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  • True Dandelion Greens

True Dandelion Greens

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A true dandelion, Taraxacum officinale. This strain has been selected for larger, juicier leaves. Once you have them, they can be a reliable source of greens year after year. The roots may be harvested for roasting to make a coffee-like drink. Dandelions have also been used for hundreds of years as a mild but reliable diuretic, liver tonic, and detoxifier. They are a quintessential medicinal food. Don't let them go to seed--instead, pick the flowers as they appear. They are edible and many people love them fried or made into wine. More challenging to start than annual vegetables, for details on starting and growing them, see below. 200 seeds



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As with most perennials, the seed has dormancy mechanisms that make it take longer to sprout than annual vegetables. Fresh seeds sprout the most easily, when they are first shed by the plant. Those that have been dried for storage and put in a packet are "asleep" and need three things to wake them up: Rich, moist soil; fluctuating temperatures (with colder nights and warmer days); and light, which is the most important. Buried seeds won't sprout. Your best bet is to use pots, so the seeds won't be disturbed, but leave them out in the weather in spring. Use very rich soil, richer than normal for seed-starting--the seeds are wakened by nitrogen. (Ever wonder why dandelions grow so thickly where dogs visit?....) Tamp the moist soil and sprinkle the seeds thinly on top. Tamp in firmly, and barely cover. You should get sprouts in 3 weeks to a month. Transplant into a spot that is not going to be and has afternoon shade. Full sun will make the plants get bitter faster, make smaller leaves, and induce more flowers and reseeding, which may escape to unwanted spots.

Here is how to have a dandelion patch that is a reliable source of food, medicine, and beverages without irking either you or your neighbors:

1) Plant them in the shade. 2) Give them good garden soil and water. Stressed plants will be bitter and bolt to seed. 3) Harvest often. If you don't want to eat the leaves, cut them anyway and use them for mulch, "chop & drop" style. Or dry them for tea, feed to chickens, etc. 4) Cut the incipient flowers before the stalk lengthens. These are like little mini-artichokes, great in stir-fries, etc. Or compost them. But don't let the plant bloom. 5) As the summer goes on and the leaves seem bitter, put a flowerpot over the plant to blanch it for 3 weeks. This is a great addition to fall/winter meals.

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  • Home
  • Shop
    • Plant for Summer
    • Vegetable Seeds >
      • Arugula
      • Beans
      • Beets
      • Broccoli and Cima di Rapa
      • Cabbage
      • Carrots & Roots
      • Celery
      • Chard
      • Corn
      • Cucumber
      • Eggplant
      • Fennel
      • Genepools and Landrace Gardening
      • Greens
      • Kale and Collards
      • Lettuce
      • Melons
      • Oil Crops
      • Okra
      • Open-Source Seeds (OSSI)
      • Onions and Leeks
      • Peas
      • Peppers
      • Spinach
      • Squash & Pumpkins
      • Sunflowers
      • Tomatoes
      • Tomatillos/Husk Cherries
      • Turnips and Rutabagas
      • Winter and Greenhouse Vegetables
    • Perennial Vegetable Seeds >
      • About Perennial Vegetables
    • Flower Seeds
    • Herb Seeds >
      • Medicinal and Historic Herbs
      • Culinary Herbs (and teas)
      • Herb Collections
    • Seed Collections
    • Pollinator and Pest Control Plants >
      • Pollinator and Pest Control Mixes
      • Plants for Pollinators
    • Grains >
      • Heirloom Wheat Barley Oats & Rye
      • Gluten-Free Grains
    • Cover Crops >
      • Cover Crop Mixes
      • Cover Crops that are Food Crops
      • Decorative Cover Crops
    • Open Source (OSSI)
    • New for 2025
    • Plant for Spring >
      • Spring Vegetables
      • Spring Herbs & Flowers
      • Spring Grains
      • Seeds that Need Winter Cold
      • Fast, Fresh Food
    • Plant for Fall >
      • Fall Vegetables
      • ltalian Fall Specialties
      • Herbs and Flowers for Fall
      • Fall Salad Greens
    • Start these Indoors
    • People behind the Seeds >
      • Carol Deppe Varieties
      • Jonathan Spero Varieties
      • Frank Morton Varieties
    • Companion Plants
    • Recipes >
      • Spring Recipes: Fresh Flavors of the Season
      • Tomato Recipes
      • Preserving and Fermenting
    • Mid-to-Late Summer Sowings
  • About Us.
    • Our Story
    • Shipping Info
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • HOW-TO