Herb Garden

[lyndym]

I've been contemplating getting a little herb garden going for my buns! I have no previous gardening experience whatsoever, save for the Chia pet I just grew. I live in an apartment, so I'd be planting in little pots on the patio. Who has gotten some herbs going before and could tell me which are the easiest to maintain? Any and all tips welcome!

 

[missyscove]

In a climate like ours in Southern California, it's pretty easy to get things growing as long as you can water them regularly over the summer. I have some parsley in a pot in my yard that I planted at the end of last summer and it's still growing nicely. I also had good luck with basil, but it's an annual so it died over the winter. With the basil you'll want to pinch the flowers off to encourage it to keep growing (the bunnies can eat the flowers too). I also have some oregano growing, but the snails keep eating it.

 

[Azerane]

Herbs are pretty straightforward, in my experience the easiest to grow is parsley, which bunns love. I grow a few herbs, but only really the basil and parsley are for Bandit. Again with parsley as with basil you'll want to pinch the flowers off to encourage more growth. Basil grows well and easily too, though I've found it to be rather susceptible to the cold. Have been meaning to try growing some cilantro as apparently bunns like that too, and depending on where you're from, cilantro can also be known as coriander. I should think it's easy to grow though as it seems a lot like parsley.

 

[PaGal]

I have grown several herbs over the past few years. I have grown all outside except for a mint plant I just purchased a few weeks ago. I have grown Italian and curled parsley, sage, basil, lemon basil, thyme. My sage is still doing well outside, I'm not sure if it usually does well through the winter or if this is just a fluke. Also, the last time I looked just a few weeks ago the parsley also was doing well. I have a green thumb when it comes to planting outside but more trouble keeping plants alive indoors. I have found all of the herbs to be easy to grow. I do usually use root starter from miracle grow when I first transplant a plant to give it an extra boost.

You can find plenty of websites with care tips for plants such as Bonnie. Good luck and one thing to keep in mind is that when the plants do well they can grow quite large very quickly unless you use parts or cut them back regularly.

 

[lyndym]

Thanks for the tips, everyone! It'd be great if I got some parsley and cilantro going. I know Trader Joe's has some basil plants, so maybe I could get one and make sure I don't kill it before going through the trouble of planting other things myself.

 

[molly]

My buns love parsley, dill and coriander and basil (when it's in season, otherwise it's too expensive here). I've found mint the easiest to grow (don't grow it in a pot or near a pot with other plants as it's incredibly invasive) but my buns don't appreciate it very much.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We used to grow wheat grass in a pot, so you can probably do the same with herbs.

 

[Azerane]

I just bought some dill, coriander/cilantro and silverbeet seedlings today to grow for my bunny. I'm looking forward to them growing up so I can start to give him more greens that I don't have to buy and have go to waste when we don't get through them quick enough.

 

[lyndym]

Thanks for the tips, everyone! I bought a basil plant from Trader Joe's today, which may be cheating since it's already huge, but for about $4 it's such a deal. Of course only one rabbit likes basil, it turns out, but you can't win every time. I really want to try cilantro and parsley, those always go over well.

 

[Azerane]

Thanks for the tips, everyone! I bought a basil plant from Trader Joe's today, which may be cheating since it's already huge, but for about $4 it's such a deal. Of course only one rabbit likes basil, it turns out, but you can't win every time. I really want to try cilantro and parsley, those always go over well.

Basil has been the only new green I've given Bandit that he hasn't turned his nose up at straight away. Bok choy was an effort and he's still not completely won over, and he won't even think about touching brussel sprouts, would have loved to have grown them for him. Nevermind I've just, never had such a fussy rabbit before. I even offered him a tiny piece of carrot the other day, and he wouldn't take it. It sat there for hours before it finally disappeared.