dandelions in permaculture
http://permies.com Eden Gal from True Nature Farm in Boulder, Utah starts off by telling us about how dandelions will soften soil. Alexia Allen pf Hawthorn Farm in Woodinville, Washington shows a polyculture with a lot of garlic and some huge dandelions. She finds a dandelion leaf that is more than half her height. And eat it. She talks about which leaves are less bitter and how her taste for bitter has developed as she has gotten older. Toby Hemenway, the author of the popular permaculture book "Gaia's Garden" explains how the dislike of dandelion is due to the desire of an unnatural single species of grass for a lawn. He talks about how the dandelion will show up in compacted soil, and solve that compaction problem. And he covers how dandelions will share the nutrients they find down deep with their neighboring polyculture plants. Jamie from Vashon Island, Washington shows how sometimes when you try to blow on a dandelion puff ball, the little parachutes (seeds) aren't ready to leave yet. Matt, from Feral Farm, talks about the permaculture concept of being a dynamic accumulator because of it's tap root. He then talks about how grass is a big focus/battle for his techniques and the dandelion helps to displace the grass. Kristi from Carnation, Washington eats a dandelion blossom. She expresses that it isn't just edible, but also quite palatible. Gunella from Carnation, Washington is eating the blossoms and explains that she doesn't like the stems. Michael "Skeeter" Pilarski, of Hot Springs, Montana, talks about how eating dandelion is good for your liver. Later in this video he explains how he sold a bunch of dandelions for $900! Kyle Kolini from Duvall, Washington tells us that the scientific name for dandelion is "Taraxacum officinale" which means "the official remedy for disorders". Apparently dandelion was brought to north america as a medicine and as a food. Samantha Lewis thinks that if we can get more dandelions in our lawns that would be awesome. She explains how the dandelion taproot will punch through hardpan soil and bring minerals up from the deep and then shares those minerals with neighboring plants. She advocates eating the leaves, the root and the blossom. She thinks putting the leaf, root and flower into a tea makes an excellent tea. She explains that the dandelion coffee is actually roasted dandelion root tea. Then she points out that it doesn't taste like coffee, "it tastes like kinda burnt roots." Samantha says the name for the dandelion comes from the leaves being deeply notched like the teeth of the lion. One identifier for dandelion is that there is no stem. Samantha pointed out that some gravel in the video is machine packed, but the dandelion was still able to get through. Owen Hablutzel, director of PRI USA and a holistic management certified educator, asks why farmers and ranchers buy lime to put on the soil, when dandelions will bring calcium to the surface for free. The mighty, the glorious, the amazing Sepp Holzer (author of "Rebel Farmer", "Sepp Holzer's Permaculture" and "Desert or Paradise", plus the star of several documentaries about permaculture) scatters some dandelion seeds for the sake of having more lettuce near the kitchen. Jacqueline Freeman of Friendly Haven Rise Farm and spiritbee.com in Battleground, Washington, talks about how dandelions provide some of the earliest bee food. Helen Atthowe of veganicpermaculture.com in Stevensville, Montana expresses how eating the first dandelions in the spring not only helps cleanse your system, but helps to fight a lot of human ailments including cancer. She mentions vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and other micro nutrients, B vitamins including B6. Kelda Miller, a permaculture instructor in Tacoma, Washington, gives tips on how to reduce the bitter flavor. Both by removing the central leaf vein, and by chopping the leaf finely and adding olive oil. Norris Thomlinson from Portland, Oregon talks about the flavor from the different parts of the dandelion. He says the stems can be used to make dandelion spaghetti. He finds that the roots taste really good when cooked. Samantha comes back and shares that the seeds come off of the head at 70% humidity. This is so the seeds will come off just before the rain comes. Relevant: http://www.permies.com/t/712/plants/praise-dandelion http://www.permies.com/t/4188/medicinal-herbs/Dandelions http://www.permies.com/t/4246/wild-harvesting/eating-dandelion-blossoms The plants forum: http://www.permies.com/forums/f-70/plants music by Jimmy Pardo http://permies.com/t/6301#62570
Comments
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Love dandelions in the garden, attracts the bees!
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HaHa der Herr Sepp Holzer ist auch dort da brauch ich e keine Untertitel.
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all edible plants the younger the less bitter or the more sweeter
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Growing up, everyone told me they were poisonous. I'm so glad we seem to be moving beyond the artificial fad of the 20th century.
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the flowers are high in lecithin too! yum yum for the whole plant!
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Who knew?! Everyone but me, apparently... another informative video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge y'all!
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I will eat some this summer for the 1st time... :)
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Thank you for this wonderful video! We too LOVE Dandelions and promote their growth in our organic garden. We enjoy using the whole plant (except stems) to make wine, jelly, syrup, tea, and raw/frozen greens all year! they are the most useful and abundant part of our garden that the honey bees love...and all for FREE, what a gift! :)
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But more importantly... If you blow all the seeds off in one breath you can make a wish!
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Nature does not see "the" problem of compacted soils. Rubbish. I wish people wouldn't say such silly nonsense. Dandelions will grow anywhere their seeds land.
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My yard back in Chicago used to be literally covered in dandelions, years ago. The roots were 6 inches or longer and the leaves were full and healthy. That is until my father paid some guy to spray chemicals all over the garden to get rid of them. :|
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Yeah, never eat the stems. They have a natural liquid rubber that doesn't sit well in your stomach. You can, however, use it for skin abrasions and warts and other things.
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3:58 did Skeeter quote Wolf Storl ? Wolf is a great guy, I have afew of his books. The mans knowledge of herbalism goes beyond what any college course would teach you.
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That little boy blowing that Dandy was so cute! What a doll!
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I make dandelion wine with white raisins. Everyone who has tried it loves it.
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I love learning more about plants, I've learned the importance of some plants that we have always thought of as a nuisance. I now desire and look for some of those plants I use to cuss and pull up and destroy them. Amazing the things we don't know sometimes, or was taught incorrectly at first. Thnx for sharing so more us can learn the wonders of nature.
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Just recently found your channel...I am LOVING your videos.
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The flavor will depend on where it grows and how fast. It is not a matter of the size or shape of the leaf but more about how long the leaf has been alive. In stressful, low water areas the bigger the more bitter.
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This is great. Thank you
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Awesome - I recently got my hands on a French cultivar from Richters in Ontario Canada. Selected for its tenderness and size. Still contains all the good stuff though.
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