Taraxacum officinale
Dandelion
Photo: Walther Otto Müller · Public Domain · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Dandelion is more than just weed: the young leaves provide a mildly bitter wild salad, the bright yellow flowers can be processed into syrup, and the root is a traditional bitter herb. As a deep‑rooted plant it loosens the soil and brings nutrients from depth to the surface. In a natural garden it also serves as an important early‑season forage for bees.
Care instructions
Sow cultivars from April in a sunny to partially shaded spot; dandelion is low‑maintenance and tolerates almost any soil. Harvest the young leaves in spring before flowering when they are at their mildest. If you grow the plant in a pot, the leaves become more tender and less bitter.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, sandy, clayey, humus-rich, nutrient-rich
Feeding
Light feeder
Companion planting
Good neighbors
carrot family (Apiaceae)
Calendula and Tagetes next to carrots keep the carrot fly away with their scent.
For example Carrotcelery rootDillParsleyCarrot fennelCoriander and 19 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
Rather not
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Sunflowers release substances into the soil that inhibit potato tuber growth, and they also compete for water and nutrients.
For example PotatoTomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberry and 9 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop-rotation rule
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
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From the magazine
Clover and dandelion in the lawn: pushing them back without chemicals
Clover shows a nitrogen shortage, dandelion shows gaps and compaction. How feeding, cutting height, a weeding tool and overseeding put the grasses back in front, with no chemicals involved.
Wild Herb Cooking in Spring: Nine Edible Herbs on Your Doorstep
Dandelion, nettle, wild garlic and six more wild herbs grow right outside your door in spring. Here is how to harvest them young and mild, tell the toxic look-alikes apart, and know where not to gather.