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my foraging diary

Scrappy's Little Helper said:
Hurrah! I found jack in the hedge this morning :) I wanted to find that as it's one I was fairly confident on recognising.
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Well done!

I haven't spotted that yet ..

I found some speedwell in my garden this morning. I've got this down in my "Twigs" book as "OK I think" ...

Does anyone know whether speedwell is OK to feed? x
 
Someone else who has written another foraging type book says no to speedwell. So I'd put it in the 'don't pick it specifically but don't panic too much if there's a bit in some grass' category.
 
Santa said:
Someone else who has written another foraging type book says no to speedwell. So I'd put it in the 'don't pick it specifically but don't panic too much if there's a bit in some grass' category.
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Thanks Santa. It's among some grass so I'll just leave it.

Is this another interesting foraging book we can buy? :D
 
It's someone on the Facebook group called something like 'foraging and gardening for rabbits', she's done a 3-parter which you can now buy as a 'box set'. I keep meaning to buy it but haven't quite got round to it yet!
 
Yes, Speedwell is in "Twigs" book as being OK. Although it's in the RWAF's RO Autumn10 as being unsafe :? I don't feed Speedwell deliberately, as it's so inconsequential that I take the view they won't really miss it anyway, but also wouldn't worry if some was amongst other stuff.

Ground Elder is also in "Twigs" book as being OK and also listed as unsafe in the same copy of RO :? I do feed Ground Elder, but in small quantities.

It's really not easy and that's without all the problems establishing whether different trees are safe.

Did Twig's cover Garlic Mustard (aka Jack in the Hedge) on her foraging day? I feed it occasionally, but it's not in her book.
 
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MightyMax said:
Well done!

I haven't spotted that yet ..

I found some speedwell in my garden this morning. I've got this down in my "Twigs" book as "OK I think" ...

Does anyone know whether speedwell is OK to feed? x
Click to expand...

Just to clarify .. The "Twigs" book I am referring to is not the foraging one written by Twigs Way.

It's the one I concocted from the day course, by pressing specimens and writing scribblings.

Thanks for the additional info, everyone :D
 
Omi said:
Yes, Speedwell is in "Twigs" book as being OK. Although it's in the RWAF's RO Autumn10 as being unsafe :? I don't feed Speedwell deliberately, as it's so inconsequential that I take the view they won't really miss it anyway, but also wouldn't worry if some was amongst other stuff.

Ground Elder is also in "Twigs" book as being OK and also listed as unsafe in the same copy of RO :? I do feed Ground Elder, but in small quantities.

It's really not easy and that's without all the problems establishing whether different trees are safe.

Did Twig's cover Garlic Mustard (aka Jack in the Hedge) on her foraging day? I feed it occasionally, but it's not in her book.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have a sample of it. Unhelpfully I didn't write down whether it was OK or not ... Santa??
 
Found a new foraging area today, came home with a ridiculous amount of plantain :lol: I need to go again for a good look
 
Super :love: I found a small patch of Herb Robert just up the road from me today. I'm pretty sure it's never been growing there before. I resisted the temptation of picking any and feeding to the rabbits, thinking it will seed more for next year.
 
I can see the goat willow from my lounge now that i know what it looks like. i brought loads in last night & the catkins all popped a million seeds everywhere :lol:

I noticed several larva on the willow leaves. This may sound daft but I don't know the answer. I popped the inhabited leaves back outside by the tree but will it have killed the moths by stopping them hatching? Its going to be awkward seeing which leaves have them if I need to inspect when they are on the tree
 
Omi said:
Super :love: I found a small patch of Herb Robert just up the road from me today. I'm pretty sure it's never been growing there before. I resisted the temptation of picking any and feeding to the rabbits, thinking it will seed more for next year.
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Did you tell the rabbits? Are they into delayed gratification??
 
joey&boo said:
I can see the goat willow from my lounge now that i know what it looks like. i brought loads in last night & the catkins all popped a million seeds everywhere :lol:

I noticed several larva on the willow leaves. This may sound daft but I don't know the answer. I popped the inhabited leaves back outside by the tree but will it have killed the moths by stopping them hatching? Its going to be awkward seeing which leaves have them if I need to inspect when they are on the tree
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Oh dear are you going to be known as the RU moth murderer now :lol: It will depend I think on how far advanced the larvae are. They will obviously still be able to feed on the picked leaves until those leaves start to die. Then they might be able to find their way to other leaves on the tree (depending on how far up they are).

I shouldn't worry too much :) Our Willow that sprouts from Willow poles in the vegetable patch gets infested with a black aphid. I'm afraid that I wash it off before giving the leaves to the rabbits.

It's great having your very own Goat Willow in the garden isn't it :) Will it stop you moving? :lol:
 
MightyMax said:
Did you tell the rabbits? Are they into delayed gratification??
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Nooooo I didn't tell them :lol: What they don't know won't hurt them. I did though, as way of consolation, pick quite a lot of the Cut Leaf Geranium in the garden for them when I got back :)
 
Omi, I probably will but people of RU, I implore you, it was manslaughter at best:( I do want to avoid moth killing though. The goat willows presence is great. It actually on the track opposite my neighbours house. Nothing will put me of moving, we are living beyond our humble means here but I do plan to return to my foraging spot in the height of summer once a week to stock pile for winter. OH works close so he can collect me :) I'll be moving to a nice village surrounded by farm land so a daily forage will still be easy enough.

Now off to find Herb Robert for MM's buns
 
MightyMax said:
Yes, I have a sample of it. Unhelpfully I didn't write down whether it was OK or not ... Santa??
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Yes, Jack-by-the-hedge is fine. Mine quite like it, which is a bit of a surprise because it's quite pungent and I thought they'd turn their noses up at it, but they do eat it! I wouldn't say it's top of the list of things to root out, but it does disappear (unlike the more mature leaves of willow herb!)
 
willow and squiggles said:
1 pink hawthorn (the flowers confused me at first)
DSCN0567_zpskjo2gmg2.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] 2 alder i think
alder_zpsmvu17h63.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] 3 poplar i think
poplar_zpsirulkcju.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] 4 rowan i think
rowan_zpssfjtrlv1.jpg
[/URL][/IMG] 5 cut leaved cranesbill i think
DSCN0557_zpsnp6wioec.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
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I saw a lot of number 5 earlier this evening and a "ping ping ping!!" went off in my brain as I remembered seeing it on this thread but couldn't remember what it's ID was or whether it was safe. I'll pick some up on tomorrow's forage.

Oh and I didn't enjoy foraging today. Too cold, wet and windy :(
 
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