Aussie Finch Forum

Ive started to get some really good seed heads form the plants I have. I was thinking about freezing the extra. What is the best way?
Ive put a few stems in the freezer at the moment just as I picked them off the plant as a test, so there is stem and leaf and the seed. The majority of the seed is still wrapped in the stem cover just a few seed poking out of the top.

I just cut the heads off with enough stem to hang in the aviary and make sure when sealed its airtight.So you need to use large bags.I have also found cheaper bags the stems break through so with seed heads I use better quality bags.

If the heads aren't out and open fair chance there is actually no seed, start of a flower maybe!

Its not a real issue with Johnston grass that it hasnt set seed, birds that love greens will eat the pithy material inside the seed head even if there isnt actually a seed a s such . Diamonds love it and so do a few other species ive kept. There are a few grasses that look almost identical to Johnstons Grass and my birds show little interest at any stage so maybe getting the tasty one is the trick.

There is definitely seed inside the closed up leaves. I usually leave it on the plant until I can just see the seeds through the wrapping leaf then pick and deliver. Got to collect at this stage otherwise the local sparrows make a meal of them.
Ive just brought out the ones I put in the freezer yesterday still in the leaf wrapper and they seem to be ok, mixed them in with the egg food.

Does anyone know the Latin name for this grass please?

Weds of Queensland (Kleinschmidt and Johnson, 1977) give it as "Johnson Grass" (no T) and latin name "Sorgum halepense".

It does say "the plant is palatable and nutritious but it yields prussic acid, at times in sufficient quantity to cause stock losses."

MadOzzie

Thanks for that info. I shall try to find it here in WA to include in a plot of grasses I want to grow for my birds.