Gardening for our furry friends!

We all want our pets to be happy and content as we have a mutual relationship to keep each other filled with the joys of life! If you enjoy gardening or just want to grow something to keep your furry friend satisfied, this is a must read to give you much needed information and inspiration to take this on as a fulfilling project.

Pets that can benefit from growing your own greens, can be rabbits, hamsters, cats, guinea pigs, birds and even dogs. There are numerous benefits to grow your own greens as it is fresher and its cost effective and you know that nothing harmful has been used when growing your pets nutritious treats!

If you don’t have a big garden, there are other options such as pots or you can also grow microgreens for your pets. Fresh grown greens assist the removal of indigestible matter and improve overall digestion for your pets. If your pets are not used to fresh greens introduce it to them slowly.

How to prepare your garden?

Planting in the garden - Work organic compost into your garden soil. Sprinkle the seeds and cover it with a thin layer of soil. Water lightly every day to keep the soil moist. Germination times vary for all varieties of seeds sown.

Planting in pots - Seeds can also be sown in pots filled with a seedling germination mix and then sow the seeds lightly on the top and cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. Leave a space of 1.5 cm at the top of your pot for watering. Sowing in pots can be done inside your house in a sunny spot.

Planting microgreens. Another can be growing microgreens. Just make sure that your pots or microgreen trays are placed in a spot that gets sun for a at least 3-6 hours a day. Microgreens can be sown in a flat tray with peat / coir or you can get a Microgreen kit to help you start your journey!

Cats - For cats the following seeds can be sown in your garden or in a pot or as a microgreen:

Catnip (Nepeta) this is a plant all cats love to nibble on and the aroma is very soothing to them. It will do best in the garden or in a pot for your furry friend.

Wheatgrass or Barley is a favorite of all cats, the long grass shoots will be eagerly enjoyed by your fur baby.

Rabbits – The following is a delectable treat for rabbits.

Nasturtium flowers and leaves can be enjoyed by the owner and the pet. It is also a beautiful addition to a garden or to a pot on the patio. Parsley and basil will be a welcome addition to any garden for a rabbit. But a rabbits absolute favourite is carrots where they will enjoy eating not only the carrot but also the leafy greens.

Dogs - For dogs grass is very important, but it depends on your available space as to what you can do for your dog.

If you don’t have a lawn area and limited space wheatgrass can be grown in containers or in a flat trays for your dogs to enjoy nibbling on. The ultimate for dogs is a lush lawn to roll about on! We offer a wide range of lawn seeds in various pack sizes which are sure to suit the area you have available. Be sure not too treat your lawn with harmful chemicals and fertilizers. Talborne Organics Vita-Green is a good organic fertilizer for lawns. Whilst the topic of dogs eating lawn grass can be contentious it is normally the use of harmful chemicals that can be dangerous to your dog and not the actual grass if it has not been treated with harmful chemicals. Did you know that most veterinarians consider dogs eating grass as normal dog behaviour?

About the Author

Adele Siemssen is the Seeds for Africa Operations supervisor.  Adele is a qualified horticulturist with 30 years of hands on experience and loves pets and assisting customers to make their garden dreams come true!