Picking dandeline greens

[garden granny]

Does anyone ever pick their dandeline greens? I picked some yesterday out in a field and used them in a green smoothie. Free greens!:)

[KatK]

Yes, I pick them out of my yard. Nothing growning yet here, though.

[Veganforlife]

This is so cool, because I've been eye-balling my greens in my yard! YAY!!!!

[Carol K]

Do we have to be concerned about lawn care products affecting the plants? My absolutely wonderful holistic vet said that even dogs are affected because the NEIGHBORS use weed killer, and it travels to other yards.

[Veganforlife]

Oh yeah! Very good point. I live miles from others and I KNOW I don't use any chemicals. So yes. BE VERY CAUTIOUS!!!

[garden granny]

Of course pick them where you know it's safe. Where no weed killers etc have been sprayed nearby. If you have a next door neighbor who sprays their lawn etc. I would probably not pick anything close to that area. But if its in an area like your yard and there's nothing close by - it should be safe, just like it was your own backyard garden your eating from.

[RowanC]

The flowers are also good if you do this:

pick the flower then grab it at the back, where the green is.

Squeeze and TWIST and the yellow petals will come loose.

Use those in your salads to make them pretty and they are also very sweet.

Eat no more than 5 raw dandelion flowers per day.

There are also a lot of OTHER nice raw greens out there right now, including water leaf, dock, plantain, cattails, maple leafs and catkins, miner's lettuce, and stinging nettle.