Dandelion - The Misunderstood Weed?

[OldGuy43]

So, The dandelion "crop" has been bumper this year so I've been pulling them up and giving them to the chickens. The girls love 'em, but I got to wonderin' if it was a good idea so I did a little research. Turns out they are extremely nutritious ranking right up there near Kale .

Another plus is that they grow just about anywhere, anytime. Hey, this sounds like a crop even I could grow.

And, yes you can purchase dandelion seeds .

 

[897tgigvib]

There are several varieties of wild dandelion, and several other varieties of domesticated dandelion too.

 

[NwMtGardener]

Giving them to the chickens - GASP!?!!!! What about dandelion wine or dandelion jelly for YOU! I picked a bunch of my crop yesterday, didnt get quite enough for a batch of jelly yet, just stuck my ziploc bag in the freezer, will fill it up in a few days. The recipe was recently posted again on thistle's dandelion thread.

 

[hoodat]

My rabbits prefer them even over clover. I have a spot I go to gather wild dandelions for them several times a week. I let the larger ones grow in my garden as a supply when I can't get to the wild ones. I never really considered them a weed. Most veggies will happily grow side by side with them since they don't get tall enough to crowd them out. The long tap root also serves to bring nutrients that have leached down back up to the surface so they can be used by other plants.

 

[OldGuy43]

I'm just guessing here, but I'm assuming that everyone is just using native dandelions for everything? No one has purposely planted any of the fancy-shmancy organic, French, Italian ad infinitum, ad nauseum varieties that I see advertised.

 

[NwMtGardener]

Yup, the ones that crop up everywhere!

 

[momofdrew]

Why buy seeds when they will pop up where ever you don't want them...

 

[baymule]

Hey OG, there is 4 pages of discussions and links on SS in a thread I started. I made jelly and posted the recipe. The jelly is awesome!

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=13654

Mine grow in my garden in the beds. I pick the flowers for tea and finally made the jelly.

 

[OldGuy43]

Anyone ever try putting dandelion greens in a food dehydrator? I just got a cheap one (Harbor Freight) so now I'm looking for uses.