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Forum DIET & CARE Advice on growing fresh greens

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    • Kyrkogrimr
      Participant
      120 posts Send Private Message

        We don’t have access to a garden we feel comfortable letting the bunnies loose in (don’t know if chemicals are used, for example) so I’m planning to get a planter and grow a mix of grasses, herbs, flowers etc that are safe for the bunnies to eat, but I’m finding conflicting information on what’s safe for them. I have some basil and corriander(cilantro, I think?) because I know they eat those, and I can get dandelion seeds, plantain seeds and Timothy grass seeds from the Hay Experts, but I’m not sure what else is safe? I’ve read that marigolds are safe (not the french variety), but on the other hand they’re toxic. Clover could be an option, but I don’t know which varieties are safe? What are you guys growing/have you grown for your bunnies?


      • tobyluv
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          Besides cilantro, I grow parsley, kale, mint, lemon balm, basil, Italian dandelions, leaf lettuce or romaine lettuce, dill and carrot tops for my bunnies. I do get tiny carrots from the plants, but I really only want them for the prized tops – I can buy carrots at any store.

          Here is one link to good rabbit veggies/greens: http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/. If you can get seeds or plants for any of these, they would be good for your bunnies.


        • Bam
          Moderator
          16838 posts Send Private Message

            This year I’m growing kale, black kale, runner beans, various types of lettuce, mint, cilantro, ruccola and strawberries for my buns. They prefer the leaves over the berries, so the humans get the berries. Daisies are safe, nasturtium is safe, clover should only be given in very small quantities.

            I’ve never tried feeding the boys runner bean leaves before, don’t know if I’ll dare let them try. They’re practical though since they grow vertically and they’re very pretty.


          • JanisHolliday
            Participant
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              Thankyou so much for those ideas! I too have a little, cute, white bunny and these diet ideas will help me a lot.


            • NoMane
              24 posts Send Private Message

                I very easily grow wheat grass on the window sill if you’re looking for something that is easy to care for and takes up very little space.


              • Azerane
                Moderator
                4688 posts Send Private Message

                  The marigolds that are safe MUST be of the Calendula genus. They will usually be called Calendula instead of Marigold. They usually have a broader flat leave rather than a finer leaf with lots of points.

                  I grow a number of herbs, but outside, I never had any luck with indoor growing. You could also try wheat grass as well. You should be able to get bags of wheat from almost any fodder store and germinate that. I think it’s about 10-14 days of germination then you can feed the grass roots and all.


                • Kyrkogrimr
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                  120 posts Send Private Message

                    Thanks for all your suggestions, I’m sure the bunnies will appreciate it


                  • Yasmin&Quozl
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                      My partner lives on an organic farm, so my bunny Quozl gets spoilt rotten with organic greens!

                      She loves mizuna which is very quick to grow too, but feed sparingly and although the sugar and fat content is low it does exist as it’s part of the mustard family. Also oriental greens like bok choi (they grow well in colder winter months too) and rocket. We also feed her the green tops of carrots, especially the thinnings at this time of year, because the leaves have more fibre and minimal sugar compared to the roots, but still that carroty taste bunnies love – then you get to eat all the roots! Peas are also good, especially mange tout varieties and their root matrix is very small so can be grown in small containers indoors. Nasturtium plants are excellent as they can be kept small, have small root systems, and will come back year after year plus bunny can eat the entire plant, stems leaves and flowers – and you can add it to your meals for a spicy peppery taste! Watercress is also a good one and very easy to grow. Also try basil and parsley, and claytonia is another easy and small one. You can grow comfry (keep under control indoors, you should pick it lots when its young and probably pull it out at the end of the year and either transplant outside or start from a new plant next year and comfry likes to grow a deep root and be perennial… Mint is also easy to grow and will survive happily indoors or out, peppermint and applemint are good varieties for bunnies though peppermint is easier to grow indoors. If you do have an ourdoor growing space try growing broccoli in a pot, bunny will love the stems and leaves as well as the florets as a treat, and also fennel is excellent for fiber and has one big strong root that needs to be able to grow at least a foot into the ground and our variety is outdoors only… there may be smaller indoor varieties, it’s not a crop we repeatedly grow – we just have one massive very old plant – so I don’t know about other varieties.

                      I would recommend perennials (broccoli, mint, fennel, comfry) or self-seeders (nasturtium, claytonia) to save you some hassle next year, and use organic seed and compost if you can afford to, it makes a huge difference to nutrients and taste for bunny. If you are growing from seed please consider a propagator for germination, because even indoor house temperatures are sometimes not enough to stimulate a seed into life and you can get them fairly cheep these days… Or you could probably DIY yourself one if you’re on a tight budget – you want to create a sealed plastic environment for your seeds with a removable lid and/or vents so you can control the humidity. Growing from seed can be a bit fiddly and unless done right you can end up with lots of dead seeds! If you don’t have the time to research, nurture, propegate, and transplant you may want to look in to local plant nurseries or vegetable farms and inquire about buying “plantlets” which are young plants that have finished that whole fiddly process and have been transplanted into their bigger pots and are ready to be put in your grow space and thrive.

                      Can we private message each other on here? I only joined yesterday so I don’t know how this works! But if that’s possible, you are welcome to PM me with any growing questions – I have 3yrs organic veg farming experience and my partner has 25 years experience, so hopefully we can answer most questions

                      Good luck! Yasmin x

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                  Forum DIET & CARE Advice on growing fresh greens