Saturday, April 25, 2009

A Different View of Dandelions






I happen to like dandelions in my yard. I know I am one of the few. I love this time of year when I have the yellow of the dandelions, purple wildflowers and green grass (or weeds) is in the yard. What a great color combination of nature! Actually a dandelion is a soil builder and the leaves are edible. It sends down a very deep root which will eventually rot and add humus to your soil. A dandelion is natures way of improving hard soil. It grows, sends down a deep root spike, it rots, adds humus in that spike. Then it provides some free food for you too in it's leaves. When you understand this, it does not make sense to spray dandelions killer and then rent an airating machine to punch plug holes in your lawn. Dandelion leaves can be a delicious salad. All for free. No starting seeds indoors, no hardening off, no putting up fences to keep pests out. Edible salad leaves in abundance in the yard and I did nothing for it.

I have not put any chemicals on my lawn for about 7 years now. I know my soil is improving. It has lots of worms in it and there are many bees all over the dandelions. It is a real marvel what nature does all on it's own. We just need to stop abusing it with chemicals. We don't know much about the teaming abundance of life under our feet in the soil.

No comments: