Fast-growing bunny plants - new question

[a reader of books]

Does anyone know any? I have a few plants on my balcony that Sophie and Casper can eat, but they all grow so slowly that I can't even collect a nice handful for them to eat each day. I'm mostly interested in plants they'd eat in the wild, rather than veggies and kitchen herbs, as I can just buy those. I have dead nettles, burnet, ribwort plantain, cornflowers, alfalfa, grass, a few dandelions, lavender, thyme, mint, and lemon balm, but aside from the cornflowers, plantain, and mint (but they don't really like mint), they've barely grown at all this year. Since I can't go out to forage, I'd like growing some wild plants for them that would actually make a nice meal for them rather than only a few leaves per week.

 

[joey&boo]

The wild plant that seems to grow most crazy in my little garden is one of the smaller Willowherbs (broad leaf Willowherb I think its called). My bunnies like it - they aren't so keen on Rosebay Willowherb. Its always self seeded & we've always pulled it up (it likes to migrate to living roof) but this year I've let it do its thing & its everywhere I've not grown it yet but sow thistle seems to grow really fast from what I've observed foraging. Its a huge favourite too. Geranium (Cranesbill) I like too. Its just easy to pick at for so much of the year. Not sure how fast it is, especially compared to your wheat

I'm trying to think what I get most bunny meals out of from our tiny garden / yard. Willow seems the fastest tree - we have 2 goat willows in tiny pots that self seeded in Bobs sisters garden.
Not hugely fast but good at self seeding & happy in shade is herb robert. I think you'd get quite a lot of meadowsweet if you grew some in pot.

 

[Shimmer]

You could also try growing things like radish, beetroot or carrot amongst the other plants. Rabbits can have the leafy bit, you get the root.
Rocket - cheap and easy from seed
Grasses and willow are the fastest growing, but you need quite a lot of space to grow enough for a couple of rabbits, even during Summer.
My lemon balm has grown really well this year and is on its second crop, but that is in the ground in the allotment.

 

[a reader of books]

Ooh, lots of ideas! Thank you both so much!

J&B, I don't know some of the plants you mentioned, so I'll look them up and then look for some seeds online! And see if they'd be okay on my balcony first, of course, since my balcony gets sun all day and not all plants like that, obviously... Good to know what the bunnies think of the plants, too. I've thought about a little willow on my balcony before, but I'm not sure if it would be possible to keep it small... I worry I'd have a big tree within a couple of years.

Shimmer, I'm glad your lemon balm does better than mine! Mine shares a pot with the burnet, so maybe they'd both do better in their own pots. I like the idea of growing radishes and rocket amongst the other plants. I've grown carrots before so Casper and Sophie could have the carrot tops, but I vaguely remember that not being a success. I can't remember why, though...

 

[a reader of books]

J&B, I looked up the sow thistle and I actually had that as a surprise plant earlier in the year, but I didn't know what it was or if the bunnies could have it. It did grow really fast, though, yeah! But I had to get rid of it because it got covered in some kind of spiderweb stuff and turned all white and weird. I might try to grow it on purpose and see if they like it.

 

[Shimmer]

More ideas:
- if you have upright space (wall, etc) you could try a thornless blackberry. Like the wild ones, they will have leaves all year and all parts are bunny edible, but have prettier leaves (and no thorns). You could train it up or round some canes eg a fan shape or zigzag against a wall. Once it takes off, you should be able to get a reasonable amount of pruning every week or so in the main growing season.
- dwarf lilac or buddlia. Both will grow in a decent size pot. If grown as a standard (ie a typical 'lollipop' tree shape), you can underplant. Prune after flowering and feed clippings to bunnies.
- You could underplant both with small herbs, strawberries, etc. which would trail over the sides of the pot to make the most of limited space.

Willow - very difficult to kill once it's rooted, unless it's never watered. It will just sprout back no matter how hard you cut it back. They are grown commercially as biofuel as they are so good at regenerating. Cuttings root very easily.

 

[a reader of books]

Ooh, more ideas! Thank you so much, Shimmer.

Does a blackberry need a big pot? They can get pretty big, right? I like the idea of that, especially a thornless one! They do like blackberry leaves; they get some from my parents' garden sometimes.

I hadn't heard of dwarf lilacs before, but they're really pretty! I actually have a buddleja, but, like my other plants, it's barely grown this year, so I haven't been able to feed much of it to Casper and Sophie. Casper really likes it, though. I don't know why my plants won't grow!

That's a good idea to underplant with small plants, too. I hadn't thought of that!

I didn't know willows are that difficult to kill! Maybe I would be able to keep it small since it's okay with being cut back a lot...

 

[Shimmer]

I wouldn't put any fruiting bush in a 'small' pot - but my definition is probably very different from others. You need to support the top growth to stop it toppling over, and room for the roots. Blackberry roots tend to ramble a bit in open ground. My minimum size pot would be these (30 litre tree pots):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plastic-Ha...=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1

They are easy to move and almost indestructible. You can use something like perlite in the compost mix if eg weight on a roof or balcony is an issue, but the pot itself doesn't weigh much, especially compared to a ceramic one. They are also a lot cheaper.

 

[Shimmer]

Some varieties of thornless blackberries have pretty leaves - the only one I can find atm is this one, though, which is like the one I have on the allotment:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BlackBerry...less+blackberries&qid=1691319034&sr=8-17&th=1

 

[joey&boo]

J&B, I looked up the sow thistle and I actually had that as a surprise plant earlier in the year, but I didn't know what it was or if the bunnies could have it. It did grow really fast, though, yeah! But I had to get rid of it because it got covered in some kind of spiderweb stuff and turned all white and weird. I might try to grow it on purpose and see if they like it.

I bet they will like it. I have noticed sow thistle does sometimes get a powdery mildew on it and sometimes lots of tiny black bugs . I hope when it finally seeds in my garden I get healthy ones. You too of course, if you decide to get some.

We got a thornless bramble years ago. it sat round in various pots never seeming happy & barely grew at all. I was all ready to chuck it but decided to put it in the new bed we put in early Spring & its finally doing ok.

I'm so surprised Casper eats buddleia. What a good boy

 

[a reader of books]

I wouldn't put any fruiting bush in a 'small' pot - but my definition is probably very different from others. You need to support the top growth to stop it toppling over, and room for the roots. Blackberry roots tend to ramble a bit in open ground. My minimum size pot would be these (30 litre tree pots):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plastic-Ha...=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1

They are easy to move and almost indestructible. You can use something like perlite in the compost mix if eg weight on a roof or balcony is an issue, but the pot itself doesn't weigh much, especially compared to a ceramic one. They are also a lot cheaper.

Some varieties of thornless blackberries have pretty leaves - the only one I can find atm is this one, though, which is like the one I have on the allotment:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BlackBerry...less+blackberries&qid=1691319034&sr=8-17&th=1

Thank you for letting me know, Shimmer. That's a nice size pot, the same size my rose is in. I'll have to see if I have room for one more. That blackberry in your link does have pretty leaves! I'd like one like that.

I bet they will like it. I have noticed sow thistle does sometimes get a powdery mildew on it and sometimes lots of tiny black bugs . I hope when it finally seeds in my garden I get healthy ones. You too of course, if you decide to get some.

We got a thornless bramble years ago. it sat round in various pots never seeming happy & barely grew at all. I was all ready to chuck it but decided to put it in the new bed we put in early Spring & its finally doing ok.

I'm so surprised Casper eats buddleia. What a good boy

Yes, mine had lots of tiny black bugs on it, too. Thank you for hoping mine will be healthy. I hope yours will be healthy, too! I've ordered some seeds this morning, as well as seeds for other plants you mentioned, so hopefully they'll do well. I have grow lights in my kitchen, so I can start growing them whenever I want to.

I'm glad your thornless bramble is finally doing okay after its unhappy start. Sounds like it didn't like being in a pot?

Do bunnies not usually eat buddleja? Sophie didn't used to like it, but I gave her some today and she ate it right away, so I think she likes it now, too.

 

[joey&boo]

Thank you for letting me know, Shimmer. That's a nice size pot, the same size my rose is in. I'll have to see if I have room for one more. That blackberry in your link does have pretty leaves! I'd like one like that.



Yes, mine had lots of tiny black bugs on it, too. Thank you for hoping mine will be healthy. I hope yours will be healthy, too! I've ordered some seeds this morning, as well as seeds for other plants you mentioned, so hopefully they'll do well. I have grow lights in my kitchen, so I can start growing them whenever I want to.

I'm glad your thornless bramble is finally doing okay after its unhappy start. Sounds like it didn't like being in a pot?

Do bunnies not usually eat buddleja? Sophie didn't used to like it, but I gave her some today and she ate it right away, so I think she likes it now, too.

mine never have . Might try Eddy on it as he likes some things Joey Boo &Mouse didn't

Exciting you've seeds on the way. Please keep us updated, i'm interested to know how things grow

 

[a reader of books]

[/B]

mine never have . Might try Eddy on it as he likes some things Joey Boo &Mouse didn't

Exciting you've seeds on the way. Please keep us updated, i'm interested to know how things grow

Ooh, I wonder if Eddy would like it! He might surprise you.

Okay, I'll post updates.

 

[a reader of books]

I got my seeds, so I put some in the soil. When they sprout they'll either go under my grow lights or outside while it's still sunny. I have a lot of snails on my balcony who love baby plants, though, so I might just keep them inside.

I have herb robert, meadowsweet, sow thistle, dandelions, fenugreek (I saw it in the store and remembered bunnies liking those fenugreek treats, so I thought it was worth a try), ribwort plantain, rocket, and mizuna. I liked the look of the willowherb, but couldn't find any seeds...

I gave Sophie and Casper some carrot greens last week, and radish greens yesterday, but Sophie doesn't want either of them, so I think I won't be growing those, as I'd prefer growing stuff they both like. Sophie is so picky compared to Casper, who just eats everything I offer him. :lol:

 

[joey&boo]

I got my seeds, so I put some in the soil. When they sprout they'll either go under my grow lights or outside while it's still sunny. I have a lot of snails on my balcony who love baby plants, though, so I might just keep them inside.

I have herb robert, meadowsweet, sow thistle, dandelions, fenugreek (I saw it in the store and remembered bunnies liking those fenugreek treats, so I thought it was worth a try), ribwort plantain, rocket, and mizuna. I liked the look of the willowherb, but couldn't find any seeds...

I gave Sophie and Casper some carrot greens last week, and radish greens yesterday, but Sophie doesn't want either of them, so I think I won't be growing those, as I'd prefer growing stuff they both like. Sophie is so picky compared to Casper, who just eats everything I offer him. :lol:

exciting. Meadowsweet normally grows near water so it might enjoy lots of water. I can gather some willowherb seed if you like?

 

[a reader of books]

exciting. Meadowsweet normally grows near water so it might enjoy lots of water. I can gather some willowherb seed if you like?

Oh, that's good to know about the meadowsweet! I'll keep that in mind, thanks. That's really so kind of you to offer to gather some willowherb seed. I would actually really like that? Only if it's not much trouble, though! And I'd pay the postage costs, of course.

 

[joey&boo]

Oh, that's good to know about the meadowsweet! I'll keep that in mind, thanks. That's really so kind of you to offer to gather some willowherb seed. I would actually really like that? Only if it's not much trouble, though! And I'd pay the postage costs, of course.

No trouble at all. They'll fit in a large letter so no need to worry about postage. I'll get some nice sow thistle seeds too in case you want to try them. Sow thistle has loads of varieties so I'll get the small juicy ones. I don't think you'll need to worry about any special growing conditions with the willowherb - its very persistent :lol:

 

[a reader of books]

No trouble at all. They'll fit in a large letter so no need to worry about postage. I'll get some nice sow thistle seeds too in case you want to try them. Sow thistle has loads of varieties so I'll get the small juicy ones. I don't think you'll need to worry about any special growing conditions with the willowherb - its very persistent :lol:

Oh, thank you so much! That's so nice of you, really. I very much appreciate it. Small juicy sow thistle sounds good, too! The seeds I have now are from a sow thistle that gets quite high, I think? That's good to know that I won't have to worry about where to put the willowherb, too. :lol:

 

[joey&boo]

forgot to mention I tried the bunnies on buddleia. Boo still says no but Eddy quite liked it

I'll let you know when I've got the seeds, shouldn't take long

 

[a reader of books]

I was wondering if you had tried offering it to Eddy yet. That's nice that he quite liked it. It sounds like he'll have everything for himself since Boo still doesn't want any!

Thank you!