My "resting" garden plot has been invaded by several dozen tree-like
dandelions. Inattentive maintainance allowed this. At first I dug
the buggers up individually but the roots are 18-20" deep. Worse,
those that I have managed to dig out successfully show off-shooters
from broken or missed pieces.

I don't want to start throwing down my consumer-grade agent orange
but it's now reached epidemic proportions. My plot looks like I'm
cultivating the yellow buds for commercial distribution throughout
my neighborhood. Is there a way of ridding my garden area of these
pests without resorting to chemical purfication?

Many thanks.

The Ranger

"Tree like"? Are you sure they're not sow thistles?

"The Ranger" wrote in message
...
My "resting" garden plot has been invaded by several dozen tree-like
dandelions. Inattentive maintainance allowed this. At first I dug
the buggers up individually but the roots are 18-20" deep. Worse,
those that I have managed to dig out successfully show off-shooters
from broken or missed pieces.

I don't want to start throwing down my consumer-grade agent orange
but it's now reached epidemic proportions. My plot looks like I'm
cultivating the yellow buds for commercial distribution throughout
my neighborhood. Is there a way of ridding my garden area of these
pests without resorting to chemical purfication?

Many thanks.

The Ranger

tuckermor wrote in message
et...
"The Ranger" wrote in message
...
My "resting" garden plot has been invaded by several dozen
tree-like
dandelions. Inattentive maintainance allowed this. At first I
dug
the buggers up individually but the roots are 18-20" deep.
Worse,
those that I have managed to dig out successfully show
off-shooters
from broken or missed pieces.

I don't want to start throwing down my consumer-grade agent
orange
but it's now reached epidemic proportions. My plot looks like
I'm
cultivating the yellow buds for commercial distribution
throughout
my neighborhood. Is there a way of ridding my garden area of
these
pests without resorting to chemical purfication?

Many thanks.

"Tree like"? Are you sure they're not sow thistles?

I'll snap a digital and post the link later today. I'm 99% certain
they're dandelions. (I have two sow thistles in another portion of
the yard.)

The Ranger

In article ,
"The Ranger" wrote:

tuckermor wrote in message
et...
"The Ranger" wrote in message
...
My "resting" garden plot has been invaded by several dozen
tree-like
dandelions. Inattentive maintainance allowed this. At first I
dug
the buggers up individually but the roots are 18-20" deep.
Worse,
those that I have managed to dig out successfully show
off-shooters
from broken or missed pieces.

I don't want to start throwing down my consumer-grade agent
orange
but it's now reached epidemic proportions. My plot looks like
I'm
cultivating the yellow buds for commercial distribution
throughout
my neighborhood. Is there a way of ridding my garden area of
these
pests without resorting to chemical purfication?

Many thanks.

"Tree like"? Are you sure they're not sow thistles?

I'll snap a digital and post the link later today. I'm 99% certain
they're dandelions. (I have two sow thistles in another portion of
the yard.)

The Ranger
I've been eating dandelions in salads for years but, then again, what do
I know. If I don't need the space, I let them grow to improve my soil.
It's supposed to increase the aromatic quality of all herbs and, in
small quantities, helps most vegetables, according to John Jeavons.

But let's let everybody's white collar criminal explain it.

-------
Rich in nutrients, dandelions are good for the body and environment

By Martha Stewart / Special to The Detroit News

Make a face wash out of dandelion blossoms steeped in boiling water.


***For most of us, days spent picking "puffball" dandelions and blowing
on the dry, silky seeds to make a wish are long past. As adults, we're
far more likely to view these golden weeds as a problem to be eradicated
than as a source of good luck.
***But the dandelion deserves another look. As many cultures around the
world have long known, the dandelion is much more than a weed -- it's an
edible plant with uncommon nutritional and medicinal value.
***The dandelion's name comes from the French term "dent-de-lion,"
meaning "lion's tooth" -- so named for its dark-green leaves with
pointy, toothlike edges. Those bitter-tasting leaves are a staple in
French country kitchens.
***In Russia, the plant is known as "life-elixir," and its leaves are
traditionally steamed and served with sour cream and thinly sliced red
onion. Italians like the leaves chopped and sauteed with garlic and
olive oil. The English boil them and then toss them with vinegar and
salt.
***Almost every part of the dandelion can be consumed, including the
blossoms and roots. Only the dried-out puffball of seeds is inedible;
that part seems to have been created purely for fun, and of course, for
procreation.
***
Health benefits
***Since ancient times, the plant has been recognized for its medicinal
qualities. Tenth-century Arab physicians called it taraxacon, meaning "a
remedy for disorders."
***It has an especially potent effect on the solar plexus: The liver
resides in this area of the body, and one of the dandelion's main
constituents, choline, is essential to liver function.
***The stomach and gall bladder can also be strengthened by regular
consumption of dandelion.
***Bitter greens, such as dandelion and chicory, release hydrochloric
acid in the stomach, which helps with digestion. They also contain
generous amounts of vitamins C and A and calcium.
***
Environmental benefits
***Despite its reputation as a weed, the dandelion can serve a very
valuable function in the wild. The plant prefers to take root in
decalcified soil, where it sends its thick brown taproot deep to pull
minerals from below, restoring health to overused topsoil.
***Wherever you see dandelions turning a green meadow gold, the earth is
being replenished.
***Dandelions bloom in spring and fall. For this reason, they are
beloved by beekeepers: They can depend on the nectar from these blossoms
for making honey well into autumn, long after other flowers have gone.
The plants are also useful in fruit orchards, since their leaves emit a
gas that makes fruit ripen early and evenly.
***
Harvesting dandelions
***Dandelion greens can often be found among the colorful medley of
greens known as mesclun, sold at farmers' markets, natural-food stores
and the specialty-produce sections of most grocery stores. The blossoms
and roots, however, are rarely available commercially; you'll probably
need to harvest your own.
***Pick blossoms in a field that you know hasn't been treated with
chemicals; dig roots with a garden fork (also in a chemical-free area)
on a day when a recent rainfall has softened the ground.
***
Dandelion mixtures
***There are countless ways to use dandelions -- in cooking and even for
making refreshing, homemade skin treatments. Here are just a few ideas:
***Dandelion salad: Combine 2 parts mesclun greens with 1 part dandelion
greens. Add a crumbled hard-boiled egg and some lightly steamed sliced
beets. Toss with a favorite salad dressing.
***Dandelion-blossom pancakes: Combine 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2
cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and
2 tablespoons sugar. Add 1 large egg, 1 cup milk, and 2 tablespoons
melted butter. Add 1 cup dandelion blossoms and mix well.
***Pour batter in small circles onto hot, oiled griddle. Cook until
lightly browned on one side, then flip, and repeat. Serve warm with
maple syrup, yogurt or jam. Serves two people.
***Dandelion-root coffee: Use 1 teaspoon roasted dandelion root per cup,
or mix one part roasted roots with one or two parts coffee in a French
press. Add a pinch of cinnamon. Let steep for 5 minutes for a
full-bodied, healthy brew that will help to stimulate digestion without
irritating the nerves.
***Dandelion vinegar: Fill a 1-quart, wide-mouthed jar with 1 quart
loosely packed fresh dandelion leaves. Then fill jar to the top with
apple-cider vinegar. Cap, and let sit for six weeks.
***Strain through a piece of cheesecloth. Store in refrigerator, and add
to salad dressings and other preparations as desired. Keeps for up to
two years.
***Dandelion face wash: An infusion of dandelions can do wonders for the
skin. Steep 1 cup dandelion blossoms in 1 pint boiled water for an hour.
Wash face with water, and lay down with blossoms on eyes for 15 minutes.
No need to rinse.
Write to Homestyle columnist Martha Stewart in care of the New York
Times Syndication Sales Corp., 122 E. 42nd St., New York, NY 10168.
Questions may also be sent to Stewart by e-mail. Her address is:
.
------
If you can pursue your War on Weeds without herbicides, the planet will
be a little better off.

I can't wait 'till spring.
- Bill

Coloribus gustibus non disputatum.

The Ranger wrote:
My "resting" garden plot has been invaded by several dozen tree-like
dandelions. Inattentive maintainance allowed this. At first I dug
the buggers up individually but the roots are 18-20" deep. Worse,
those that I have managed to dig out successfully show off-shooters
from broken or missed pieces.

I don't want to start throwing down my consumer-grade agent orange
but it's now reached epidemic proportions. My plot looks like I'm
cultivating the yellow buds for commercial distribution throughout
my neighborhood. Is there a way of ridding my garden area of these
pests without resorting to chemical purfication?

Many thanks.

The Ranger

would you consider eating them? Young leaves are decent.

simy1 asked in message
ps.com...
==Dandelion issue: HELP!==

would you consider eating them? Young leaves
are decent.

I'll take your word for it but since they weren't intentionally
cultivated by me, I'll let someone else test 'em for edibilility.

I'd like 'em gone, eradicated permanently, rather than on this
monthly sprouting plan currently being pushed upon me.

The Ranger

The Ranger wrote:
simy1 asked in message
ps.com...
==Dandelion issue: HELP!==

would you consider eating them? Young leaves
are decent.

I'll take your word for it but since they weren't intentionally
cultivated by me, I'll let someone else test 'em for edibilility.


so they are not dandelions.

simy1 wrote in message
ps.com...
The Ranger wrote:
simy1 asked in message
ps.com...
==Dandelion issue: HELP!==

would you consider eating them? Young leaves
are decent.

I'll take your word for it but since they weren't
intentionally cultivated by me, I'll let someone
else test 'em for edibilility.

so they are not dandelions.

Why would you assume that? Just because I don't want to consume
them? No thanks. I have similar feelings about wild shrooms. I'll
leave it to others, with specialized knowledge usually, to dine au
naturale.

The Ranger

The Ranger wrote:

so they are not dandelions.

Why would you assume that? Just because I don't want to consume
them? No thanks. I have similar feelings about wild shrooms. I'll
leave it to others, with specialized knowledge usually, to dine au
naturale.

The Ranger

aw, last post, but: dandelions have been eaten for thousands of years.
They have no deadly or unedible cousins (though some are unpalatable).
specialized knowledge? you can buy their seeds at a number of seed
outlets, for intentional seeding of your garden (truth be told,
sometimes the seeds are the similar but separate blue flowered
chicorium). You take more chances with your well being when you eat
fava beans, asparagus, or parsley.

On Sun, 7 Jan 2007 06:23:28 -0800, "The Ranger"
wrote:

My "resting" garden plot has been invaded by several dozen tree-like
dandelions. Inattentive maintainance allowed this. At first I dug
the buggers up individually but the roots are 18-20" deep. Worse,
those that I have managed to dig out successfully show off-shooters
from broken or missed pieces.

I don't want to start throwing down my consumer-grade agent orange
but it's now reached epidemic proportions. My plot looks like I'm
cultivating the yellow buds for commercial distribution throughout
my neighborhood. Is there a way of ridding my garden area of these
pests without resorting to chemical purfication?

Many thanks.

The Ranger



How much time do you have before you plant?

Weed what you can. Then do a very deep rototilling, and cover the area
with weighted down black plastic sheeting. Wait a week or two, repeat
pulling anything there, then rototilling and black plastic.

Boron

Boron Elgar wrote in message
...
[snp]
How much time do you have before you plant?

A whole lot of time; I wasn't going to use this particular plot this
spring and summer.

Weed what you can. Then do a very deep rototilling,
and cover the area with weighted down black plastic
sheeting. Wait a week or two, repeat pulling anything
there, then rototilling and black plastic.

Won't the roots I miss still be there, though, when I take the
plastic off?

I once used old pieces of carpet pretty successfully at retarding
weed-spread and growth but it was a major hassle when the carpeting
started to break down.

The Ranger

Boron

On Sun, 7 Jan 2007 13:17:43 -0800, "The Ranger"
wrote:

Boron Elgar wrote in message
.. .
[snp]
How much time do you have before you plant?

A whole lot of time; I wasn't going to use this particular plot this
spring and summer.

Weed what you can. Then do a very deep rototilling,
and cover the area with weighted down black plastic
sheeting. Wait a week or two, repeat pulling anything
there, then rototilling and black plastic.

Won't the roots I miss still be there, though, when I take the
plastic off?

That is why the "lather, rinse repeat." You'll cut the plague
considerably. If you have the time, this will work well after awhile.
And you need a good size rototiller, too.

Why not seed with something you can till in to enrich the soil next
year? It may help to smother out the weeds.

I once used old pieces of carpet pretty successfully at retarding
weed-spread and growth but it was a major hassle when the carpeting
started to break down.

OH, I bet it was. The plastic lasts awhile and is pretty easy to get
up in one piece.

I tend not to use chems as a first line, but frankly, if you are not
going to use the plot this year and the dandelions are that ferocious,
Roundup or similar may be the way to go, but you'll still need to use
a cover later. I will use Preen on flower beds once they are tidied,
but not the edibles, even though they say it is fine.

I really hate weeding and do a lot of my gardening in large tubs now.

Boron

On Sun, 7 Jan 2007 06:23:28 -0800, "The Ranger"
wrote:

My "resting" garden plot has been invaded by several dozen tree-like
dandelions. Inattentive maintainance allowed this. At first I dug
the buggers up individually but the roots are 18-20" deep. Worse,
those that I have managed to dig out successfully show off-shooters
from broken or missed pieces.

I don't want to start throwing down my consumer-grade agent orange
but it's now reached epidemic proportions. My plot looks like I'm
cultivating the yellow buds for commercial distribution throughout
my neighborhood. Is there a way of ridding my garden area of these
pests without resorting to chemical purfication?

Many thanks.

The Ranger


If you are not growing strictly organic, try Roundup. According to
their information it breaks down as soon as it hits the soil. Anything
sprayed on the plant itself kills leaves and roots. I have used it,
even in the garden and have not been poisoned.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974

Here in SE Virginia and NE North Carolina my wife and I run a
landscaping/yard cleanup business. When we run into monster weeds like
yours, especially the "pokeweed" we get around here, we have found that
Roundup is a pretty good "safe" chemical. We pull as much as we can trying
to remove as much root as possible. Anything remaining above ground gets
sprayed and if we notice a taproot tip missing a good soaking in the hole
usually gets enough on the remainder underground to prevent recurrence.
Don't go for the namebrand either, Home Depot and places like John Deere
stores sell concentrates as formulated as high as 90% sodium glyphosate and
a little underdiluting when mixing doesn't hurt and increases the likelihood
of a sure kill. Good luck.

Chris McVey

http://www.geocities.com/cwmcvey

"The Ranger" wrote in message
...
My "resting" garden plot has been invaded by several dozen tree-like
dandelions. Inattentive maintainance allowed this. At first I dug
the buggers up individually but the roots are 18-20" deep. Worse,
those that I have managed to dig out successfully show off-shooters
from broken or missed pieces.

I don't want to start throwing down my consumer-grade agent orange
but it's now reached epidemic proportions. My plot looks like I'm
cultivating the yellow buds for commercial distribution throughout
my neighborhood. Is there a way of ridding my garden area of these
pests without resorting to chemical purfication?

Many thanks.

The Ranger

The Ranger wrote:
My "resting" garden plot has been invaded by several dozen tree-like
dandelions. Inattentive maintainance allowed this. At first I dug
the buggers up individually but the roots are 18-20" deep. Worse,
those that I have managed to dig out successfully show off-shooters
from broken or missed pieces.

I don't want to start throwing down my consumer-grade agent orange
but it's now reached epidemic proportions. My plot looks like I'm
cultivating the yellow buds for commercial distribution throughout
my neighborhood. Is there a way of ridding my garden area of these
pests without resorting to chemical purfication?

Many thanks.

The Ranger

Find some pet rabbit owners. Offer them access to your dandelion. Bet
you some will accept your offer and harvest them for bunny treats.
After a while you won't have any left.