Dandelion

Taxacum officinale

 

Life cycle: Cool season perennial

 

Dandelion reproduces by seed and root pieces. Dandelions emerge above a long, sturdy tap root to form basal rosettes of narrow, deeply lobed leaves. They are borne on hollow stems. The flowers ripen to become round "puffballs" of wind-dispersed seeds. Flowering period is from early spring to late fall.

 

Dandelions occur in most lawns throughout the growing season, especially thin turf areas. To control dandelions without chemicals, maintain turf density and health using proper culture; mow often to remove seed heads before seed maturation, and mechanically pull removing as much root as possible.

 

Dandelion taproot is deep, twisted, and brittle. Unless you remove it completely, it will regenerate. If you break off more pieces than you unearth, the dandelion wins. Dandelions pop up in one of two ways: From a dandelion seed that germinates, or from a still-viable piece of tap root that's under the surface. If you can interrupt the seed production cycle AND starve the tap roots of nutrients, you can defeat your lawn's dandelions without having to buy any chemicals or other products. Here's how to approach this "dandelion siege warfare."

1. Pick the Heads — As soon as you see a dandelion plant's yellow flowers, pick the heads off. That will prevent them from getting to the puffball stage, when they release the seeds.

2. Pick the Leaves — Picking the leaves off a dandelion will not kill it because the tap root remains below the surface and will quickly send up new leaves. But repeatedly picking off the leaves will eventually starve the tap root of nutrients and kill the weed.

3.Corn gluten meal—which is naturally derived from corn—acts to suppress germination of a variety of weed seeds, including crabgrass and dandelion. A multi-year program of applying corn gluten meal every spring will eventually give you a weed-free lawn. Remember that corn gluten meal will suppress germination of grass seeds as well, so time your applications away from reseedings. The only other downside of corn gluten meal is that it will also kill the beneficial, nitrogen-fixing clover in your lawn.

 

Dandelion leaves are edible and are at their best when young. Collect dandelion leaves in early spring, when they're the tastiest, before the flowers appear. Harvest again in late fall. After a frost, their protective bitterness disappears. Dandelion is a rich source of vitamins A, B complex, C, and D, as well as minerals such as iron, potassium, and zinc.Dandelion greens are wonderful in salads, sautéed or steamed. They taste like chicory and endive, with an intense heartiness overlying a bitter tinge. Its leaves are often used to add flavor to sandwiches, and teas. The roots can be found in some coffee substitutes, and the flowers are used to make certain wines.

Every part of the dandelion is edible.

• Roots- Used as a vegetable or for making tea.

• Crowns- This is the whitish bulb like part of the plant just at ground level. It is used in salads or as a vegetable, often in cooking recipes.

• Leaves- Used in salads and as a cooked vegetable, usually with other vegetables. Pick in the spring as they get bitter later in the year.

• Flower buds- This is the part of the plant which is used to make Dandelion wine.

 

Dandelion roots are mainly used as an appetite stimulant, digestive aid, and for liver and gallbladder function. Dandelion leaves are used as a diuretic to stimulate the excretion of urine.Its leaves produce a diuretic effect while the roots act as an antiviral agent, appetite stimulant, digestive aid, and may help promote gastrointestinal health. Dandelion flower has antioxidant properties. Dandelion may also help improve the immune system. Health care providers clinically use dandelion root to promote liver detoxification and dandelion leaves to support kidney function