Rabbit gardening

[AnnClaire]

I offer a bit of everything that is growing except for flower parts as the wild cottontails around here leave them alone, too.

One thing that I have found my bunnies relish is tree branches! Especially now that they are budding out ... any native hardwood or fruit wood tree branch are good to go for them. They will snip all the buds off, then peel the tender bark, then throw the stick around in their cage ;D

And pinecones ... the ones with the seeds still in are an especial treat ... the same pine cones that people eat the pine nuts out of. Then, they will shred and play with the pine cone itself! And, if you really want to give them a good time, tie the cone with a piece of string so it is suspended above the floor of the cage ... be sure to have the camcorder set up first so you can get the antics!

 

[MaggieJ]

It is better not to feed the twigs and leaves of drupes - single stoned fruit trees such as cherry, plum, peach, nectarine etc. Some of these contain substances that are useful medicinally for humans but may not be so good for the rabbits.

Apple, pear, sycamore, sugar and silver maple, hackberry, mulberry, rose, willow, poplar, birch and elm are all good.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

A rabbit garden: One row of Checkered Giants, Two rows of French Lops. half a row of Flemish, 8 rows of American Chinchillas, A whole bed of Holland Lops,......

 

[MaggieJ]

LOL, Terry! And I suppose the mutt rabbits represent the WEEDS.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

A rabbit garden: One row of Checkered Giants, Two rows of French Lops. half a row of Flemish, 8 rows of American Chinchillas, A whole bed of Holland Lops,......

Now that's my kind of rabbit garden! My crop choices might be a little different though!

LOL, Terry! And I suppose the mutt rabbits represent the WEEDS.

Well, they are prolific and sometimes pop up accidentally in a mixed rabbitry!

 

[skysthelimit]

It is better not to feed the twigs and leaves of drupes - single stoned fruit trees such as cherry, plum, peach, nectarine etc. Some of these contain substances that are useful medicinally for humans but may not be so good for the rabbits.

Apple, pear, sycamore, sugar and silver maple, hackberry, mulberry, rose, willow, poplar, birch and elm are all good.

The only trees I have anywhere near me are plum and peach. Other than than those and the forsythia, there is not a single wooded plant on any land near me except the metro parks.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I give mine pieces of pine or fir 2" x 4"s to chew on when I don't have branches. They don't get the nutrition from the bark, but at least they have something to chew on!

 

[MaggieJ]

The only trees I have anywhere near me are plum and peach. Other than than those and the forsythia, there is not a single wooded plant on any land near me except the metro parks.

Plant a weeping willow, Sky... They grow very fast and provide a lot of forage for the rabbits... safe, high in protein, palatable to rabbits.

 

[skysthelimit]

The only trees I have anywhere near me are plum and peach. Other than than those and the forsythia, there is not a single wooded plant on any land near me except the metro parks.

Plant a weeping willow, Sky... They grow very fast and provide a lot of forage for the rabbits... safe, high in protein, palatable to rabbits.

One of my favorites. I'll see if I can spot a place where I can legally take a cutting, if not I'll order some when the catalogs arrive.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

Sky-- next time you drive though Mentor-- turn north on Heisley-- they are some nice willows on the Steris property, close to the road. I also have access to a lot of Japanese Willow ANd i think a neighbor of my brother has a nice weeping willow by her pond...

 

[skysthelimit]

The nest thing is collecting enough or growing enough to feed 20+ rabbits. There are no edge weeds, the dogs trample and pee on everything. I have a few outer landscaped plots, but I have to be careful, in the city, I could get fined for having a bunch of tall weeds on my lawn.

 

[AnnClaire]

Sky, the trick is to make them look like ornamental plantings :lol:

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I have a suggestion for all of you urban dwellers, and that is to see if there is a community garden in your area, and if there isn't one, maybe you could start one! Local schools would be thrilled if you spearheaded a project to start a garden for the kids to grow their own food. You could incorporate an herb and weed bed to attract beneficial insects and feed your bunnies!

 

[skysthelimit]

Sky, the trick is to make them look like ornamental plantings :lol:

I like that!!!!<br /><br />__________ Thu Mar 08, 2012 10:20 pm __________<br /><br />

I have a suggestion for all of you urban dwellers, and that is to see if there is a community garden in your area, and if there isn't one, maybe you could start one! Local schools would be thrilled if you spearheaded a project to start a garden for the kids to grow their own food. You could incorporate an herb and weed bed to attract beneficial insects and feed your bunnies!

I believe there is something that looks like it was dedicated as a community garden space several blocks from me. I remember a sign, but I don't remember ever seeing anything planted there. I'll pop around and see if that's a good place to collect some weeds from.


I'll pass on the school thing. I don't relish spending my summer gardening with kids. After 8+hrs, 145 days with 30 third graders, I like to keep my summers kid free.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

lets see-- A tall row of sunflowers, a row of ragweed, a row of alfalfa, a row of clover, a row of salad greens and dandelions, some nice plantain, looks like a planned ornamental garden to me-- all right up by the front door of the house! Stick plantains and dandelions amid the rose bushes, some tall soft grasses among the pepper plants (in pots, so they are 'bunched') COntainer gardening is nice-- one can move them to better growing areas- hide them wehn needed, let them be fallow, change contents easily...
And, don't forget hay bale planting... Frame in the bales, put sweet potatoes, mustard, (pretty yellow flowers) nasturtiums-- mounds of edible color and texture!

 

[skysthelimit]

lets see-- A tall row of sunflowers, a row of ragweed, a row of alfalfa, a row of clover, a row of salad greens and dandelions, some nice plantain, looks like a planned ornamental garden to me-- all right up by the front door of the house! Stick plantains and dandelions amid the rose bushes, some tall soft grasses among the pepper plants (in pots, so they are 'bunched') COntainer gardening is nice-- one can move them to better growing areas- hide them wehn needed, let them be fallow, change contents easily...
And, don't forget hay bale planting... Frame in the bales, put sweet potatoes, mustard, (pretty yellow flowers) nasturtiums-- mounds of edible color and texture!

and i am thinking of building a compost bin to hide the rabbit poop I can't seem to give away.

the dandelions and ragweed will e the hardest to hide. i can see my sister in law calling it a favor, and pulling them up

There is a great sunflower in the Gurney catalog makes for a great privacy bush.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

If Maggie hurries and sends me the seeds, I will also find the Salad type dandelion seeds Hoodat sent me- and share with ya.-You'll just have to tell your sister HANDS OFF!!!

 

[MaggieJ]

MSD's "Sistah" is also getting seeds. Terry, would you confirm your new address via PM? You said something about a PO Box?

 

[skysthelimit]

If Maggie hurries and sends me the seeds, I will also find the Salad type dandelion seeds Hoodat sent me- and share with ya.-You'll just have to tell your sister HANDS OFF!!!

already bought the salad seeds, garden beans, cucumber (for the dogs) spinach for me, several types of lettuce, sweet basil, rosemary, parsley, sweet pepper. The main garden is just 5x10, but I've grown a lot on that poor soil before. I was going to start them in the grow lab at school, but I think I'll just plant them outside.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

MSD's "Sistah" is also getting seeds.

<Sniff!> What about MSD? I need weeds too!

Queenpup found another dandelion head gone to seed today, so now we have THREE! We are supposed to get snow again this coming weekend, so no planting for me yet. The Farmers Almanac says no gardening for me until May. <Whimper!> I am going to plant lettuce and spinach anyway.

Sky, it sounds like your dogs are pretty obedient (from your recent story of one of the dogs having a kit and dropping it on command), so why not do a little boundary training with them? In the spring when plants are just emerging, I use those little scalloped wire fences that are only about 14" high to "remind" the dogs that certain areas are off limits. Once the plants are taller I take the fences down, and the dogs are allowed to go into certain gardens to lay in the shade, but they can't play in there. In some gardens I have stepping stone paths, and they can run through there on the paths only. Once they are trained, the off limits areas actually give them better exercise because they have to twist and turn going around the beds as they chase each other.