my foraging diary

joey&boo · May 17, 2017

Omi said:
My rabbits are trained to eat seasonally :lol: They don't get apple leaves until the Autumn when they are of no further use to the trees.

Yes, I agree, identification of trees becomes easier when you know where they are located I don't feed very much Blackthorn. I'm always a bit nervous as it's from the plum family, although I also think that we become too wary about toxicity (I'm cheered by the FHB article). I think Thumps used to say to feed it after the sloes have appeared :? However, I can usually find other leaves to feed instead. Hazel and Ash are usually easy to identify. My rabbits are indicating that Hawthorn is particularly tasty at the moment

That's it - blackthorn after berries...no wonder I forget, I'm worried about picking the berries by accident before they are ripe enough for gin:lol:. I'm pleased you mentioned hazel. We have loads & I've been meaning to check before picking. Google confirms I'm on track.

tlcwrites · May 17, 2017

Omi said:
I've never found much Vetch of any sort very close to me. So this year I have grown some Common Vetch and some Tufted Vetch from seed. Vetch is described online as being invasive and I can understand that as, whilst the seedlings appear to be quite delicate they are already branching out quite wildly. I need to get them planted out.

I don't see much Pineapple Mayweed.

Is Yuki Doodle a fan of forage?

It must be stunning to live close to a fen You must see loads of Dragonflies

Oh I hope they enjoy the vetch you've grown! Based on what I've seen out and about, I think I'd only grow it in pots.

Yuki adores forage. When I'm sorting out dried forage and putting in things to dry, he's always nicking extra bits to taste himself. Arce is much better behaved and lets me get on with it.

Not at the moment, but in high summer, down the stream there will be loads. I saw a frog huddled in some cow parsley yesterday.

tulsi · May 17, 2017

Mine are enjoying hawthorn, willow and beech atm oh and fresh grass. They are most excited by the willow.

Kara · May 17, 2017

J&B yes of course you must go to your old haunt, Ted is asking why you are even questoning it?!

MM I shall fan you if you fall :lol:

TLC Yep vetch is in aBUNdance here, I can't say I've noticed much in previous years but my thinking is because I am also growing it I think I am more aware of it now in the wild?

Tulsi Yes same, getting some lovey long grasses

I sat out with Ted for a while last night.

dLVULME3D5-3Zi_Fjb-6mdsdoqOFEzaFeEzCg_fY--EpX92IB

I have finished Mummy

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Getting tonnes of yarrow here, what a funny looking plant.

Has anyone noticed the Hawthorn flies? think they have nearly gone now (St Marks fly)

MightyMax · May 17, 2017

Kara said:
J&B yes of course you must go to your old haunt, Ted is asking why you are even questoning it?!

MM I shall fan you if you fall :lol:

TLC Yep vetch is in aBUNdance here, I can't say I've noticed much in previous years but my thinking is because I am also growing it I think I am more aware of it now in the wild?

Tulsi Yes same, getting some lovey long grasses

I sat out with Ted for a while last night.

I have finished Mummy

Getting tonnes of yarrow here, what a funny looking plant.

Has anyone noticed the Hawthorn flies? think they have nearly gone now (St Marks fly)

Oh what a beautiful sweetheart

tlcwrites · May 17, 2017

Ted is soooo cute. Look at that adorable smooshy face. I shan't show his pic to OH as he'll want to steal him. (He adores lops. They're his favourite.)

I also agree, yarrow is a strange looking plant. My lot love it and it seems to dry remarkably quickly. (If Yuki doesn't get it first.)

Omi · May 17, 2017

Kara said:
Has anyone noticed the Hawthorn flies? think they have nearly gone now (St Marks fly)

I've never heard them called Hawthorn flies, but I suppose it's appropriate as they come when the Hawthorn is in flower

I have seen them, but we haven't had as many as usual this year.

Kara · May 17, 2017

Omi said:
I've never heard them called Hawthorn flies, but I suppose it's appropriate as they come when the Hawthorn is in flower I have seen them, but we haven't had as many as usual this year.

Quite the opposite here. I think I accidentally ingested a few. I can't say I have really noticed them before.

Omi · May 17, 2017

We've got hundreds of these in the garden at the moment http://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/turnip-sawfly

They don't sound as though they should be considered welcome guests :lol:

joey&boo · May 23, 2017

I watched a cooking programme with a little piece on foraging wild garlic. The forager made:

pesto with the leaves in place of where you'd use herbs & recommended it with walnuts
Steeped a few leaves in oil for a few days - garlic oil
you can use stems like leeks apparently
dry leaves & crush with salt = wild garlic salt
& the flowers for a pretty garnish

Sorry its not about rabbit forage ... cba to start a new thread but found it interesting enough to share

joey&boo · May 23, 2017

back on to bunny fodder, I have an important question

Would it be irresponsible to plant a willow by the beck? I know their root structures an be problematic around buildings

Omi · May 23, 2017

I don't know just how much of a problem Willow would be for the beck, but in addition to the wide-reaching roots, any piece of branch that breaks off will readily propagate and so the number of Willows could rapidly increase. I have seen the problems they have caused in management of the local nature reserve, where they are growing amongst reeds.

joey&boo · May 24, 2017

Omi said:
I don't know just how much of a problem Willow would be for the beck, but in addition to the wide-reaching roots, any piece of branch that breaks off will readily propagate and so the number of Willows could rapidly increase. I have seen the problems they have caused in management of the local nature reserve, where they are growing amongst reeds.

boo! I feared I might get such an answer. We may well have goat willow there already but not sure. Thanks Omi - I'll not plant any. My rabbits are not impressed though

Omi · May 24, 2017

joey&boo said:
boo! I feared I might get such an answer. We may well have goat willow there already but not sure. Thanks Omi - I'll not plant any. My rabbits are not impressed though[/QUOTE]

I'm sorry Joey, Boo and Mouse It might be that certain varieties of Willow are less problematic. I'm afraid I just don't know enough about trees.

Omi · May 28, 2017

Just had a wander a few metres along the road to see whether anything new was appearing by the edge of the road next to the ditch. To my utter shock and horror, growing amongst a very long row of Cow Parsley, were at least three very tall Umbellifers, which were quite clearly Hemlock :shock: They were about 7 or 8 feet tall and had the classic purple spots on the stems. You will understand my horror, when I tell you I have picked Cow Parsley from there several times in early Spring.

joey&boo · May 28, 2017

Omi said:
Just had a wander a few metres along the road to see whether anything new was appearing by the edge of the road next to the ditch. To my utter shock and horror, growing amongst a very long row of Cow Parsley, were at least three very tall Umbellifers, which were quite clearly Hemlock :shock: They were about 7 or 8 feet tall and had the classic purple spots on the stems. You will understand my horror, when I tell you I have picked Cow Parsley from there several times in early Spring.

aggghhh. That's why I daren't do cow parsley. No harm done though. I think most bunnies avoid bad plants but obviously I wouldn't risk it.

Foraging this evening I was horrified to find my plantain field (wooded area) had been mown. It then sank in that since the council haven't been cutting anything back yet it must be private land :shock: I've been dawdling about there picking loads for months - I even took my mum & dad foraging there with me a few weeks ago :lol:

daphnephoebe · May 28, 2017

While you're on the subject of hemlock and cows parsley.

I can identify both if they fit into their littler categories. But I keep finding the same looking plants that have a completely purple stem, so splodges or green bits.
Any ideas?

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MightyMax · May 28, 2017

joey&boo said:
aggghhh. That's why I daren't do cow parsley. No harm done though. I think most bunnies avoid bad plants but obviously I wouldn't risk it.

Foraging this evening I was horrified to find my plantain field (wooded area) had been mown. It then sank in that since the council haven't been cutting anything back yet it must be private land :shock: I've been dawdling about there picking loads for months - I even took my mum & dad foraging there with me a few weeks ago :lol:

That's funny :lol: Wonder you weren't shot, the lot of you :shock:

I am confident with hemlock and cow parsley. I have both nearby. Scary to see so much hemlock though .. I don't know how much it would take to ......

Omi · May 28, 2017

That is funny j&b. I'm often being told off by OH for trespassing in farmers' fields when I've been for walks.

I am actually quite shocked about the Hemlock. I thought I could tell Hemlock and Cow Parsley apart quite easily, but I have obviously failed here as I was not aware that these Hemlock plants were there. Now that they are twice the height of the Cow Parsley it's very obvious, but when they were both much shorter I clearly haven't picked them out as being different.

dp Cow Parsley can have a completely purple stem i.e. no spots or splodges on green. Hemlock has purple spodges on green. However, in younger Hemlock plants there can sometimes be a lack of purple spodges altogether. I think the problem with a lot of this identification business is that I sometimes come across a plant that I "feel" confident about, but something just doesn't seem right and I think that is because some plants can have atypical specimens. Cow Parsley always has a "u" shaped stem. Also Hemlock leaves are much more feathery than Cow Parsley.

MM- Regarding how much Hemlock is necessary, I came across this http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/atoz/conium_maculatum.htm It doesn't say how much, but I found a lot of it interesting and I was particularly shocked about the reports of the Italians eating wild birds, who had consumed Hemlock :shock:

daphnephoebe · May 28, 2017

Thanks Omi. I never knew cowparley could have completely purple stems so now I'm aware I shall stop avoiding them.

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