What to plant outside around the coop. Shade being the first goal. Thanks!

[21hens-incharge]

For a tall, noninvasive grass I really like my zebra grass. Hardiness zone listed as 5-9. Here we get spells of overnight lows to -16 pretty much every winter. I have grown them for roughly 15 years and had zero die. They can be cut back in all to allow sun in during winter or allowed to stay til spring for winter interest.

https://www.thespruce.com/zebra-grass-information-2132485

 

[KyCoop]

Here was my solution for my west facing run. Simple cloth shower curtains I can open and close as needed.

 

[bgmathteach]

Here was my solution for my west facing run. Simple cloth shower curtains I can open and close as needed.

What a cool & simple idea! Great imagination/thinking to come up with that!

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Do you have a plan to protect these plants from the deer? I have enough deer pressure, I would go with a deer fence around landscaping around the coop, ideally. More realistically, I would try pawpaws or a fencing tube around apple trees until they are big enough.

Great idea. Ironically, even tho i live on a dead end with a huge dense mountain behind the house, the deer and other wildlife dont really come onto this property. In the 50’s the property was a booming used car business until the late late 90’s. My grandfather had people here all the time driving in and out and I think the wildlife got used to it not being an ideal spot for them. Even tho he had chickens, pigeons, and ducks. It has been about 20yrs since all that and all i really see here are chipmunks and a family of woodchucks. Lucky i guess. They all stay in the woods. I’m sure once I start adding yummy fruits they may come…..so, I’ll cross that bridge when i get there.

 

[Happy hen lover]

If there isn't enough sun for beans, and you decide to plant a shrub or tree....hostas and daylilies are edible and tolerate shade, so can be under planted beneath tree/shrub. If you get the older varieties (i.e. non-deer resistant ones), and you let the chickens out, they may enjoy 'sampling' the hostas. ( should be fine once hostas are established) Both are perennials, too

Bigmathtech , I am so glad to hear that about daylillies! I have some I need to thin and need to plant my cinder blocks that line the part shady side of coop base! I could have been picking leaves this whole time. They are old fashioned for sure came from job site and man they spread!

 

[Happy hen lover]

Sho nuff but probably won't be serving to my hubby anytime soon!

 

[DLA]

Do you free range your chickens at all? If so, try to stay with safe plants.


I agree with Killer3Bs, vining things will work nicely.

I planted tall peas by my run each year (4-5 feet tall). The pea plants are edible, so if they grew through the run wire, it gave them something to nibble on, plus I would snack on the peas when I went to care for the chicks . This would be great while you are waiting for something more substantial to grow. They can also be interplanted with nasturtiums and or marigolds as @Alaskan mentioned. (both also completely edible) Might also be able to get a harvest in in early spring before a deciduous tree fully leafs out once it is established.


Again, @3KillerBs is right on the money. Semi-Dwarf apples or pears, or even crab apples (not the ornamental ones, as they don't bear fruit, or it is tiny if they do). You could also plant a ChokeCherry. Depending on the particular variety, it is a shrub to small tree. It is native, and wildlife like it, too. If you free range, this could become a favorite roosting spot in addition to bearing 'treats' in the fall! If you don't want something quite as tall, then maybe highbush blueberries(native), or any kind of commercial variety of blueberries.

Below is a link to the Mass Wildlife's site for native shrubs for wildlife food. All should work for you in CT, too. Sort/search by soil type. Just beware of ones that have thorns or prickers (Hawthorn, for example) if you are going to plant it where that may become a 'pain'

https://www.mass.gov/guides/native-shrubs-for-plantings-as-wildlife-food

I don't know the orientation of your coop, so keep this in mind. If possible, a tallish shrub/shorter tree planted to the south-west of the coop/run would give best shade at the hottest time of the day.

A shorter shrub/bush or tall grasses like:

on the east/southeast would help with early morning sun.

A tall tree (I'm talking 20 or more feet tall) planted 8-10' (or more depending on the tree) to the South will help once it gets large. (May have to keep branches pruned so don't rub against run when it gets to intermediate stage.... but as gets large, outer branches will overhang run, and provide shade to the south, creating a slightly cooler micro-climate in the run area. Depending on the size of the tree when purchased & it's growth habit (i.e. fast versus slow), though, this could be a 8-10 year venture to get it to canopy size. Pay attention to tree shape when mature...you want to buy something that is more open/umbrella shaped than pyramidal shaped when mature.

I know you didn't ask this, but you might want to plant an evergreen to the North (or direction of prevailing wind) to provide a wind break in the winter when it is cold. That, combined with a deciduous planting to the South (South, south-west, South-east) would make for 4 seasons of more comfortable living

I would look over your options, make a plan, and then slowly add plants over time as you can manage (it can be a HUGE task trying to do it all at once if you are going to go whole hog with landscaping around the coop/run) Anything you do will be better, and your chooks will appreciate it.

Hope this helps!

Plant American Paw-Paw trees (Asimina triloba). They're super hardy, Live in western PA (growing zone 5) and they grow like weeds here with no problems, pests don't seem to bother them. They don't get too tall (8 to 10 ft) but have big leaves that make nice shade. I'm not that fond of the flavor of the fruit, kind of like banana/apple/custard flavor but odd, other people I know love them. My chickens love them in the fall when they ripen.

 

[Mypeeps2013]

Comfrey is big leafy and edible. It's high in protein too. Rosemary and lavender to help with the smell and should help keep the pests like fleas, mites, and even rats away