Where do you grow your "weeds"?

[trinityoaks]

Where do you grow all of the plants (for rabbit food/treats/etc.) that most people would consider weeds, such as plantain, dandelions, prickly lettuce, etc.? Do you keep them in pots, or do you have garden space for them, or what?

I don't have a site away from my yard that I can gather them, and I have to keep a homeowner's association Nazi and a landlord happy.

 

[AmysMacdog]

I grow dandelion and plaintain in kittylitter pans. They work great for long term care and also work well to keep some plants growing in a coldframe in winter.

 

[Secuono]

All over my acreages. I'm also growing veggies and trees for them. =D
Many people cry over weeds, I've always loved them and when I found out my yard has Dock, I was so happy!
Yay weedy plants!!

 

[DonnerSurvivor]

I wish you lived closer I could fix you up with hundreds of acres of weeds I would love gone! Depending on location you could possibly ask a local farmer/landowner if you could pick weeks for your rabbits. Or just fill the back of a pickup with seeded out dandelions and drive around the neighborhood.

 

[Marinea]

I actually bought plantain seeds to grow this year!

The other weeds are just in my yard (prays my mom the landscaper doesn't read that). I also grow a lot of other things that the buns just happen to like (apple, blackberry, grapes, strawberries, etc., etc.)

 

[skysthelimit]

I don't really have any yard besides the dogs yard, so I spend the summer picking weeds from in between cracks in the walkway, out of the gravel, out of my garden beds, and off the tree lawn, out of the church yard, and I was thrilled to find I could feed these "weeds"to my buns.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

My plans, this year, is to have some dedicated garden space for weeds-- I may even put a weed or two in each 'people food' garden. Queen Ann's lace should look nice among lettuce, don't'cha think?
I have all those rabbit food seeds I ordered- the clover can grow among the corn, in place of some beans. The Sucraseed will have its own dedicated beds--sized with permanent grazing cages over them. The forage beets and turnips will probably be put in deep tubs, to make winter storage and harvesting a bit easier. Brightly colored peppers look great in between rose bushes- herbs in pots--

Looking at the way the surface water runs across my lot, under my home, and out the other side-- I want to make a sort of 'dam' of garden beds on the upper side of the slope to keep under my place a bit drier. Then, another 'dam' on the opposite border, to trap water before it runs under the next trailer. That should minimize watering needs this summer-- I also need to collect rainwater off the roof- guttering is going to be the issue--those little drip gutters on older mobile homes cannot handle a good drenching rain---

 

[Blue Ridge Bunnies]

I'm looking for Comfry to grow. Does anyone purchase theirs online?

 

[Dood]

As long as you cut down the flower heads and dont plant anything that sends out runners it is east to contain 'weeds' in a garden and trick people into thinking they are herbs or ornamentals.

Certain plantains can pass as hostas and ornamental kale is very easy to grow, doesn't go bad over winter and looks good.

 

[MaggieJ]

:yeahthat:

Plant your weeds at the back of your yard and border the area with useful flowers and herbs: yarrow, lavender, sage etc. If anyone says anything you are growing medicinal plants for your own use. How can they argue with that?

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

Wildflower garden also passes off a lot of 'weeds'!!!<br /><br />__________ Tue Mar 05, 2013 1:18 pm __________<br /><br />

I'm looking for Comfry to grow. Does anyone purchase theirs online?

Actually, a FB 'friend' Of mine are exhcanging plants/cuttings/seeds this week-- she is including Comfrey and Raspberry Canes in her overall offer of plants she is willing to sell starts off of--

I've got to go cut some Witch Hazel for her to try to root!!!

 

[hoodat]

I grow plants like red clover and chicory in patches at the edge of my garden. Plants like dandelion and plantain I let grow anywhere they won't interfere with my vegetables. Both are low growing and don't really bother vegetables even if they grow next to them. Some plants That will smother vegetables like knotweed and sawtooth I let grow till they are big enough to make good fodder, then pull out by the roots. My worst problem plant is Bermuda grass. Rabbits will eat it but aren't especially fond of it and you have to keep rooting it out all Summer.

 

[lissapell]

Just wanted to say dont grow dock in your garden. It will take over! It is all over my yard and love it for that but some seeds started in the garden and I didnt know they were like brambles. When we tilled it broke them all up and I thought Good I can just pick them up now. NOPE some of those plants have HUGE long roots that grow straight down and if you break them off they send up all these shoots. Each little piece of root will grow more!

 

[trinityoaks]

Just wanted to say dont grow dock in your garden.

Is that related to burdock? I'm hoping to grow some for medicinal purposes, but it's good to know the growing habits of all of these plants.

 

[lissapell]

IDK curly dock http://itms-turf.com/resources/id/ with seed heads like this http://www.pnwflowers.com/flower/rumex-occidentalis THis is what it looks like in my yard. I think it is more western dock b/c it loves my drain field but the leaves look like curly dock.

__________ Tue Mar 12, 2013 11:32 am __________

its blooming right now....Want some?<br /><br />__________ Tue Mar 12, 2013 11:35 am __________<br /><br />I'm also getting ready to till up the garden again. I can send you roots. The rabbits love the stuff.

 

[MaggieJ]

Just wanted to say dont grow dock in your garden.

Is that related to burdock? I'm hoping to grow some for medicinal purposes, but it's good to know the growing habits of all of these plants.

Burdock and curly dock are in different plant families. As far as I can tell the only similarity is in their common names.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctium
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumex_crispus

 

[Blue Ridge Bunnies]

I'm looking for Comfry to grow. Does anyone purchase theirs online?

I originally purchased my comfrey from "COES" comfrey out of NC. He's a great guy to work with, very helpful. Once I got them going on my property, they have continued to reproduce and give me all I need. coescomfrey.com

 

[eco2pia]

I originally purchased my comfrey from "COES" comfrey out of NC. He's a great guy to work with, very helpful. Once I got them going on my property, they have continued to reproduce and give me all I need. coescomfrey.com

Hopefully in the past 10 years since this poster was looking for comfrey, they have found some...however thanks for the tip.

Comfrey is so easy to grow in the PNW you can usually find it growing in a nearby ditch. I think that is where I got my last batch.

 

[KelleyBee]

I'm looking for Comfry to grow. Does anyone purchase theirs online?

I sell comfrey in my Etsy store and in my newest store on My Community Made (I just started to build this newer store yesterday).