Aussie Finch Forum

Hi all,
I thought id add this to the "type of plants "section. I`m growing some in the front yard and ive noticed its fast growing, quite attractive . This morning whilst pruning some shrubs i also noticed this plant is full of little flying insects. For those living in drier climates with larger aviaries it would appear to be the ideal plant/shrub .

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=old+man+ ... ,s:0,i:101" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I bought some saltbush plants over the net about 6 months ago & grew some in aviaries to house Wrens & Chats. These plants turned out to be some type of tetraploid grazing cultivar with leaves 30-40mm in diameter & a far lusher habit than I was hoping for. From what I've seen the smaller leaved forms are excellent aviary plants & highly favoured by many finches as green food. So I'll try again.

Tiaris wrote: with leaves 30-40mm in diameter & a far lusher habit than I was hoping for. From what I've seen the smaller leaved forms are excellent aviary plants & highly favoured by many finches as green food. So I'll try again.

Ive got 2 types in the front yard (one day will be softbill aviary) and the smaller leaved ones are good and produce berries but the old man saltbush is the only plant out there currently swarming with little green fying Gnat thingies.The other one i have is Ruby Saltbush which guys planted in big aviaries years ago in Adelaide.Maybe the lush foliage of the bigger leafed variety will attract more bugs for your softbills.

Tiaris wrote:I bought some saltbush plants over the net about 6 months ago & grew some in aviaries to house Wrens & Chats. These plants turned out to be some type of tetraploid grazing cultivar with leaves 30-40mm in diameter & a far lusher habit than I was hoping for. From what I've seen the smaller leaved forms are excellent aviary plants & highly favoured by many finches as green food. So I'll try again.

Do you recall its name. How did it handle the summer humidity?

The variety I think your after may be Rhogodia spinescens it grows quite well in my area with a 600 mm average rain fall . My finches love the leaves and strip them bare when I put a branch in there aviary . I all so have it growing in my big aviary ,6 plants and because there is so much variety of plant life it has managed to grow and do well.

In have the ruby saltbush growing. I wouldnt mind getting some of the other stuff myself.. problem is I live in the backward state and would not be able to get it through customs...pete

Danny wrote:

Tiaris wrote:I bought some saltbush plants over the net about 6 months ago & grew some in aviaries to house Wrens & Chats. These plants turned out to be some type of tetraploid grazing cultivar with leaves 30-40mm in diameter & a far lusher habit than I was hoping for. From what I've seen the smaller leaved forms are excellent aviary plants & highly favoured by many finches as green food. So I'll try again.

Do you recall its name. How did it handle the summer humidity?

Can't recall the cultivar name but I purchased it online through Inland Botanics based in Armidale NSW. Got their website from a google search.
The plants are growing well in the aviary which is dry coarse sand floor & fully roofed. Watered them in once a week for about a month & then left them dry & still going ok. I put some in our raised garden beds around the yard outside & with the very wet Spring & Summer we had they all died.

Is this the one?
http://informedfarmers.com/ruby-saltbush-2/

So is the one they grow out here to repair damage caused by the raised water table level OK for birds ?

I reckon that would be Old Man Saltbush or a close relative.