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If I strim my dandelions, will the dead heads still mutate into viable seeds?

If they haven't formed seeds by the time you strim them, they certainly won't afterwards. Has someone been spinning you tall tales?

Mike

MKG, are you absolutely certain about that. Often a dandelion flower will still form the fluffy ball of seeds even if the flower has been cut. Whether these seeds are viable or not, probably not but I don't actually know for certain.

I agree with graham. Last year I half-filled the brown recyling bin (with a closed lid) with yellow dandelions, next time I opened it they all seemed to have become the fluffy seed heads. Presumably I'd dug them up after they'd been pollinated but before the seeds had set.

Well, I've done a bit more research, which I should have done before opening big gob.

All the dandelions I pick for winemaking, even if I forget about them, never develop seed heads. However, I pick them almost as soon as they appear. Apparently, if they're left (for far longer than they should be!!! ) and enter the seed cycle, it takes only 24 hours for a flower head to turn into a seed head. If you happen to strim during that period then, yes, the flowers can go to seed overnight.

Orangey - if you dig up the whole plant, roots and all, it will contain enough energy to keep going for quite some time before giving up the ghost.

So, I amend what I said - yes, they can go to seed, but only if you've been lazy and not got the buggers out before . And the timing's critical - if the plant hasn't entered the seed cycle when you strim, then it won't happen.

Mike

But if you pick up the flower heads and make wine with them then they won't!!!! It's my favourite wine.

so strimming the buggers and leaving them on the ground looks like a bad idea if the yellow heads turn fluffy and seedy.

no wonder they survive so well and infest everywhere

as I've said on other posts I've justr got my plot...went up this morning and took all the heads of the dandelions and I could swear I got them all...went back this afternoon and there was about 20 of the things!!!!!....

You forgot to deadhead the "buds" that had yet to turn into flowers