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my foraging diary

A lot of my broadleaf in pots has gone to seed and shed its leaves. Have to make sure it comes back, it's supposed to be perennial but it didn't suddenly die off after seeding last year :roll: Apparently good for humans too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major I like that 100g contains as much beta carotene as a 'large carrot', which I guess might be 150-200g :lol: I did know about the fibrous uses and tried that out in the garden at home when i was a kid :D
 
Plantain of any type has never been a favourite for any of my bunnies. Greater Plantain has also always been liked more than Ribleaf. A pity because we have loads of it :lol:
 
Omi said:
Plantain of any type has never been a favourite for any of my bunnies. Greater Plantain has also always been liked more than Ribleaf. A pity because we have loads of it :lol:
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Try drying it? my buns always preferred plantain dried. This year however they are loving broadleaf fresh - & its such a good year for it too. Wise bunnies
 
A tip for would be foragers who are short on time &/ or money..

Ash is getting tasty now (so my bunnies reliably inform me). if you can familiarise yourself with this one tree, get some picked. Its super easy & quick to dry & just as good. Its by far & away the easiest & quickest thing to forage IME. as Ash is seeding now its even easier to identify (remove the seeds). Obv Ash is prone to disease so give your tree the once over before you raid it :lol:
 
joey&boo said:
Try drying it? my buns always preferred plantain dried. This year however they are loving broadleaf fresh - & its such a good year for it too. Wise bunnies
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I will maybe try drying the Ribwort. I'll report back if I do. Yes, Plantain seems to like all the rain :lol:
 
joey&boo said:
A tip for would be foragers who are short on time &/ or money..

Ash is getting tasty now (so my bunnies reliably inform me). if you can familiarise yourself with this one tree, get some picked. Its super easy & quick to dry & just as good. Its by far & away the easiest & quickest thing to forage IME. as Ash is seeding now its even easier to identify (remove the seeds). Obv Ash is prone to disease so give your tree the once over before you raid it :lol:
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I agree, we've always had success with Ash at this time of the year.
 
Fuzz321 said:
https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/articles/free-food-for-rabbits/foraging/wild-plants-and-trees/employee monitoring
I haven't seen this before on the FHB site. In my opinion, photographs are useful for identification purposes. Some of the text is also interesting. In the evening I will go out in search of Dandelions
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Hi and welcome to the forum :wave:

I agree that page is useful from the FHB site.

I hope you find some Dandelions this evening. If you need any help with any forage plants, just shout :)
 
I've been so lazy with foraging recently, probably go out twice a week. Already depleted good amount of "winter" rations.
 
joey&boo said:
I've been so lazy with foraging recently, probably go out twice a week. Already depleted good amount of "winter" rations.
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I'm saddened by this. The foraging season will be over far too soon. Boo won't be happy if she knows her winter rations aren't quite the amount she was hoping for.
 
I took advantage of some dry weather & sunshine . This is mainly cow parsley, plantains, dandelions, vetch & silverweed. I got a similar amount of tree leaves: mainly ash & willow, small amounts of hawthorn, blackthorn & rowan which are drying upstairs

U5ZaWH7l.jpg
 
Well done, that looks super :) It's that time of year when plants like Cow Parsley start to grow fresh leaves.
 
joey&boo said:
Thanks to kelzetees confirming yarrow is yarrow :lol: its on the menu here & boy does Mouse love it
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Good girl, Mousey :love: I'll have to try Tui on some again. She hasn't been that keen previously. But then it might be different plants at different times of the year, as she's slightly gone off her previous favourite of Lemon Balm.

Interestingly also, Tui prefers Pear to Apple prunings/leaves. And, I thought this was the case last year, she prefers prunings from the Cox tree to the other varieties :love:
 
Omi said:
Good girl, Mousey :love: I'll have to try Tui on some again. She hasn't been that keen previously. But then it might be different plants at different times of the year, as she's slightly gone off her previous favourite of Lemon Balm.

Interestingly also, Tui prefers Pear to Apple prunings/leaves. And, I thought this was the case last year, she prefers prunings from the Cox tree to the other varieties :love:
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I wonder if its just because weather conditions change its flavour & nutrition or if its more complex than that (as Joey professes) & that its dependant on the nutrition they are getting from other plants offered too. Let me know how the Yarrow goes down . I'll watch to see what J&B make of it at mid afternoon snack time
 
joey&boo said:
I wonder if its just because weather conditions change its flavour & nutrition or if its more complex than that (as Joey professes) & that its dependant on the nutrition they are getting from other plants offered too. Let me know how the Yarrow goes down . I'll watch to see what J&B make of it at mid afternoon snack time
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Yarrow's rarely number 1 here, but always eaten in the 'first visit' so to speak :lol:, so definitely top 5?

My two ate everything out of the weekend batch, except silverleaf and some knapweed stalks. Silverleaf Lopsy's had before but spring, and it might've been they ate some of it but not the bits that went crispy in the heat XD Oh and they didn't touch the mint so I've popped it in some water to try and grow, or at least give fresher if it looks like it isn't taking. The shorter bits were doing well last I looked!
 
joey&boo said:
I wonder if its just because weather conditions change its flavour & nutrition or if its more complex than that (as Joey professes) & that its dependant on the nutrition they are getting from other plants offered too. Let me know how the Yarrow goes down . I'll watch to see what J&B make of it at mid afternoon snack time
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Yarrow wolfed down :love:
 
good forage today with Bob. got Ash & Hazel for drying, loads of blackthorn - this is our pile of branches after we'd stripped the berries (1.8k)
4Cm5Qe1l.jpg
 
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