How to Grow Dandelions from Seed

How to Grow Dandelions from Seed

It may not have crossed your mind to begin growing dandelions since they grow so profusely in the wild. In fact, you might have a lot of ill feelings towards them as they pop up on your lawn. Dandelions have gotten a bad reputation they truly don’t deserve.

As you may have seen, dandelions are abundant growers! However, they are also a highly nutritious food source. The greens are high in calcium, iron, vitamin C, and potassium and low in calories. Dandelion leaves, flowers, and roots can all be eaten. They’re good for you, they’re good for your soil with their long taproots, and pollinators love them. The key to growing dandelions is to make sure they don’t go to seed, so they don’t spread. Also, it is better to grow your own dandelions than to harvest from lawns or places where they may be treated with pesticides or other chemicals.

Dandelion leaves and flowers can be used in salads, dried to make teas, or cooked in dishes in place of or in combination with other bitter greens. The roots can be roasted, ground and used as a coffee substitute.

How To Grow Dandelions

Step One – Plant Seeds

The seeds can be started indoors or outdoors. They are perennial, so they will grow year after year wherever you plant them.

Outdoors: Plant the seeds after the last hard frost. Only plant what you anticipate needing since you will need to keep careful control over the flowers once they grow. The ideal soil temperature is 10-25 C.

Surface sow the seeds and cover them lightly with soil. Water the soil well afterward. Do not bury the seeds as they need light to begin germination. In 7-21 days, they will germinate. Thin the seedlings to 6″ apart.

Indoors: Start seeds 4-6 weeks before the last frost. Use a good potting soil mix and pots that provide at least 6″ of soil. Space the seeds at least 1 ½ inches apart to provide adequate growing room. Water soil well before planting the seeds and only lightly cover the seeds with soil. Place pots in a well-lit, warm location. Once they are 3-4 inches tall and the soil temperature outside is warm enough, they can be transplanted to the garden if desired.

Step 2 – Care For Your Plants

Dandelions need very little attention, which makes them an ideal garden plant. They will thrive if you water them regularly; however, they are very tolerant of poor conditions and imperfect soil. In 56-105 days, they will flower.

The only problem you may encounter growing dandelions is bunnies. They love a good dandelion crop!

Step 3 – Harvest

Dandelion greens are best picked young when they are not as bitter. To reduce the bitterness of the mature dandelion leaves, cover the plants with a dark, opaque cloth a few days before you harvest. This blanches some of the bitterness out. Dandelion flowers are best picked when they are bright yellow and young. Remove the stem and use them fresh. Once the plants have matured, harvest the roots can be anytime.

Make sure you have harvested or removed any dandelion plants before they go to seed!

Try Our Dandelion Varieties

Are you interested in growing dandelions at home? You can purchase our dandelion seeds here.

We’d Love to Hear From You.

Have any questions or tips on growing dandelion? We’d love to hear from you in the comment section below!

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