The ultimate organic dandelion solution

Got this from a neighbour today.

Pull the dandelion out of the lawn. Stick a screwdriver in remaining root. Then pour boiling water in (after removing the screwdriver).

Fill the hole with soil, sprinkle with grass seed. No more dandelion. No chemicals, no toxins, no expense.

or you could eat them....

Our chickrens have gotten rid of ours

You could eat them yourself or make dandylion wine.

why not compost them?

Composting the leaves is fine but the roots will just grow where ever the compost is placed.

Now eating them is a good idea, they are full of goodness, upturn a pot over the leaves and blanch it as a winter salad, just pick the leaves as they are as salad or cook the leaves as a vegetable. Dig up the roots and eat them or dry them and make a caffine free coffee. You can also make wine, beer and tea or as a magenta dye. Just remember that its a laxitive as well as a tonic!

So what better or more organic way of ridding yourself of a weed.

Baa...wont the heat of the compost pile kill the roots? I have decided to compost the dandelions here...I need more greens for my compost pile....haha...easy way to get them.

Kelly

Sorry I forgot I replied to the organic forum I only pop in here once a month.

A garden compost heap won't be big enough to generate enough heat to kill off perennial weed roots. You need the commercially 'grown' compost heaps to do that and if you've ever seen one you will know what size I'm talking about LOL they are huge!

If its the greens you need then just take the tops.

This message was edited Friday, Nov 23rd 1:04 PM

I have been doing that Baa...thanks for your info. I decided to be safe, rather than sorry. So, Im using only the tops of the dandelions. My compost pile needed greens big time. I worked on it yesterday. I hope it is heating up. I must go check. It is so windy here today. This is not at all normal for my area. It is probably drying everything out. Good thing I watered yesterday!!!
Kelly

and to think i just planted a 100 cell flat to raise dandelion to sell at market. got fancy euro. seed to boot.

Troy

Jonathan Swift couldn't have lampooned today's society better. We pull up edible 'weeds' and then buy them in pills, potions and teas. Crazy stuff.

I'm guessing you have a French variety of Dandilion?

Get rid of dandelions?

Easy... cut them off at the soil level. Then put a little pile of salt on top.

It works. As it does for any tuberous weed eg. dock, thistle, even nettles.

But why would any sane person want to get rid of dandelions? I eat them.

JOHN YEOMAN

I'm in the dandelion lover camp. Once years ago we ate the blooms almost daily and almost wiped out our population of the lovely plants. I let at least one dandelion plant grow in each bed of veggies or flowers to help bring the nutrients up from down deep in the soil. Mowing the lawn is forbidden while most of the dandelions are in bloom.

leaflady, I've cooked them a couple times (usually in batter, with a bit of sugar added, then fried)...since this is not deviating too far from the topic (getting rid of dandelions) you have any other way to eat them? They are really coming in nicely here! (I've never considered them a nuisance but rather something I look forward to eat yr!)

It's dandelion time again!

I love dandelions too! The greens are good in a salad and those little clocks are so much fun to play with.The greens are good to reduce high blood pressure.A very helpful plant in my opinion.I think that grass is highly overrated unless you live in a place with constant moisture like the UK.

I feed mine to the guinea pigs. They go crazy for fresh dandelions.

Dandelions are a pain in the garden beds, yeah (though they do loosen the soil), but I've always loved them in the lawn: unlike stickerweeds or thistles, they're nice to step on.

At what point are the leaves best to eat? And if someone has a recipe for dandelion wine, I bet I'm not the only one who'd like to see it...

I have found they not only loosen the soil, but provide "tunnels" for the earthworms and redworms to come closer to the surface. DEFINITELY better than stickers. My boys' job is to pick as many yellow flowers as possible. I have enough of them, I don't need them all to go to seed LOL

We tried the leaves and they were too bitter. I was told they need to be picked young and small to avoid that (though some would like it bitter).

Wine???

My dad used to toss a few unopened buds (no flowers) in with the greens to cut the bitterness. Still on the bitter side, but edible ;) We have a pretty healthy crop, so I should rescue them before next mowing.

If we remember that dandelions are in the sunflower family, maybe we could appreciate them even more...