I'm writing this post because I often see members very stressed over finding "safe" weeds and foods around them. I'm fortunate to have access to weeds and good foods without growing them myself. I am in a mild climate so things do grow most of the year. We don't have snow or freezing temperatures. That said, it's a very dry and scrubby location, on top of which I don't have much space for plants.
This is the one space I have available to me "just" for weeds. It's what I imagine is available to some apartment dwellers or other people with limited space. You can see it isn't very good. The ground is hard as a rock; it's in shade half the time and hot, reflected sun most of the rest. We store junk out here. (Anyone want a fiberglass canoe? Cheap!)
That hasn't stopped me from trying; I really like the idea of having foods available without leaving the house. This winter I spread out red clover seeds, which can help improve bad soil over time. I harvested weed seeds from other areas, dried them, and put them out, carefully pressing them into the soil with my feet. I planted a couple of planters, one with "good" soil we had purchased, one with the sad clay soil we already have. One got a wildflower seed mix, weed seeds, and some of Tyler's seed mix for tortoises. The rest of the wildflower seeds got tossed to the ground, as did some more of Tyler's mix.
We had great rain this year and I was hopeful but once again I got bubkis. You can see a few decent plants at the front of the space but it gets pathetic as you move to the back.
The sow thistles grew okay, as did some of the chicories from Tyler's mix.
The clovers gave it a go. Once it got at all hot, however, they withered and died, even though I watered. Bugs ate those that did grow.
The wildflowers and Tyler's herbs really struggled. They sprouted but never grew well in clay and shade. Here is the single Chinese Houses plant that bloomed: one bloom on a stunted plant.
Because this side of the house grows so poorly, birds never come here to look for food. But aphids and small catepillars sure do. Without any predators, they are everywhere and they've eaten much of what did grow. Here is what is happening to most of the true weeds; nothing left but stems.
Even the tough mallow in this pot is being chewed.
I got one big wildflower out of the other pot: it won't last long but it sure is pretty. Too bad the tortoise doesn't like it. I have a couple of other flowers in here, most died when it got hot.
Looking things over, I might get two weeks food for one hungry Russian out of this if the bugs and heat don't get it first. Let me point out that it is early May--it isn't even hot yet.
The one thing here that grows back well is a native grape; looks like we got it in just the right spot. She does eat this, the bugs don't, and it takes next to no effort. We've got some spineless cactus next to the garage and it goes okay but is still quite small.
I love having weeds and other foods easily available but if I was limited to my own space, I'd be out of luck.
All this to say that sometimes our best efforts to grow weeds and wild plants just won't do it. When that's the case, we have to do the best we can with store bought foods; perhaps the few things we can grow or find; and the occasional weed or windfall food. We've got plenty of members who do just that and raise healthy tortoises. Weeds are ideal foods, but I don't think members should beat themselves up if they can't find a way to get them, especially when they are brand new members and have so many other things to get right, like enclosures.
Just one opinion!
This is the one space I have available to me "just" for weeds. It's what I imagine is available to some apartment dwellers or other people with limited space. You can see it isn't very good. The ground is hard as a rock; it's in shade half the time and hot, reflected sun most of the rest. We store junk out here. (Anyone want a fiberglass canoe? Cheap!)
That hasn't stopped me from trying; I really like the idea of having foods available without leaving the house. This winter I spread out red clover seeds, which can help improve bad soil over time. I harvested weed seeds from other areas, dried them, and put them out, carefully pressing them into the soil with my feet. I planted a couple of planters, one with "good" soil we had purchased, one with the sad clay soil we already have. One got a wildflower seed mix, weed seeds, and some of Tyler's seed mix for tortoises. The rest of the wildflower seeds got tossed to the ground, as did some more of Tyler's mix.
We had great rain this year and I was hopeful but once again I got bubkis. You can see a few decent plants at the front of the space but it gets pathetic as you move to the back.
The sow thistles grew okay, as did some of the chicories from Tyler's mix.
The clovers gave it a go. Once it got at all hot, however, they withered and died, even though I watered. Bugs ate those that did grow.
The wildflowers and Tyler's herbs really struggled. They sprouted but never grew well in clay and shade. Here is the single Chinese Houses plant that bloomed: one bloom on a stunted plant.
Because this side of the house grows so poorly, birds never come here to look for food. But aphids and small catepillars sure do. Without any predators, they are everywhere and they've eaten much of what did grow. Here is what is happening to most of the true weeds; nothing left but stems.
Even the tough mallow in this pot is being chewed.
I got one big wildflower out of the other pot: it won't last long but it sure is pretty. Too bad the tortoise doesn't like it. I have a couple of other flowers in here, most died when it got hot.
Looking things over, I might get two weeks food for one hungry Russian out of this if the bugs and heat don't get it first. Let me point out that it is early May--it isn't even hot yet.
The one thing here that grows back well is a native grape; looks like we got it in just the right spot. She does eat this, the bugs don't, and it takes next to no effort. We've got some spineless cactus next to the garage and it goes okay but is still quite small.
I love having weeds and other foods easily available but if I was limited to my own space, I'd be out of luck.
All this to say that sometimes our best efforts to grow weeds and wild plants just won't do it. When that's the case, we have to do the best we can with store bought foods; perhaps the few things we can grow or find; and the occasional weed or windfall food. We've got plenty of members who do just that and raise healthy tortoises. Weeds are ideal foods, but I don't think members should beat themselves up if they can't find a way to get them, especially when they are brand new members and have so many other things to get right, like enclosures.
Just one opinion!