Growing your own plants

[Brandy6810]

If I wanted to grow plants for my piggies which are best? I know they love lettuce, grass, carrots, bell peppers, cilantro....what else? Also can they eat bell pepper leaves like if theyre near the plant? What about carrot tops? The green part?

 

[Lady Kelly]

They can't have the greens of the bell pepper as it's poisonous but yes they love carrots and their tops as a treat. Cut and come again style lettuce is good as you can pull bits off and it will keep growing. Consider herbs too, depending on your climate some grow really well. I find oregano and parsley grow really well where I am with minimal effort. Whereas bell peppers would require a greenhouse sort of effect as it generally doesn't stay warm enough for them to grow well. If you have a sunny spot then cherry tomatoes do well against a trellis but again fed as only a treat

 

[Bill & Ted]

They can certainly have carrot tops, not sure about pepper leaves. herbs are good and quite easy to grow, dill and parsley

 

[Brandy6810]

They can't have the greens of the bell pepper as it's poisonous but yes they love carrots and their tops as a treat. Cut and come again style lettuce is good as you can pull bits off and it will keep growing. Consider herbs too, depending on your climate some grow really well. I find oregano and parsley grow really well where I am with minimal effort. Whereas bell peppers would require a greenhouse sort of effect as it generally doesn't stay warm enough for them to grow well. If you have a sunny spot then cherry tomatoes do well against a trellis but again fed as only a treat
[/QUOTEl]

Thank you! I didn't know they could have other herbs or even tomatoes!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Basil and mint are easy to grow also

Tomatoes need to be given only occasionally as treats as the acid in them can cause issues with their lips (cheilitis), but they absolutely can be fed.

Below is a list of safe veg so you may be able to pick some things off the list which you can grow yourself
Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading

 

[Lady Kelly]

Basil and mint are easy to grow also

Tomatoes need to be given only occasionally as treats as the acid in them can cause issues with their lips (cheilitis), but they absolutely can be fed.

Below is a list of safe veg so you may be able to pick some things off the list which you can grow yourself
Edible And Forbidden Veg And Fruit List With Vitamin C Grading

You say that but every basil we have had outdoors has died very quickly though the mint does grow like a weed. Our thyme is the other one that grows well with very little effort

 

[PigglePuggle]

I always find coriander/cilantro a very easy and tasty piggy plant to grow, but my parsley never made it and my lettuces got indoor aphids then went floppy! Coriander, clover, dandelions, grass and carrot tops (the bottoms are only an inch long so far) are my major piggy food plant growing successes

 

[DMS260820]

Try growing grass.

You got vit c, tooth wear, and hydration through just grass alone

 

[Piggies&buns]

You say that but every basil we have had outdoors has died very quickly though the mint does grow like a weed. Our thyme is the other one that grows well with very little effort

Basil likes to be in a sunny but sheltered position and in free draining soil. It doesn’t like being watered in the evenings because being wet overnight when it is cooler doesn’t do it any good.
It grows best in the same conditions as tomatoes so while it will grow outside given the right conditions (ie plenty of sun), if it can be grown in a greenhouse then it does even better.

 

[Eddie & Elvis]

I've got a while collection of herbs for my piggies. I've got parsley, thyme, mint, basil, corriander. I found the basil and thyme does better indoors but the mint, parsley and coriander does fine outside. The parlsey grows faster than it gets eaten I've also got spinach and tomato plants growing . Thanks for the info on basil @Piggies&buns I'll make sure not to water it in evening now. Since it's come back in from outside it's never been quite as healthy looking so hopefully this might help

 

[Lady Kelly]

I've got a while collection of herbs for my piggies. I've got parsley, thyme, mint, basil, corriander. I found the basil and thyme does better indoors but the mint, parsley and coriander does fine outside. The parlsey grows faster than it gets eaten I've also got spinach and tomato plants growing . Thanks for the info on basil @Piggies&buns I'll make sure not to water it in evening now. Since it's come back in from outside it's never been quite as healthy looking so hopefully this might help

I have similar set up, a herb planter with chives (obviously not for the piggies), dill, parsley, mint, thyme, oregano, sage and more mint our coriander died off immediately outside as did our basil. Our sage isn't looking too healthy either. We tend to water the plants in the evening which is probably why I have never had much luck with basil so thank you @Piggies&buns for that nugget of wisdom

 

[Betsy]

My Coriander/Cilantro is doing really well. I give a bit to my piggies most days. I'll have to plant some new seeds soon though.

 

[Eddie & Elvis]

I'm waiting for my coriander to grow big enough to pick some off it feels like it's taking ages

 

[Betsy]

It does take ages then it goes mad!