Exposure Full sun to partial shade
Matures 85-95
Season Spring to summer
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Taraxacum officinale. Cultivated in good garden soil with a bit of balanced organic fertilizer, Dandelions are delectable and nutritious, and a far cry better looking than the ones you find between cracks in the sidewalk. This is a surprisingly useful early-season pollinator plant to help establish healthy populations of beneficial insects. Sow short rows of this wild green's seeds every few weeks from early spring to late summer, and enjoy the young leaves raw in salads. Or cook the mature leaves just like spinach. scatter the edible flower petals over salad, or collect the flower buds (you need a lot of them) for making dandelion wine. The slightly bitter leaves are a rich source of iron and vitamins A, B1, B2, and C. Hardy in Zones 3 to 8.
Perennial.
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Direct sow from early March to early September. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 10-25°C (50-75°F). Seeds take 14-21 days to germinate. The flowering process begins 56 to 105 from sowing, and continues for the life of the plant.
Sow short rows every two weeks for a constant supply. Be careful not to plant more than you can use, as the flowers need to be controlled. Press seeds lightly into the soil’s surface and keep the seeded area moist until germination. Do not bury the seeds, as light helps to break dormancy. Thin seedlings to 15cm (6″) apart for full sized crowns. If you intend to harvest as baby greens, they can be planted 5cm (3″) apart.
Dandelions are perennial, so in theory, they can produce over a very long time. Preventing the flowers from going to seed is essential for obvious reasons — uncontrolled growth can result in them spreading as noxious weeds. For the best leaves, grow in rich, fertile soil with good drainage. A well cultivated dandelion plant is actually quite luxurious and attractive.
The youngest leaves have the mildest flavour and tender texture. Mature leaves need to be blanched or stir-fried. Bitterness in the leaves can be reduced by growing them in partial shade, or by placing a plastic or cardboard disc over the rosettes for a week prior to harvest. This is how some growers harvest endive, a close relative of the dandelion. For beer and wine making, harvest the flowers as soon as they open. Pull up whole plants at the end of the season and dry their roots for use as tea or dye.
See also: Salad Greens - Dandelions
