Pigweed

skysthelimit · Jul 30, 2012

Ok, so the list says its safe. Everywhere I put compost this year, compost that was filled with hay, is covered with pig weed, I'm pretty sure that's what it is. Has anyone actually fed it? I'm reading mixed reviews.

love this link by the way, with pictures and descriptions.

http://harnett.ces.ncsu.edu/files/libra ... -20-09.pdf

ladysown · Jul 30, 2012

Pigweed my personal experience ONLY.

rabbits WILL NOT eat it when it is a mature plant.
they will devour it when it is a young plant.

It receives mixed reviews when it is an inbetween plant.

To tell the difference
a young plant has no seed heads AT ALL. NONE.
A inbetween plant will have some seed heads, you are best trying to feed this if you remove the leaves from the plant.. just the small ones, ignore the big ones.
a mature plant will have seed heads.

NOW.. something to keep in mind
it will keep sprouting off.
so if you have a mature plant..cut it off. Harvest the young small plant leaves that will start up, feed those. Cut it off. Eventually you will reach the point of no return...depends mostly on the fortitude of the individual plant.

Now... my rabbits are used to getting a variety of greens.

My rabbits which will NOT eat spinach, swiss chard or beets will NOT pigweed at any stage of development. They simply won't. 99% of these rabbits are ones that have been bought into my herd and had to be taught that greens and hay are good things to enjoy. (these rabbits currently number 3 in my herd) --- though I did catch one buck nibbling on a very small pig weed today....

The rest of the herd, which will eat the fore-a-mentioned plants will treat them in the same regard they do pigweed. young plants yes, older plants no.

This is, may I repeat, my personal experience with this particular plant/weed.

Mac_ · Jul 30, 2012

I've fed young pigweed to my rabbits and poultry. I've eaten it in salads and stir fried. It's in the amaranth family. In my notes I have "Limit amounts."

Secuono · Jul 30, 2012

I think I have that ugly plant...it has thorns in mature plants, doesn't it? The pics are very mixed when you Google it. But generally look the same...

__________ Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:45 pm __________

Yup, same plant...

http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/poiso ... ppigwe.htm

Do NOT pull this plant by hand, use pliers at the base or thick gloves. Ugh...gotten stabbed by this dumb thing so many times before I realized it was all the same plant!

ladysown · Jul 31, 2012

thorns???? I've never had thorns in my pigweed. Can be a tough plant to pull up by the roots sometimes (when it's a big mature plant) but i've never had thorns.

MaggieJ · Jul 31, 2012

My experiences with feeding redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus) are similar to what Ladysown has already posted.

There is a spiny pigweed (Amaranthus spinosus) that has spines. I have no personal experience of it.
http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/amasp.htm

skysthelimit · Jul 31, 2012

Ok. All of these are young shoots, just sprouting out of the hay/manure I poured onto the garden this spring. They just started sprouting up with the last two rains we've had this week, they are about 6 inches tall. I will feed a bunch and kill the others, instead of letting them grow. interestingly, they grow in the gardens but not in the compost pile.