Mind you, there was a time when it was commonly grown in these islands under the name "piss-a-bed" both as a vegetable and as a diuretic.

It's still popular in France and Italy but not so often seen over here.

I think it's well worth reviving to extend the choice available for winter salads.

Seeds are offered in several catalogues.

This year I grew a variety called Pissenlit a Coeur Plein, from Suffolk Herbs (www.suffolkherbs.com, phone 01376 572456).

These cultivated types have fatter roots than the wild weed, and far bigger leaves with much of the bitterness bred out of them.

Dandelion can be sown at any time in the spring though April seems to be the best month.

You could sow them directly into the soil, but if at all possible start them in trays or modules in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse.

This allows you to be precise in your spacing when planting them out, which makes it easier to distinguish them from weeds - including, inevitably if not ironically, the seedlings of wild dandelions.

I grow my seedlings on in individual pots until May or June and then put them out nine inches apart.

They do best in really good soil, deep, rich and moisture-retentive.

The ground shouldn't be freshly manured though as that might make the roots fork which would be a nuisance when you come to lift them.

A bed that was well manured for a different crop the previous year is ideal.

Keep them watered and weeded and remove any flower heads.

After frost has killed the leaves in October or November, dig up the plants and leave them lying outside for a week or so to retard their growth.

In December, plant the roots in 10 or 12 inch pots of moist compost or soil just as you would chicory roots and put them under cover.

They don't need much warmth - a shed or garage will do fine.

The crucial thing is to exclude all light using upturned pots or black bin bags.

This "blanching" produces pale leaves, with a fresh taste but no unpleasant bitterness.

A French friend insists that all this is unnecessary - in his home village the roots are simply wrapped in damp newspaper and put in a dark cupboard.

They're so desperate to grow, he says, that within days there are leaves ready for cutting.

I've heard of gardeners sowing the seeds in autumn directly into a patch of fine soil in the garden.

Worth a go, I'm sure, but I'd keep back half the seed packet until spring in case it doesn't work.

Dandelion is also said to grow well from pieces of root potted up at harvest time - a reminder that you should be careful to remove every scrap of root when lifting to prevent your cultivated dandelions themselves spreading like vulgar weeds.

Follow Mat's gardening tips on Twitter, @StarGardening

MAT'S HARVEST: OCTOBER

Currently harvesting: Potatoes, cabbage, nasturtium leaves, seeds and flowers, chard, kale, radishes, mooli, bulb fennel, grapes, marrows, summer squash, hazelnuts, beetroot, autumn raspberries, runner beans, French beans.

In tubs: Rocket, mixed leaf salads, garlic chives, parsley, potatoes, pea shoots, basil.

In greenhouse: Tomatoes, peppers.

In store: Onions, shallots, garlic, elephant garlic, apples, pears.