Freezing green grass

[Jenk]

There are plenty to choose between and some are more seasonal than others but the 2 I focus on are Pannicum and Oats (not sure if correct names) I'll take a picture of them in a minute so you can see what they look like. The reason I focus on these two is I find all my finches love them and they are pretty easy to access. I always feed my finches sprouted seed, kale, spinach, boo choy and seeding grass grown from finch mix daily as well as the other 2 grasses previously stated.

Thanks mate, I too always feed sprouted seed, kale, silver beet, cucumber... But was never sure if the seeding grasses I found on the golf course or anywhere for that matter is safe to feed I guess they are and if they're not the finches will stay away from it? Thanks again

[Lachlan1]

never sure if the seeding grasses I found on the golf course or anywhere for that matter is safe to feed I guess they are and if they're not the finches will stay away from it? Thanks again

I wouldn't risk it to be honest. I know finches will eat things like paspalum but its not good for them. Maybe create a thread of different types of seeding grasses that can be fed to finches and which species prefer what? Myself and a lot of other members would find great use out of that.

[Jenk]

never sure if the seeding grasses I found on the golf course or anywhere for that matter is safe to feed I guess they are and if they're not the finches will stay away from it? Thanks again

I wouldn't risk it to be honest. I know finches will eat things like paspalum but its not good for them. Maybe create a thread of different types of seeding grasses that can be fed to finches and which species prefer what? Myself and a lot of other members would find great use out of that.

Noted.... Thanks mate.

[matcho]

Go and have a talk to the curator of the course and tell him what you are after and particular areas that you collect from. I would hate to have you collect seed that has just been sprayed. He may even let you know when certain areas are going to be mowed or sprayed so you can get in early. You might be surprised with the response, or then again disappointed.

I had a chat recently to the groundkeeper recently of a very large area in the inner west of Sydney and enquired about some giant bamboo that had come down a day earlier. Returned next day and he had collected it. Asked if I could take it off his hands and it was a blunt "No, somebody else takes it all from me." I explained my disappointment as I bred aussie finches and wanted to try making nesting boxes from it. Result: 4 metres of giant bamboo which will make great nest boxes free of charge.

It think that most of the green keepers/groundkeepers have a little bit of the greenie in them and would be more than amenable to your cause. The park attendant down the road often says hello when I'm walking the dogs with "Take all the dandelion you like, saves me weeding"

Think outside the square. If you don't ask you will never know.

Ken.

[Jenk]

Go and have a talk to the curator of the course and tell him what you are after and particular areas that you collect from. I would hate to have you collect seed that has just been sprayed. He may even let you know when certain areas are going to be mowed or sprayed so you can get in early. You might be surprised with the response, or then again disappointed.

I had a chat recently to the groundkeeper recently of a very large area in the inner west of Sydney and enquired about some giant bamboo that had come down a day earlier. Returned next day and he had collected it. Asked if I could take it off his hands and it was a blunt "No, somebody else takes it all from me." I explained my disappointment as I bred aussie finches and wanted to try making nesting boxes from it. Result: 4 metres of giant bamboo which will make great nest boxes free of charge.

It think that most of the green keepers/groundkeepers have a little bit of the greenie in them and would be more than amenable to your cause. The park attendant down the road often says hello when I'm walking the dogs with "Take all the dandelion you like, saves me weeding"

Think outside the square. If you don't ask you will never know.

Ken.

Hi Ken,

Appreciate the advice but the areas I take the grasses from are always off the fairways in the deep mulga which never gets sprayed for obvious reasons so there's no issue with poisoned grasses. Too bad about the bamboo... Cheers.

[Stu]

the 2 I focus on are Pannicum and Oats (not sure if correct names) I'll take a picture of them in a minute so you can see what they look like

The bigger looking one is Prairie grass (Bromus willdenowii) my birds don't eat it which is a shame.
The other is hard to tell from the picture, size comparison to the Prairie grass and the fact that its seeding now, a guess,
Panic veldt grass (Ehrharta erecta).
Panic veldt grass seeds near all year round.

[westie]

I leave a 150 to 200mm stem as the birds eat the seed & use the rest for nesting
Brian

[avishoot]

green panic is easily harvested and frozen . after picking it is placed in a bag in the freezer overnight . when removed it is the seed is easily separated by hiting seed heads onto a piece of mesh with tarp placed underneath. the result is clean green seed which are frozen in containers and used for upto 6 months. the trick with green panic is to pick the heads just at the point where some of the seed will come away in your hand when you run the seed head through your hand but if you leave it a few more days it will drop . i find i have a three to four week window from mid april on to get the most effective harvest.

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