The Weed You Love to Hate

Dandelion is the bane of the gardeners existence.  A misunderstood plant that is considered a weed by most Americans.  I can remember as a kid spending summers pulling up dandelions.  My elderly neighbor was fanatical about having a yard free of weeds and paid a pretty penny to have the weeds pulled by hand.

It was my habit to always make a wish and then blow the seeds from the head of the dandelion as I pulled them.  Little did I know at the time that I was propagating the hated weed and thereby assuring myself future financial gain.

The dreaded weed of the suburban American yard is considered by much of the rest of the world to be a delicacy to be savored in salads and teas as well a natural remedy for many ails.

Although know much earlier in Chinese medicine, the dandelion was first recognized in Europe in the 10th or 11th century, through the influence of Arabian physicians, then prominent as medical authorities.  The name, dandelion, comes from the French dent de lion, lion's tooth.

A perennial plant which grows on a taproot up to 30 cm (1 foot) long, it has a basal rosette of leaves and yellow, solitary flowers followed by spherical, fluffy seed heads.  Native to Europe and Asia, it occurs widely in temperate regions of the world, and is often found on nitrogen rich soils.  Dandelion grows in profusion in the wild and self-seeds.  Cultivated dandelions are grown in moist, fertile soil and are propagated from seed.

USES:
Medicinal - An effective diuretic, it is taken internally for urinary infections and diseases of the liver and gall bladder.  Considered beneficial for rheumatic complaints and gout.  It is also said to improve appetite and digestion.  Dandelion is of great benefit nutritionally, it is high in vitamins A and C and a rich source of iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium.

Culinary - Young leave can be added to salads, often blanched first in order to reduce bitterness, or cooked, like spinach, as a vegetable.  The flower can be made into wine.  The roasted root makes a palatable, soothing, caffeine-free substitute for coffee.

Dandelion used for consumption should be grown organically in a container.  Wild dandelion should be approached with caution as it could be contaminated by man made pollutants.  Dandelion will uptake pesticides, herbicides, and pollutants from rain water run-off.

This is an amazing plant that continues to be scorned by mainstream America.  Do yourself a favor; grow, or forage for, some dandelion and add this flavorful specimen to your diet.

Spring has Sprung

Spring has arrived in Houston.  It appears that the typically short Houston winter was even shorter than normal this year.  The forecast calls for continued warm temperatures for the rest of the week and I can only take that to men one thing; summer is just around the corner.

There are several indicators that I look for each winter to let me know when spring has arrived.  The first indicator is the dying back of the perennial rye grass.

As the temperatures continually creeps up the rye grass slowly dies out and is crowded out the by St. Augustine and Bermuda grasses.  The second indicator that spring has arrived is clover.

Clover is everywhere right now.  Cracks in the pavement, taking up empty spots in the garden, and filling in bare spots in the yard.  The third thing I look for is the budding of trees.

I have a mulberry tree right outside my front door that has always been an early budder.  An oak tree across the street comes out shortly after the mulberry tree.

What does all of this mean for the guerrilla gardener?

If the final frost of the season hasn't already happened then it will take place in a few short weeks.  Start making your seed bombs now and pick out your spots to plant some guerrilla vegetables.  Spring is here to stay and the time to plant some Guerrilla Gardens is upon us.

I got Wood this Morning

This morning I pulled into the parking lot at work and the first thing I noticed was the blonde standing next to a delivery truck.  She was tall, thin, and stunningly beautiful.  Her long blonde hair blowing in the cool morning breeze. I stood there for a moment, dumbstruck by this beautiful creature.  She looked my way and waved.  My day was now complete but shortly it would get even better.

She looked back at the delivery truck to finish the task at hand.  Her melodic voice directing her workers, giving them direction on how to unload the cargo from the truck and where to place it upon removal.  Crate after crate began to exit the truck and be delivered to the store room of the antique store next door.  As the truck continued to be emptied she looked over her shoulder and smiled at me.  Not wanting to look even more like an idiot for just standing there I walked into work to start my day.

After making sure that all was well in the kitchen I stepped outside to see what was happening at the antique store.  By that point all of the everything had been unloaded from the delivery truck and all that was left were empty delivery crates.  Not small wooden boxes or pallets but large, study, wooden masterpieces perfect for creating raised beds.

The beautiful blonde was no where to be found but I had struck gold none the less.  I asked the delivery guys what they were going to do with the now empty crates and was told they were going to be thrown away.  They didn't look very happy about having to load the empty crates back onto the truck and then find a place to dispose of them so I told the guys I would make their day.  I would take the crates off of their hands because I had a use for them.  They were happy to oblige, jumped into the truck and drove away.

What a day; a beautiful blonde, free wood, and raised beds without having to do any work.  Now I just have to order the 7 yards soil to fill the beds.

Lettuce from the Compost Pile

I spent a few minutes this morning turning over the compost piles.  While doing that I also pulled out all of the romaine lettuce root ends that were sprouting.  Removed ten pieces and left the remaining twelve in the compost pile to break down.

After using the wheat grass last month as decoration for a catering event I had an empty spot in one of the beds.  Decided to put the romaine in the empty spot and see if makes it through the winter.

Right now the leaves are about one inch long.  If the weather continues to stay warm I might be able to harvest some leaves by February.

Time to Plant

The weather in South Texas is always a crap shoot.  It was a cold, wet Christmas and a week later it is forecast to be 70 during the day and 60 at night.  A thirty degree temperature shift is not unusual this time of year and makes planning when to sow seeds a tough decision.  When will the last day frost day be? I am gambling on Mid-February.

I am planning on having a large crop and have sown seeds accordingly.  There will be cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, cucumber, green & red leaf lettuce, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, marigolds, and cilantro.  These are in addition to the basil, horseradish, garlic and mint that I already have growing.  Estimates are 200 lbs. of tomatoes, 50 lbs. of bell peppers, 20 - 25 lbs. of jalapeno, 100 lbs, of cucumbers, lettuce production until the end of June when it will get too hot to grow.

 

I have 30 heads of garlic already planted and the herbs will really take off once it starts to warm up.  Marigolds are going to make a nice addition to the garden.  Not only will they add a touch of color to the garden but more importantly they will help control pests and attract bees for pollination.

Now that he seeds have been sown there is not much to do except wait for the weather cooperate and the plants to germinate and begin growing.  Then its out to the garden for planting, tending and eventually harvesting.

With a crop this big there should be quite a few people that can receive free vegetable this summer.