. I can't imagine any way to kill dandelions without damaging any broadleafs that are mixed in.

Spray Mix Calculations | MU Extension (missouri.edu) This might help with calculating the amounts of 2,4-D to use in your sprayer.

The half life of 2,4-D is about 10 days, ie half of it is gone in 10 days. I couldn't find good information on how soon the horses could graze after spraying. The label might give you some information on that. It depends on whether you are using landscape concentrations or forage concentrations. Read the labels carefully and use precautions. Don't spray when there is any wind.

Good luck, Brenden.

Susan, Yamhill County Master Gardener