Has anyone ever experimented with sprouting dandelion seeds? I snagged some “puffballs” from my yard, thought I’d go ahead and see how it turns out, but if anyone has any advice…
are you sprouting them to eat or to grow, jhereg?
Oh, to eat! They don’t need much help to grow ;D
I was thinking it might be a good way to stretch the season a bit…
This got me thinking:I thought about saying that too, but instead I chose something else. It depends. I say do it for years, buddy!. Master the skill in a sense. Plant them now somehow. Plant them all the time differently. What results do you get planting them now? What results do you get planting them in winter? All the time? Everywhere? JOHNNY DANDELION SEED; ‘sow’ to speak. What results do you get planting them in shade, partial shade, and full sun? What results do you get planting them in dry soil, in soil that has pore drainage, in soil that has good drainage but get drenched often? What results do you get planting them in rabbit country, in disturbed sites, in cracks of cement, in gutters and on your roof to your house? What results do you get planting them at the beginning of spring, the middle, the end, times in summer, times during fall, times during winter (I already said that one)? What results do you find? I want to know. I want to know what results you get planting them in the mountains, in swamps, in plains, in meadows, in grasslands, your yard, in sawdust, under certain tree and next to other plants (how do they react to one another?)? How do they grow planted uniformly versa diversely? How do they grow in mud, inside a house, in soil on elder trees, in gravel, around moles and deer, around and without pollinators (bee, ants, beetles, on on)? What results do you get planting them everywhere and every time? With and without encouragement and nourishment? I suggest starting now many ways somewhere and somehow and see what results happen starting now…
Well, I haven’t planted any anywhere (yet). But the soil definitely has an impact on both taste & texture. The dandelion greens from my gardens are much less bitter and tough (even now) than the ones from my lawn.
Huh do you think the ones that get mowed get angry and release more bitter chemicals?
mmm, maybe.
I suspect it has more to do with the fact that I’ve “babied” my garden soil more ;D, but who knows, eh?
dandelion seeds need a period of frost to be viable. This is why we generally see new plants (and their flowers) only in the spring. There are always a few late bloomers, of course, but even these had to be exposed to the winter frost to germinate. So put the seeds in your freezer for a while. I don’t know how long…might try 6 weeks? Some plants, ive read, need 6 weeks.
Does someone know if the seeds themselves are edible? Or could I pop them like popcorn? Cook them? Fry them? Is it safe to try them?
i generally work on the assumption that seeds have anti-nutrients unless sprouted or roasted. indeed, sprouting seems to be the best route.
sprouting rocks! ;D
thanks bozothebozo, that explains why my experiments to date haven’t been successful.