Dandelions were brought to the New World because they’re an emergency food stuff. The roots and leaves can be eaten. Also, the latex that they excrete is being investigated as a rubber substitute instead of having to tap rubber trees to make tires.
I've appreciated dandelions since i was a little boy long. long ago. I remember my dad telling me not to blow those puff balls so the dandelions wouldn't spread but he was barking up the wrong tree. I ignored him or maybe just continued to blow them surreptitiously because I thought they made the lawn look prettier. Not to mention, blowing them puff balls was irresistible.
it's even better when you know just how gross they taste :P A friend insisted on us trying dandelion greens and insisted the whole thing was edible, they are absolutely vile.
When I was a kid in the early sixties, a yard full of dandelions was absolutely mobbed with bees. Dandelions were one of the first flowers that popped. Now, Spring comes because it hits 80 degrees in a massive rush, and almost every kind of flowering tree or bush all pop within the same 2 week period, and there are no bees to be seen anywhere. Life has changed, most people don’t register that or remember it. I can’t adequately describe it to you, and most people didn’t even notice it.
I've noticed. It was customary in my location that we plant potatos around May 17th, as there was adequate ground thaw. Now I'm doing it 2-3 weeks earlier.
I make a lot of hearty stews that have a generous amount of roughage cooked into them to bulk up their fiber and nutritional value, dandelion greens have been in the rotation for that ever since I first tried them. Similar to kale but a little bit softer and without such a firm stem.
Yeah, the propaganda is that dandelions are great for bees. Generally, they are a low quality and last selected food source for bees.
If you want to put no work into your yard, seed it with native flowers. You can find such seed packets at most nurseries, or online. Much better for bees, especially native bees, and more beautiful (wider variety).
Where I live, maybe 50% of households don't give their lawn a second thought. They don't seed/fertilize (not claiming you need to), they often never rake or pickup garbage that blows into their yard. So a dandelion is probably the best thing for the bees honestly, because in this context, they're not going to remove them either.
westPAguy
maybeamonster
HellsHegemony
Dandelions were brought to the New World because they’re an emergency food stuff. The roots and leaves can be eaten. Also, the latex that they excrete is being investigated as a rubber substitute instead of having to tap rubber trees to make tires.
madjo
And they’ll pull up valuable nutrients from deeper in the soil to the top layer for other plants to use.
JackieTreehornProductions
Clover is preferred
nelllybellly1
I've appreciated dandelions since i was a little boy long. long ago. I remember my dad telling me not to blow those puff balls so the dandelions wouldn't spread but he was barking up the wrong tree. I ignored him or maybe just continued to blow them surreptitiously because I thought they made the lawn look prettier. Not to mention, blowing them puff balls was irresistible.
goflyblind
CouldntCakeLess
notsurewhattocallthis
I have seen this countless times. And I laugh every one of them!
akafluffy
it's even better when you know just how gross they taste :P A friend insisted on us trying dandelion greens and insisted the whole thing was edible, they are absolutely vile.
Magnar1183
I've never seen a yellow dandelion become one of those white fuzzy ones
Dannoboyo
When I was a kid in the early sixties, a yard full of dandelions was absolutely mobbed with bees. Dandelions were one of the first flowers that popped. Now, Spring comes because it hits 80 degrees in a massive rush, and almost every kind of flowering tree or bush all pop within the same 2 week period, and there are no bees to be seen anywhere. Life has changed, most people don’t register that or remember it. I can’t adequately describe it to you, and most people didn’t even notice it.
AFSamizdat
I've noticed. It was customary in my location that we plant potatos around May 17th, as there was adequate ground thaw. Now I'm doing it 2-3 weeks earlier.
drduffer
Dandelions, however, are quite edible by humans and other species, and not only that, they’re pretty nutritious.
I’m a fan of dandelions.
philmoregraves
Makes for an okay salad if ur in a survival situation. And pine needles can be used to make a tea that's high in vitamin c (more so than an orange)
ScaredSpitless
Does that make you a fandelion?
drduffer
{groaning sounds}
Well done!
Here: ⬆️
Blud4BludGod
I make a lot of hearty stews that have a generous amount of roughage cooked into them to bulk up their fiber and nutritional value, dandelion greens have been in the rotation for that ever since I first tried them. Similar to kale but a little bit softer and without such a firm stem.
metricman67
May I introduce you to the easy peasy dandelion wine recipe?
drduffer
Sure, go ahead. But I’m 15 years sober, so it’s for sure I won’t be drinking it.
ImNotStalkingYouBTWYoureOutOfMilk
Fermentation takes too long, just make a dandelion and burdock syrup to mix with soda water for a cola replacement.
andexer
Yeah, the propaganda is that dandelions are great for bees. Generally, they are a low quality and last selected food source for bees.
If you want to put no work into your yard, seed it with native flowers. You can find such seed packets at most nurseries, or online. Much better for bees, especially native bees, and more beautiful (wider variety).
AFSamizdat
Where I live, maybe 50% of households don't give their lawn a second thought. They don't seed/fertilize (not claiming you need to), they often never rake or pickup garbage that blows into their yard. So a dandelion is probably the best thing for the bees honestly, because in this context, they're not going to remove them either.
JamesTDG
Honestly I always thought that as they're a pioneer species, they won't exactly be very useful for the bees
moemoe4786
I’ve been told they reach further down for nutrients that other plants can’t get, thus making it more readily available after their life cycle
AFSamizdat
I've found dandelion roots 2' deep!
moemoe4786
Man, I’ve got monsters that go waaaay deeper haha