Healthy-Sustainable-Regenerative Lifestyle
Friend or Foe
When I was growing up, one of the rights of spring, was to take the dandelion tool and dig up as many dandelions as I could in our yard. No self-respecting yard owner would let them flourish.
David Proctor
We may not live on a farm, but we can grow where we live.
It is all about the soil!
Dandelions
by David Proctor
May 27, 2021
Urban Farm Lifestyle Magazine Published Weekly
Dandelions have often been considered a weed and should be removed, but why is that?
I don’t know of too many people that concentrate on having a nice-looking lawn, enjoy seeing dandelions in their yard.
What do dandelions indicate about your soil?
- Compaction
- Calcium deficiency
- High Acid Levels
- Abundance of Shade
Ironically dandelions are actually good for your lawn.
Their root system spreads out wide and helps reduce compaction of the soil in the yard.
The taproot grows deep and helps bring up minerals such as calcium and makes them available to other plants.
Dandelions actually help fertilize the grass!
Large industries have developed around getting rid of this “weed”.
Most lawn care companies will have some type of dandelion “Destroyer” in the mix that is applied to the yard.
Dandelions have been used to provide health benefits for those that choose to not try and eliminate the plant.
The entire plant is edible and can be used in salads and greens.
In Chinese and Native American medicine, dandelion root has been used to help treat stomach and liver conditions.
Herbalists have used the plant as a diuretic to help treat high blood pressure, heart failure, liver, and kidney disease.
Dried dandelion can be ground into a powder and mixed with water to create a paste for skin rashes, acne, and boils.
The dandelion root is believed to have anti-diabetic properties by helping the gut biome.
Some will use it as a tonic to help cleanse the liver by inactivating the primary cells in fibrosis and allowing the liver to heal.
Since dandelions bloom early in the spring, they are very important for pollinators.
And don’t forget dandelion wine.
If this doesn’t convince you to leave the dandelions and let them do their work, other methods are available to get rid of the plant.
If you use chemicals like roundup, please be very careful and defiantly do not consume the plant or use it for any medicinal purposes.
Probably the best and safest way to get rid of dandelions is to dig them up with a pronged tool.
Timing is everything, if they flower then the wind will spread the seeds or your little one may just enjoy blowing the seeds from the head of the plant.
As the dandelion does its job in the yard, you will find that over time the plant will become less abundant and eventually will hardly see any in your yard.
Be sure when you mow to not use a grass catcher since the leaf and plant stem have an abundance of calcium for your yard that will be available when decomposed.
Myself, I never did mind dandelions in the yard.
You can have a yard that is full of weeds and it will look great when mowed and will be more drought-resistant.
Sit back and enjoy your dandelion wine!
Check It Out!
The secret physics of dandelion seeds 2:19
Oct 17, 2018
Quick Tip
Bibliography:
Wong, Cathy. “Why Do People Take Dandelion Root for Their Health?” Verywell Health, 24 June 2020, www.verywellhealth.com/the-benefits-of-dandelion-root-89103.
Recent Comments