duck-proof plants? - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyowpotopop 

I'll look into it for a nice patch of plantage then. I do enjoy bamboo... And I'd like a patch of it.

 

What about flowers? Are there any anuals that would work? I really hate re-planting flowers every year...

 

And I meant my dogs would eat the grapes.

Do you mean perennials? My ducks tend to leave creeping phlox alone as well as the hydrangea, the rose bush seems unscathed as well. A nice bonus for the rose bush is that ducks will eat all the japanese beetles that tend to decimate the leaves. I also haven't had any problems with potted annuals like petunias, vincas, and others along those lines.

My ducks are now free ranging all day so the tendency for them to eradicate all greenery is greatly reduced. Only the water chestnut has this problem.

I have a honeysuckle vine that has mostly been able to withstand the ducks, but the ducks do eat low reaching flowers.  They also don't seem to bother the heather(?) plant and catmint(different from catnip). x2 on the ornamental grasses.  

Here are some photos

1 year planted in ground clumping bamboo

established ornamental grass

My raised bed with cooking herbs and artichoke but I had to put a wire screen around it to keep the ducks from jumping in.

According to the ASPCA grapes are a no no for dogs, I used to feed them to mine all the time, but supposedly can be toxic (in large quantities). http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-poison-control/grapes

There's a book out called, Free Range Chicken Gardens, which I found helpful.  Our local library had it.  Just need to consider ducks are a little different (flat footed and like wet and like to drill as opposed to scratching of chickens) http://gardenfowl.com/chickens/gardening-with-chickens-the-toolbox/

Other than that, suggestions by others n BYC, trial and error!  I have recently planted a red currant which is doing great in the duck run, but then it is fenced off with hardward cloth until it gets established.

Wish there was a list of poisonous plants for waterfowl like the ASPCA has for dogs/cats/horses!  Our first duck pen was established around our Pinot Noir wine grapes, blue berries, and table grapes.  The pen has moved, but the plants are growing wonderfully (thanks to fertilizer presumably).  Note: With edible food, they recommend no fresh manures for 90 days prior to harvest.
 

I tried some Bertgartten sage and lemon balm in my duck run (as I had an excess of both).  The sage was protected and still growing on the perimeter.  The lemon balm got trampled/eaten.  The oregano that was planted and has seeded itself in the area is still growing like a weed - ducks or not.  They do not bother with it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyowpotopop 

Ugh, bamboo is awful round here. It just goes everywhere and is invasive but if I can make one little patch of it in concrete maybe. (Then I could have bamboo around too and I do like bamboo.)

 

We're actually looking at putting the duck pen in an area by some grape plants... But I will be fencing those out of my yard because I own dogs and they are dog-toxic. And they WILL eat 'em... Elderberry could work... I have to be careful about dog-toxic plants too!

Really?? Grapes are bad for dogs... Ive never had a problem with my doggies. They kinda like them lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyowpotopop 

Well my husky really likes chocolate. :P She got into a couple of Hershy's Kisses once and hasn't stopped her pursuit of things that are bad for her since.

 

There's a toxin in grapes (thought to be found most heavilly in the skin) that makes dogs pretty sick depending on how sensitive your dog is to them. If you have a big dog they handle the toxin better. In theory it's toxic to us too... But it takes a lot more to kill us. Same with chocolate. Two lbs of extra dark or bakers chocolate with a lot of raw cocoa in it is enough to kill a human... But it's hard to eat THAT much chocolate and most brands like M&M or kisses or something have very little actual cocoa.

Here's a full list; http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/people-foods.aspx

Aaaand plants; http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/Plants?plant_toxicity=toxic-to-dogs

 

I'd like to avoid these plants when possible. We have brunfenella and english ivy in the backyard of where I currently live (we're moving soon) and it makes me very nervous because sometimes they rip off leaves. :|

Thats because they know that their parents dont like them doing it. xD their pushing your limits haha. Thats like how my runners would wonder off next door. As soon as i would walk out the front door and walk down the side of the house they would see me and run... My dad seen them after i chased them into our yard that they stared at me and once i got inside they went right back over!!! What little snots!!! But thats what makes them cute too :P

I was actually surprised at how few plants my ducks ruined.

I have Hosta (4 varieties), Hellebore (7 varieties), Heuchera (3 varieties), Ferns many), Epimedium, Lilies, Sedum (several, from groundcover to spectabilis), Blueberries, Roses, Hydrangea, and a host of other shrubs/perennials.

The only notable losses were the annual Impatiens; they LOVED those...was actually funny to watch! And a miniature Saxifrage groundcover, which wasn't eaten but just continuously bulldozed up! They have not harmed my geraniums or petunias at all. They do find themselves drawn to the blueberry bushes but I just yell "HEY!" and they scoot on out of there!

So, aside from the Impatiens, not much damage. I will have to figure out what to do with that bed...maybe I'll just make it ferns and moss.