They’re baaaack. Here in Ontario, since the province banned the use of cosmetic pesticides six years ago, dandelions have taken over. Public green spaces are a sea of yellow.

Since pesticides
are harmful to wildlife as well as humans, I’m happy it’s been outlawed here. I
sometimes use a hand weeder on my lawn, but usually we just mow the offenders
down. It’s useless to try eradicating the dandelions. The plants look ugly once
they go to seed, but are they really so bad?
Did you
know that dandelions are actually good for your lawn? Their wide-spreading
roots loosen hard-packed soil, aerate the earth and help reduce erosion. The taproot
brings up nutrients such as calcium from deep in the soil, benefiting shallower-rooting
plants. Dandelions attract pollinating insects
and release ethylene gas, which helps fruit to ripen.

Dandelions
were also prized for their medicinal properties. They were known to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and have
been used in traditional Chinese
medicine for over a thousand years. Dandelion tonics have been used to treat infections, bile and liver
problems, and as a diuretic. To
this day, they are used as a herbal remedy the world over.
Well, if
we can’t beat them, we might as well appreciate the benefits dandelions have to
offer.
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Well, Susan, you can try telling my husband they're a good plant. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI love this post, Susan. In the northeastern US there is a beautiful goldfinch that relies on dandelions.
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