Plantain?

ZenHerper

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You can eat both. I've read some things about English Plantain but Both are really high in tannic acid so they need to have a couple of sauna baths followed by ice water. Plantain starts growing again in the spring with a little seed flower pod. Supposedly those little fresh pods taste similar to broccoli...

When discussing tannins we now have to ask which ones and in what concentrations. Tannins as a class of chemicals are found in essentially all plants. Some are highly problematic, most are not (as long as they are taken as part of a varied, balanced diet).



 

Cathie G

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When discussing tannins we now have to ask which ones and in what concentrations. Tannins as a class of chemicals are found in essentially all plants. Some are highly problematic, most are not (as long as they are taken as part of a varied, balanced diet).



I always put my fresh broccoli through one bath session...other plants are really high in tannic acid and need more baths to make them more palatable for us. Some are so high in tannic acid you can make beautiful leather with them. I've done that with Que bracco.
 

Cathie G

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When discussing tannins we now have to ask which ones and in what concentrations. Tannins as a class of chemicals are found in essentially all plants. Some are highly problematic, most are not (as long as they are taken as part of a varied, balanced diet).



Wow...something I realized from tanning leather is that tannic acid protects living cells also. I use cold coffee on a burn to this day.
 

JoeWells

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You guys are blowing my mind with all this info. I’ve learned more about plants and vegetables from this forum then I’ve learned from my whole life! I wish I would have joined when I was a kid, I’d probably be a lot healthier. Everyone is so eager to help and so informative, it’s truly a gift.
 

ZenHerper

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You guys are blowing my mind with all this info. I’ve learned more about plants and vegetables from this forum then I’ve learned from my whole life! I wish I would have joined when I was a kid, I’d probably be a lot healthier. Everyone is so eager to help and so informative, it’s truly a gift.

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - T.S. Eliot

 

Summerthetort

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Dizisdalife

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Any chance I can get plantain seeds from anywhere? People do eat it sometimes right? Or maybe I’m confused with something else. Maybe I’m thinking of dandelion greens
In case you haven't located a source for plantain seeds, here is what I have used:

I also grow Purple Plantain, a broadleaf with variegation. My sulcata could care less about the color, but they look good and add color to a salad. In the past I grew frissy plantain. The edges of the leaf are curley. It looks a lot like endive and is more tender than either the broadleaf or narrow leaf plantain. As my sulcata grew in size the tender leaf aspect was not so important. I haven't grown this in several years because it did not survive our winter here in San Diego as well as the other plantains. Great for feeding those small torts.
 

Tom

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In case you haven't located a source for plantain seeds, here is what I have used:

I also grow Purple Plantain, a broadleaf with variegation. My sulcata could care less about the color, but they look good and add color to a salad. In the past I grew frissy plantain. The edges of the leaf are curley. It looks a lot like endive and is more tender than either the broadleaf or narrow leaf plantain. As my sulcata grew in size the tender leaf aspect was not so important. I haven't grown this in several years because it did not survive our winter here in San Diego as well as the other plantains. Great for feeding those small torts.
JOE!!! Hey man. How are things in SD? Glad to see you posting!

I haven't heard of the "frissy plantain", but it sounds great for babies. Gotta look that one up.
 

Dizisdalife

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Hey Tom, it is actually frills plantain. I looked for the seed pack, but since I stopped growing it a couple of years ago it's not likely to reappear soon. San Diego is great. I'm ready for warm weather again and so is my sulcata.
 

JoeWells

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In case you haven't located a source for plantain seeds, here is what I have used:

I also grow Purple Plantain, a broadleaf with variegation. My sulcata could care less about the color, but they look good and add color to a salad. In the past I grew frissy plantain. The edges of the leaf are curley. It looks a lot like endive and is more tender than either the broadleaf or narrow leaf plantain. As my sulcata grew in size the tender leaf aspect was not so important. I haven't grown this in several years because it did not survive our winter here in San Diego as well as the other plantains. Great for feeding those small torts.
Gotcha. My tort definitely likes the more tender weeds. Not all of em but it generally goes for the more tender ones and the new shoots first. Thanks for the info
 

Lemonade

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In my area of Southern California, the only places I've seen plantain is mixed in with lawn grasses, like on school playfields. I recently dug some up at a small golf course near my home. I noticed it seems to grow more prolifically where the ground is wetter. It transplants very well, my Russian is preferring it over the mallow weed, and it started reseeding itself within just several weeks.
 

JoeWells

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In my area of Southern California, the only places I've seen plantain is mixed in with lawn grasses, like on school playfields. I recently dug some up at a small golf course near my home. I noticed it seems to grow more prolifically where the ground is wetter. It transplants very well, my Russian is preferring it over the mallow weed, and it started reseeding itself within just several weeks.
Good to know! I was hoping when I found some I could re plant. Now all I have to do is locate some. I feel like me and plantain are in a battle. So far, the latter is winning
 

Samantha Graham

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This is not plantain, but it is good tortoise food. That is one of the many that I can't keep the name straight, but I've been feeding small amounts of that one to all of my tortoises for decades.
Is it bristly ox tongue Tom?
 

RosemaryDW

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It seems like no one can remember the name of bristly ox-tongue but that’s what it is, one of the dandelion relatives. :) It should stick to your shirt if you rub a leaf against it.
 

JoeWells

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It seems like no one can remember the name of bristly ox-tongue but that’s what it is, one of the dandelion relatives. :) It should stick to your shirt if you rub a leaf against it.
I’m literally seeing it all over the place now. I take my daughter on little walks and bike rides around the neighborhood so she can get some exercise. It’s amazing how I’m constantly looking around to see all the plants in the surrounding area. Before my tort, I honestly never paid attention.

I’ve planted a few things per your suggestions in a previous thread Rosemary. I have squash, strawberry (more for me), a bunch of different lettuces, and a whole mess of that testudo mix from tortoise supply.com. Everything is coming up already! Thanks for giving me the kick in the pants I needed. Hope everyone is sane and healthy in these bazaar times
 

RosemaryDW

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It does grow everywhere, at least by me. The earliest one to appear in the spring, the last to die out in the summer.

I’d like to say our strawberries are for us but sadly she started eating them immediately this year. In prior years she only ate leaves high in tannins (roses, berries) in late summer. This spring she has taken no prisoners, lol.

It must be reassuring to be growing food, in case you can’t get out to buy it at some point. I’m just picking weeds right now and hoping we have them for a while. She can live off what’s in our yard but she’d decimate it if we weren’t offering additional food.
 

JoeWells

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It does grow everywhere, at least by me. The earliest one to appear in the spring, the last to die out in the summer.

I’d like to say our strawberries are for us but sadly she started eating them immediately this year. In prior years she only ate leaves high in tannins (roses, berries) in late summer. This spring she has taken no prisoners, lol.

It must be reassuring to be growing food, in case you can’t get out to buy it at some point. I’m just picking weeds right now and hoping we have them for a while. She can live off what’s in our yard but she’d decimate it if we weren’t offering additional food.
I guess we were fortunate to have this pandemic in the spring time. Not so much for us but for others who live in colder winter climates. People will still be able to forage for tort food through this whole mess. If it came about in late fall people would be forced to go out to the stores more to get fresh greens during the winter months. Always look on the bright side of life!
 

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