Grow dandelion in full sun or light shade, and keep the soil evenly moist so the leaves stay mild. It is also called lion's-tooth. The genus is Taraxacum.
Full sun or light shade, even moisture, and soil that drains
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun, or light shade if you want milder leaves | Do not expect mild salad leaves from a dry, hot strip |
| Water | Keep the soil evenly moist while you grow it for greens; an established taproot takes dry weeks | Do not let the bed dry out if you want mild leaves |
| Soil | Rich loam that stays moist but still drains | Do not grow salad greens in compacted, dry crack |
| Winter | It is frost-hardy; the crown returns in spring | Do not treat a freeze as the end of the plant |
Dandelion will live in poor ground, but rich, moist soil makes larger, milder leaves. Heat plus dry soil is what turns the greens bitter, not a missing fertilizer. [1] Give it open sun, or a little shade if you want a softer salad leaf. [2] dandelion is Taraxacum officinale, a basal rosette with a deep taproot. A young plant wilts fast in drought. Once the taproot is down, it takes dry weeks, so keep the bed moist for food and ease off only after it is established. [3] Sow seed on How to Grow Dandelion from Seed. Pick the greens on Harvesting Dandelion.
How much sun does dandelion need?
Full sun is fine. Light shade keeps the leaves milder if you are growing it to eat.
- Site it in full sun, or in light shade if you want milder greens.
- Water so the soil stays evenly moist while the plant is young and while you are cutting leaves.
- Use loose, rich ground that drains after rain, not a baked crack in the walk.
- Let the crown sit through frost. It comes back from the taproot in spring.
How often do I water dandelion?
Keep the soil evenly moist while you grow it for greens. An established taproot takes dry weeks, but dry heat makes the leaves bitter.
Start in a deep pot if you begin indoors
A seedling can start in a pot, then go out once nights are safe. Use a deep pot with a drainage hole so the taproot can run straight. Open ground is still the home for a full plant.
- Fill a deep pot with potting mix, not garden soil packed into a closed bowl.
- Set one seedling, and keep the mix moist but not soggy.
- Give it bright outdoor light, not a dim indoor corner as the plan for a crop.
- Plant it out once the taproot fills the pot, without folding the root.
Can I grow dandelion in a pot?
Yes, to start it. Use a deep pot with a hole, and plant it out before the taproot circles. Open ground is better for a full plant.
Pick the flower heads before they go to seed
Yellow heads are useful, but a ripe seed head blows into every bed you did not plant. Pick the heads while they are still flowers if you want the energy in the leaves and root, and if you do not want a second crop of volunteers.
- Walk the row every few days once buds show.
- Pinch or snip each yellow head before it turns into a white seed globe.
- Compost the heads. Do not leave ripe seed globes on the plant.
- Stop there. You are not shearing a shrub.
Should I cut the flowers off?
Yes, if you are growing it as a green. Pick the heads before they go to seed so the leaves stay the crop and the seed does not blow.
Not Italian dandelion — and not catsear
Italian dandelion on a seed packet is usually chicory, Cichorium intybus, not this yellow-headed taproot. Grow that blue-flowered plant on How to Grow Chicory. [4] A true dandelion has one yellow head on a hollow, leafless, unbranched stem, and milky sap. Catsear has coarse yellowish hairs on the leaves and a branched stem with several heads. Sowthistle has waxy blue-green leaves with earlike flaps at the base. If the stem branches, or the leaf feels rough, it is not this plant.
Is Italian dandelion the same plant?
No. Italian dandelion on a packet is chicory. This plant is the yellow-headed lawn and garden dandelion.
Keep the soil evenly moist, pick the flower heads before they go to seed, and do not buy Italian dandelion for this plant.
FAQ
Are French thick-leaf dandelions a different plant?
No. Thick-leaf seed is still this species, selected for broader leaves. Give it the same sun and moisture. Italian dandelion on a packet is chicory, which is a different plant.
Can the milky sap irritate skin?
Yes. The sap can irritate skin. Wear gloves if it bothers you, and wash after you handle the stems.
Is this how to kill dandelions in a lawn?
No. This is how to grow it as a green. Do not eat leaves from a sprayed lawn.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension -
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/dandelion-taraxacum-officinale/ - [2] NC State Extension -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/taraxacum-officinale/ - [3] Cornell University CALS Weed Science -
https://cals.cornell.edu/weed-science/weed-profiles/dandelion - [4] University of Missouri IPM -
https://ipm.missouri.edu/meg/2019/4/dandelions/
This note is part of Taraxacum Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors