Missing Dandelions...

Has anyone else noticed the lack of dandelions this summer? I have only found 2 so far and one of those was in the yard of a garden center.

Reply to
Ismybedtime
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My yard was so full of them this spring that I finally got around to making Dandelion wine for the first time in 25-30 yrs. 1 gallon of blossoms in a 20x30 side yard.

It does seem like they were early and have stopped blossoming- but we [upstate NY] had an incredibly warm May, followed by the wettest June on record- followed by [so far] a very wet July.

Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

" snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com:

I'm not lacking any here in Nebraska. Or spurge, yellow nutsedge, or squirrels...

Reply to
Richard

Mine had gotten so bad over the last few years in the midwest that my son finally sprayed for me. No, I don't see too many because the neighbors treat their lawns regularly. It was horrid this year. I tried digging them up with a knife and after a few buckets of those, enough was enough.

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Reply to
I Love Lucy

Wow, I'm really surprised you have so many elsewhere. Anyone else from Michigan notice them missing?

Reply to
Ismybedtime

ahhhhhhhhhhh, my grandpap used to make the occasional dandelion wine....haven't tasted that in over 40 years...................does it have that bitter taste I recall? and how did you make yours? madgardener up on the ridge, back in Fairy Holler, overlooking English Mountain in Eastern Tennessee where I let the dandelion's be, the bee's adore them.........

Reply to
madgardener

-snip-

-snip-

No bitterness. This recipe s pretty sweet, actually. It improves with age- and isn't *really* fit to drink for 4 months, so I've got a ways to go--- but I've sipped this while working with it and it has promise. I think it was the same recipe I used way back when and that was best after a year.

It has so much fruit in it I'm tempted to try another batch without the dandelions and see if they really contribute anything.

Recipe- Pour 6 qts boiling water over one gallon of open dandelion blossoms.

Cover the with cheesecloth and let it sit at room temperature for three days. Squeeze juice out of the flowers. Throw blossoms away and save the liquid.

Put the liquid into a big pot and add:

3 lbs. sugar [6 cups] 4 sliced lemons. [including skin and seeds 4 sliced oranges

Boil mixture for 30 minutes with top on pot, cool to lukewarm, pour into crock and add 2 packages yeast.

Cover with cheesecloth and let sit for two or three weeks [wait until bubbling stops- lots of variables]

Filter through cheesecloth & bottle with loose tops. Rack off into fresh bottles and seal after 4 months or when it clears.

Jim [the Dandelion got me bit with the wine bug- so I did a couple gallons of Red Currant, too. That one takes 2 yrs until I drink it- but it is sure pretty now.]

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

THANKS!!!! maddie

Reply to
madgardener

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