Garden Update and the First Harvest of Springtime Nettle and Dandelion

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It’s that time of year again when seeds are sprouting, flowers are beginning to bloom, and I’m moving plants out to the greenhouse. I’ve been starting seeds on wet paper towels which I place in a quart-sized ziplock bag, blow air into it, and then seal it up. I check every day to see which have sprouted and then plant the sprouts in six-packs. I like using the extra large 6-pack seed starter trays to give each plant a better start before either transplanting them into larger pots or into the ground. Depending upon the plant, I may transition them to a 4″ pot, or if they’re tomatoes, I might transition them to 1-gallon pots before they go into the garden.

I transplanted some Outredgeous Romaine Lettuce into a 5-gallon fabric pot and took it out to the greenhouse this morning. I probably didn’t need a pot that big, but I put six plants in it so I wanted to be sure to give the roots enough room to grow. I purchased the seeds from Territorial Seed Company and I’ve been growing them for several years now. I checked on the broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage I planted in 3-gallon fabric pots and they’re doing really well in the greenhouse. I’ve successfully grown broccoli in fabric pots (one plant per pot) in the past, so I thought I’d try growing cauliflower and cabbage as well. This way, I free up garden space for other veggie plants. In a few weeks, I’ll move the broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage outside to finish growing.

While out at the greenhouse I noticed that my nettle was ready for its first harvest of the season. Nettle doesn’t grow on my property, so ten years ago, I purchased nettle seeds which I planted in two large pots and in one small bed at the entrance to the main garden area. Nettle grows better in the ground than it does in pots, but since I don’t want it coming up wherever it wants, growing it in pots controls it better as does keeping it cut back in the the small bed. It will self-seed, so I always cut it back before it does.

Nettle is one of my go-to plants for medicinal tea and tincture. Along with dandelion leaf, stinging nettle is considered to be a diuretic, and it helps cleanse the body, relieve inflammation, soothe skin disorders such as eczema and is full of vitamins and minerals. Nettle can be stir-fried and eaten, but I use it when I make medicinal teas and tinctures. I use gloves when gathering nettle because of its stinging hairs, but of course, I forgot them as well as my garden scissors, so I had to make do with grass shears which I also used to place the cut nettle into another pot to bring into the house. However, because nettle can sting through gloves, I typically have a set of tongs in my garden bucket to pick up the nettle I harvest.

I also gathered some decent-sized dandelion leaves. I gathered dandelion roots a week ago when I was cleaning out a flower bed. Both are medicinal, with the root an excellent option along with yellow dock root to cleanse and tone the liver.

Gardening on the High Desert at 3000 feet above sea level is not for the faint of heart. However, I recently noticed that the gardening gods have now placed us in Zone 6, up from Zone 5, which is a blessing. It means I can move plants outside a little sooner. However, I’ll still refrain from planting green beans and squash until at least the 5th of June. Otherwise, a lingering frost could kill newly emerging plants and transplants.

Happy Gardening!

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Disclaimer

The information above is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose any condition or prescribe any treatment. Please consult your medical/herbal professional for further advice regarding the use of herbs, particularly if you’re taking prescribed medications to avoid any unnecessary harmful interactions. Please seek treatment from a medical professional should symptoms occur that do not quickly resolve on their own. If you’re pregnant, please consult your medical/herbal professional before using dandelion, and nettle.