Growing herbs

[Sammiesmama]

I currently have 5 rabbits and am spending right much buying herbs and lettuce and was wondering if there is anything I could grow that would keep on growing and not have been replanted every time?

 

[Blue eyes]

I'm sure there are other that can chime in. But, yes, there are options!

I had great success last year with basil. It grew like crazy and I was able to feed a generous amount to my buns each day. The more you clip, the more it grows.

I also planted romaine lettuce but that doesn't keep growing like the basil. I also have oregano growing but that grows slow.

Mint is another great option but you may want to plant it in pots as it spreads like crazy.

I have new seedling coming up now of basil and am looking forward to saving some $$ on the greens again. Right now I have parsley growing and also some romaine that re-seeded I guess from last year.

Here's my humble little bunny garden. The tiny basil in the foreground will get to easily double the size of the rest of the stuff that's in the garden now (if it does what it did last year).

It's really the basil that grows like crazy. Once that's up, it will feed my buns for months.

 

[Acacia-Berry]

I agree Basil grows like crazy. SO does parsley and marjoram. I have two brown thumbs and I can manage these lol

My bunny loved clipping them herself (before we moved to a basement apt. I plan on buying some more soil and re-planting this week or next)

Cute garden blue-eyes!

 

[Sammiesmama]

I am going to have to look into getting some then. Do you have to re plant these every year or does it just keep on coming back? My rabbits love just about everything so maybe it will save me a little growing my own things, just didn't know if they would keep growing or if you just get a tiny bit off of each plant. Does cilantro grow good or not because that is one of their favorites.

 

[kmaben]

Cilantro is an average grower. not crazy like mint but enough to keep my three rabbits (two of them very large) happy. I've had to be very careful though about watering. If the leaves get wet and the houston sun hits it, it burns but way worse than other plants. Killed one already, thought I had watered it early enough but sadly no.

 

[Blue eyes]

I am going to have to look into getting some then. Do you have to re plant these every year or does it just keep on coming back? My rabbits love just about everything so maybe it will save me a little growing my own things, just didn't know if they would keep growing or if you just get a tiny bit off of each plant. Does cilantro grow good or not because that is one of their favorites.

I was clipping the basil so much that the stems became quite woody. I don't know if I should have, but I pulled them all out at the end of the season. Nevertheless, some seems to have started re-growing. The oregano and chocolate mint lasted through the winter. The romaine came back too.

The parsley and basil I started from seed. I was able to clip whole handfuls of basil practically on a daily basis. I didn't need to actually purchase greens at the store during this growing time.

 

[Pigglebread]

Mint is another great option but you may want to plant it in pots as it spreads like crazy.

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No kidding when she says it spreads like crazy, I have a mint garden in the backyard and it spread over the complete trove. But I never have to worry about being short on mint. We recently planted parsley and basil in concrete block holes.

 

[Azerane]

I think Basil is quite susceptible to frost, so if you live somewhere that it gets cold during winter months/nights, then you will need to replant it after the cold time of year is over. It may grow just fine through the cold months with some sort of cover over it, but I'm honestly not sure.

 

[Acacia-Berry]

I think basil is non-annual. Parsley will keep re-growing every season though. I don't know about oregano. CIlantro I don't know about either.

 

[Watermelons]

I dont know what one I have outside (sage or oregano... somebody re-potted it on me and tossed the tag) but that things been left outside 2 winters in a row in a pot on the deck so really exposed, and its still alive. I remember to water it a few times a year... but whatever it is, really hearty, ill try and take a pic next time i'm home.

if you keep basil indoors it will stay all year long and continue to grow, mine does pretty well until i forget to water it.

 

[Imbrium]

wheatgrass has to be replanted every couple of weeks, but grows crazy fast and can easily be grown inside year-round. usually when it gets to maybe 8'', I'll trim it down to 1-2'' (the third cut I sometimes only get 6'' off of it)... after the third cut, it's pretty much done and it's time to start over.

 

[Blue eyes]

Ahhh.. I just stumbled across this photo. This is to show OP how much of the basil I would feed per day to my 2 rabbits. I could probably harvest this amount about 4 to 5 times per week because the basil grew so readily. You can actually see that some of the basil was already beginning to bloom from me not cutting it often enough.
I'd say Shadowfax (in photo) was about 6 lbs something.

 

[Blue eyes]

Just thought I'd post an update photo from my earlier post in April. Here's the April photo (with tiny little basil just barely sprouting in foreground). Following that is the current photo of the basil which I have been now using readily for my buns.

The second photo also shows some purple basil way in the background. That's something new I'm trying this year. The buns seem to really like it.

 

[Zaiya]

Are Chives safe for rabbits? We have tons in our garden which i'm sure the rabbits would enjoy if it's ok for them.

 

[Ilovemyrabbit]

Zaiya, I was wondering about that myself so I researched it and its a definite no. I don't know about the leaves though.

 

[Zaiya]

Ah, OK. I'm glad I didn't give any to them them!

What about mustard plant?

We have basil and mint in the garden this year, so they still get a treat every once in a while!

 

[ladysown]

mint (do not give if pregnant/nursing), do not feed chives (onion family)

My buns have enjoyed parsley, cilantro, stevia, oregano, sage, basil, thyme, dandelion etc.

I grow mustard, and radish (the greens are enjoyed),

 

[Zaiya]

My rabbits are both bucks, so there is no worry about the mint for me

What about kale?

 

[Kittiebot]

Kale is great, it's one of my bun's (and my) favorites!

 

[Ilovemyrabbit]

Yes, Kale is great for bunnies!