This Common Weed Will Keep You Well

It’s no secret that herbs like lavender, chamomile, and lemon balm are a staple in the homestead medicine cabinet. But did you know that dandelion, a plant we commonly think of as a weed, also has powerful medical properties? That’s right: this yellow-hued pest plant has medicinal value. Best of all, it grows in many areas and needs little (if any) care.

Not sure how to use dandelion for common ailments? Don’t worry! Here are a few ways you can use dandelion as a medicinal herb.

Just eat it

Taken orally, dandelion is packed with nutrients that support a healthy body. Unlike many herbs, you can eat every part of the dandelion. Its flowers, stems, leaves, and roots are all edible. In fact, chefs often use dandelion in high-end salads. If you’re looking to spice up home dinners, toss a few fresh dandelion leaves in the mix for a bite of flavor. Roast the roots to make a powder or dry the leaves to make tea.

Aid digestion

Dandelion is a famous diuretic. Instead of reaching for a bottle of laxatives, make a soothing tea with dandelion leaves or eat crushed dandelion root. You can even buy pre-made crushed and roasted dandelion root, which many people drink as a coffee substitute (they swear it tastes just like the real thing!).

Healthy skin

Whether your kids struggle with teen acne or you’re battling dreaded adult acne, it’s no fun. Dandelion has a high magnesium and zinc content that is said to support healthy skin from within. Use dandelion as a tea or topical poultice to help clear your skin.

Boost lactation

If you need a leg up on milk production, women have been using dandelion for centuries to boost their milk supply. Enjoy it as a tea or eaten raw in a salad. Remember to consult with your doctor before using any herbal remedies while breastfeeding!

The bottom line

Rethink weeding dandelions from your homestead this year. This amazing plant has a host of benefits that keep you happy and well. Let’s chat in the comments! Have you ever used dandelion as a remedy?

About Kenzi Wood

Kenzi is a marketer and writer in San Antonio. When she isn’t glued to her computer, you can find her cooking up a batch of yogurt or tending to her raised bed planters.

A Basic Guide to Organic Pest Control

It’s winter, so you’re planning out your spring garden. And this time you want to go organic. You know you’ll have to learn to live with the odd nibbled leaf, but there are certain times when the ‘taxes’ taken by the wildlife that shares your garden are just too high. Just know that you don’t have to resort to expensive, polluting and unhealthy pesticides and pellets in order to get your pest problems under control. With a little effort and imagination, you can garden organically and still get a great yield. Here are a few of the tricks of the trade:

Netting and Shielding:

One of the easiest measures you can take against larger pests is simply to net or shield your crops. You may wish to net brassicas against butterflies and birds and fruit against birds and small mammals like rabbits, hares, mice or shrews. You can also, for example, use finer mesh nets to protect carrots from carrot flies if they are a problem where you live. Fine mesh can be sued to protect plants wherever one particular crop might be particularly badly affected by pests.

Companion Planting:

When planning an organic garden, it is best to avoid large areas of one plant, which are more susceptible to disease and pests. Instead, you should plant your flowers, vegetables, fruits and herbs in groups of compatible plants that might even help one another. Companion planting is an inexact science but many gardeners do see the benefits of planting some plants alongside others. Some aid with nutrient collection, others repel pests or distract them away from more valuable specimens while still others help in other, less well documented and less studied ways.

Crop Rotation:

When planning a vegetable garden you should consider crop rotation in your plans because if you decide to grow some crops in the same locations year after year, they can be far more likely to succumb to pests and diseases. Crop rotation can not only reduce pest problems, it can also help you to maintain the fertility and usefulness of your soil.

Tricks and Traps:

Organic gardeners have a number of tricks and traps up their sleeves to deal with slugs, snails and other garden pests. Beer traps and other enticements can allow you to get rid of an over-abundance of slugs and snails but really, it is better to try to maintain a healthy ecosystem in your back yard so no one element gets out of proportion in the first place.

Nematode and Predator Controls:

Slugs and snails are a common problem for many gardeners around the world. If you have a serious problem then introducing nematodes into your garden could be a good if expensive option. But rather than resorting to such measures, the first step should simply be to encourage a number of natural predators into your yard. There are some birds that will eat slugs and snails (if you keep chickens or ducks these will pick off quite a few for you) and aquatic life like frogs will also give you a helping hand with pests. Got a problem with aphids? All you have to do is attract a range of predatory insects like ladybugs and other things that will make a meal of the little flies. Good planting schemes will go a long way towards helping you with that.