Aussie Finch Forum

The house behind me is being built and dad noticed some good looking seed heads in there back yard,no one is living in there yet so we jumped the fence can anyone help with what weed it might be and is it safe to give to my finches\

Thanks
Harv

Millet?
http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl= ... w&dur=3736

I thought it looked a lot like pannicum. The shot with the single seed head indicates its not quite ready. You should see a change in colour and seeds forming. You could also pick the lot when ripe and freeze it in snap lock bags, once its ripe there will be wild birds all over it.

Harv. it is one of the Settaria pasture grasses related to the red and yellow italian millets sold as birdseed for finches. As blue butterfly and DB said it will make great green seed for your birds just in time for Autumn breeding. The pasture types tend to shatter (ie drop the ripe seed) so pick them and freeze the heads before they ripen but after they've finished flowering (the anthers will hang down out of the hulls, dry off and fall).

I just call this one wild millet but its seed head is the same shape as setaria which grows on our property & is probably in the setaria genus. The one you have is much brighter green, has soft most foliage, is shorter & far superior to the pasture versions of setaria as a green seed head for finches as it has a sweeter flavour. Setaria is very tall, bluish leaved & has very bitter flavour which finches aren't very keen on.

Being throwing your old seed over back fence have we Harv?

I have been trying to meet our new neighbours they have not moved in yet so dad has been jumping the fence he gets over ok but getting back is funny to see

Don't know why its growing there i don't throw seed over there..

Harv

Its not a birdseed plant, its a weed (a good one)

I wish the vacant block over the back of us had that sort of Weed, instead of wattle.
LML

Tiaris wrote:Its not a birdseed plant, its a weed (a good one)

Would some take to being moved into a few pots?
If it would take to being moved into pots then maybe Harvey should hang around when the new neighbours show up and explain that your birds love that "weed". I think they would be more than happy for you to get of some of it for them as they will no doubt be fixing the garden up after moving in.