How about: water the roses really well so the soil is nice and soft, then take a pair of tongs and pull the dandelions out by the crown. A pair of tongs is a handy thing, in the garden.

I also water them well (or wait until after it rains), then push one of those long "weeders" tools (looks like a long screwdriver with a little fork at the end) down next to the dandelion root to loosen the soil, then pull it out by hand. I get a lot of these, and the tool is useful for long-rooted weeds. You can also try using a long trowel.

And if those suggestions fail you, try zealously removing any bit of leaf it tries to put out above ground. Just keep plucking them out or cutting them off, whichever you can do. Eventually it will run out of steam and die - but remember, you can't relent for even a day.

That's what I've been doing, just pulling off the leaves and flowers when I see them. And throw the flowers in the trash, not in the yard or compost. Even the yellow flowers can dry into seeds off the plant.

It's been so wet this spring, I was able to get a bunch out with the step on weeder. But more pop up every day. And I also have one growing at the base of one of my roses. At least the bright yellow flowers are easy to see.

Make Dandelion wine? :-)

Jeri

Thanks for the tips. I do have one of those forked tools but worried about damaging the crown or roots.

You can also try smothering it if you can't pull it out. One way is by using an opaque pot upside-down placed over the dandelion, with all leaves tucked under the pot. Put a stone on top to keep the pot in place. It will take a few weeks to be sure, but if it can't get light, the dandelion will die.

Another thing you can do is to cut pieces of cardboard to make an overlapping layer around the base of the rose, then cover with a few inches of mulch. In a month or two, the cardboard should start breaking down, but by that time, any weeds underneath will die from lack of sunlight.

:-)

~Christopher

Now that's interesting.

Wish I had a dandelion at base of rose instead of camelthorn about an inch from the base of one of my Icebergs. It's unkillable. I spray it regularly with roundup just to contain it.

Here is a link that might be useful: camelthorn

"Alhagi (camel thorn) species have proportionally the deepest root system of any plants." Ugh.

Boy, that is some NASTY stuff! (Camelthorn). I'm surprised it hasn't shown up here [yet].

Jeri

I have a dedicated kitchen boning knife to use for all such weeds. Works great... long thin blade. Gotta get those roots out.

For a problem like this (dandelions, pokeweed) I have a syringe (get the largest possible from your pharmacy). I fill it with undiluted Round-Up and inject the weed right in the growth center (for pokeweed I snap off the stem and inject right in the leftover 'stomp').
Works like magic. No harm to roses weeds are growing through.
I also tried marinade injector, works well, too.
Marina

Hi Marina: I LOVE YOUR TIP ... much appreciated. I spent 1/2 hour researching on dandelions .. and another person pull them up, and squirt weed-by-gone into the hole. Very strong vinegar sold at hardware store works too.

Also Marina: I appreciate your posting pics. in HMF, I love your garden.

Thank you very much, Strawberry! :)
Marina

The Round-Up can leave the roots of a treated weed, pass through the soil, and be picked up by the roots of nearby rose bushes. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11104-007-9387-1# AND http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S116103010900063X