You can pick the plant by the stem if you just want to make your yard look better for a few days, but the dandelion will keep growing back.

The taller the plant is, the deeper the roots are. To compensate for taller plants, make the angle of your tool a little narrower.

You only need to loosen the dirt on the side that you’re going to pull the plant from, but if you don’t mind digging a ditch, feel free to go all the way around the plant.

The taproot should be pretty easy to find—it’s like a really thick, strong stem that is sitting directly under the plant. If the plant is younger, the taproot may have a bend in it. Wrap your hand right around the junction where the taproot turns at an angle to remove it. You can compost the discarded plant if you want, but you may be surprised to know that you can actually use dandelions in a tea or dish.

If you think you removed the entire plant but a new dandelion grows back in the same exact spot after a few weeks, you probably missed a root. Repeat this process for each dandelion in your yard or garden.

Repeat this process at least 2 times a day, every day. Continue to do this until the plant has totally withered and died. Remove the stem and discard the plant. Be really careful to not burn yourself as you’re walking around with a hot pot.

Don’t forget to spray the underside of the leaves and head. You can try adding salt to the solution if you don’t think the vinegar is working.

This is the most thorough way to remove dandelions, but it will absolutely destroy the soil and any nearby plants. You won’t be able to grow anything in this section of your lawn for a while.

This won’t actually remove the dandelion, but when it grows back you can simply release the chickens again. Dandelions aren’t bad for chickens, but other common weeds may be.

Selective herbicides are designed to kill a single species of weed or plant while non-selective herbicides are designed to kill every major type of weed. A selective herbicide is usually less effective than a non-selective herbicide. But if you’re trying to grow any other plants in your yard, the non-selective herbicide can be a risky proposition.

Non-selective herbicide may damage other plants or flowers in your lawn.