Feeding Milk Thistle

[teg33]

i had no idea birds ate this! it pops up anywhere in my yard and i'm always pulling it out!

Do not confuse it with Dandelion or the other one looks like it...it is called flatweed...

Is feeding Dandelion still ok?

[djb78]

All mine get from dandelion is the flower/seed head.

[Tiaris]

Dandelion leaves are excellent green food for finches as are fresh Flatweed leaves (wild Satin bowerbirds here love the flatweed leaves too & Rosellas love the heads). Milk thistles are the ideal green weed for Siskins, Goldfinches, Singers, Canaries, etc. (any of the serinus & carduelis group). The green aphids which get on them are outstanding livefood for any finch. If you seek out the aphid-covered ones your finches won't touch the thistle itself until all the aphids are eaten. These ones are very valuable for parent-rearing Red Siskins. I would touch the prickly Scotch Thistle though - wild Rosellas here love the spent flower heads though.

[Diane]

Are the black aphid that get on roses ok, Ive been tempted to try but wasn't sure.

[Tiaris]

Yes, Any aphids are great livefood. I even shake the black ones off my citrus trees & the birds gobble them up quickly.

[Diane]

Looks like I might be pruning roses later.

[amalan11]

made me laugh reading this thread,reminds me of that old saying "one mans trash is anothers treasure" .Most people would be horrified to have aphids and milk thistles and dandilions not to mention a good stock of maggots or weevils guess you have to have birds
Im starting to think over the years iv turned into one, the excitement I feel on finding a nice bunch of grassseeds or branchs for my guys ..theres no feeling like watching them loot it

[jusdeb]

My parrots eat the rosehip and petals as well as any bugs ...good value

[djb78]

I'm guessing deb that your roses would look like sticks all year round.

[finchbreeder]

Small plastic jar lid and paint brush, and dust the aphids off the roses into the lid. Nathan's thistle from the garden is good, but don;t feed bushes from the roadside, if you want to grow them just take the seed heads and scatter the seeds onto a patch of ground and water. Only winter growing here too DB.
LML