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DISCOVER DANDELION AGE BY COUNTING ROOT GROWTH RINGS
I am pretty good at some aspects of gardening but controlling dandelions isn't one of them. Let's just say that dandelions are having their way with me this year.
I suspect I am not alone in my failure to eliminate dandelions since the common yellow-flowered weed is found virtually everywhere in the world. Researchers at Ohio State University explain that the genetic makeup of dandelion makes it suitable for a variety of habitats and the plant is able to further modify its expression of growth, development and appearance to fit its circumstances.
Dandelion plants growing in the open, for example, will adopt a wide-leaf, spreading growth habit, while those within a crop canopy will adopt a more narrow-leaf, upward growth habit to better compete with other plants.
There are numerous reasons dandelions are tough to control. For starters, dandelions have deep taproots and extensive root branching off the taproot. The root crown (at base of plant) can divide to form numerous branches, and if cut off below the crown, the plant can produce several new shoots and a cluster of new plants.
Root pieces can regenerate into new dandelion shoots and roots. At the end of the growing season, the root shortens and draws the crown into the soil to protect it from adverse conditions. Dandelion has allelopathic properties - secretion of chemicals by the roots can reduce the germination and growth of other plant species.
I was surprised to learn that the age of a dandelion plant can be determined by counting the annual growth rings in the root.
Seedling dandelion plants usually produce only leaves in their first season of growth and bloom in the spring of their second year. Dandelion can flower throughout the year. Most plants will flower in April or May, and again in the fall.
For a single plant, the time from first day of blooming until ripe seeds are released averages 9 to 12 days. Flowers can close in high temperatures or other adverse conditions and re-open when favorable conditions occur.
Dandelions are apomictic - they produce seeds without fertilization of flowers. The seeds are 80 to 90% viable when produced so they do not need cold weather or other conditions that cause seeds of other weeds to lose dormancy and germinate. Each flower produces hundreds of seeds, and seeds can move with wind a third of a mile or more. The seeds produced and disseminated in spring typically germinate later that same spring, while seeds produced in the fall germinate the following spring. Dandelion seedlings can emerge all year, but major flushes of emergence occur in May and September.
The best defense against dandelions, and all other lawn weeds, is a healthy, vigorous lawn. Weakened lawns and bare areas in the lawn are the most common reasons for growth of weeds. Bumper crops of dandelions in a lawn may be caused by grass species or varieties that aren't adapted to the site; damage to turf caused by animals, disease, insects or people; environmental stresses such as drought, shade, heat, cold and poor drainage; misuse of fertilizers and pesticides; improper mowing height and/or frequency; and overuse of lawn resulting in severely compacted and poorly aerated soils
If digging out your dandelions by hand is too daunting a task and your only alternative is chemical control, dandelions be controlled with 2,4-D. The best times to apply are late April-early June or mid September-early October. Both spring and fall applications may be necessary to control well-established dandelions. Apply when soil is moist, temperature is 60-80ƒ F, there is no wind, and weeds are growing vigorously.
Despite all the effort most gardeners put into preventing and controlling dandelions, the plant does have some virtues. The leaves are often eaten in green salads and the honeybee depends on dandelion pollen to make honey, especially in the barren early spring period between fruit-tree blossoms and the emergence of other flower blossoms favored by bees.
And, of course, there's dandelion wine. I've never tasted dandelion wine but one account says dandelion wine tastes like "a slightly flat sherry, with a deserved reputation as an excellent tonic, extremely good for the blood."
To make your own batch of dandelion wine, pour a gallon of boiling water over a gallon of flowers. Stir well, then cover with a blanket and let container stand for three days. Stir some more, then strain the liquid, boil for 30 minutes, add 3-1/2 pounds sugar, a little sliced ginger, rind of orange, one sliced lemon. Chill the wine, float a piece of toast covered with yeast (to stimulate fermentation), cover and let stand two more days. Then place wine in cask for two months before bottling.
I won't be trying this recipe. I prefer merlot.
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
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