Most people know that dogs can eat sweet potatoes. Some even go so far as to bake or grow them at home. But when it comes to parrots, reptiles, and exotic pets, the average household still defaults to the same old cheap, store-bought “kibble” — even if it’s just a plastic bag of dyed seeds with a tropical bird slapped on the front.

It’s time to ask a serious question: Why are we feeding irradiated hemp seeds from China to birds that can live 80 years? Why are we offering reptiles wilted, pesticide-soaked supermarket greens when dandelions and squash flowers grow freely outside?

If your animal eats plants — even partially — then you should be growing those plants. Not just for their health, but for your own. It’s cleaner, cheaper, fresher, and far more aligned with your pet’s evolutionary biology. And here’s the truth: you should be eating it too. This guide isn’t just for your animals — it’s for anyone who believes food should be alive, shared, and full of meaning.

This Is For You Too

The greens, microgreens, and edible flowers listed in this guide aren’t just pet-safe — they’re superfoods for humans. These plants are low in oxalates, rich in minerals, easy to digest, and can often be eaten raw straight from your backyard.

When you grow your own food using Korean Natural Farming, you’re not just feeding your reptiles or parrots — you’re bringing life to your garden, to your pets, and to your own body. You’re rediscovering the sacred joy of eating the same food as your companions. You’re connecting to your land, your soil, and the life around you. Imagine picking hibiscus together with your parrot, or letting your uromastyx snack on dandelions while you brew tea from the same flowers. That’s not just sustainable — that’s a relationship with nature.

Oxalates: What They Are and Why They Matter

Oxalates are natural compounds found in many vegetables, especially leafy greens. While not inherently toxic, high oxalate levels bind to calcium, forming crystals that can cause kidney stones, bone disease, impaction, and organ damage — in both reptiles and humans.

Reptiles like bearded dragons, iguanas, and uromastyx are especially sensitive to oxalates. Chronic exposure to high-oxalate foods like spinach, beet greens, and Swiss chard can lead to metabolic bone disease (MBD) and even death. But humans aren’t immune — oxalates are also linked to calcium depletion, chronic fatigue, gut inflammation, and stone formation in people.

You can’t rely on TikTok recipes or parrot seed mixes to teach you what’s safe. You need to go deeper.

Use this verified medical reference as your foundation:

Oxalate Content of Foods (UCI Kidney Stone Center)

https://ucikidneystonecenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Oxalate-Content-of-Foods.pdf

Home-Growing Essentials: Greens, Flowers, and Microgreens

You don’t need farmland. You need sunlight, a container, and intention. Whether on a patio, balcony, or raised bed — you can grow enough to make a difference for you and your animal companions.

Top Low-Oxalate Greens:

• Collard Greens – cold-tolerant, high calcium

• Mustard Greens – spicy, fast-growing

• Dandelion Greens – free, full-spectrum edible

• Endive / Escarole – grows compact in containers

• Arugula – microgreen or full-leaf

Edible Flowers (safe and loved):

• Squash Blossoms – calcium-rich and reptile-approved

• Hibiscus – great for parrots and humans alike

• Nasturtiums – peppery flavor, high in vitamin C

• Chamomile – calming for digestion

• Dandelion Flowers – excellent source of antioxidants

Microgreens (use in moderation):

• Best options: Arugula, clover, bok choy, basil

• Avoid: Spinach and beet microgreens (too high in oxalates)

Seasonal Rotation Strategy

Food should change with the seasons — for you and your animals. Here’s how to rotate your crops for year-round abundance.

Spring:

Mustard greens, dandelions, arugula, cilantro, nasturtiums

Summer:

Zucchini and pattypan squash (for blossoms), cucumbers, blueberries

Fall:

Collards, kale (mix with lower oxalate greens), figs, grapes

Winter (or indoor):

Butter lettuce, bok choy, watercress, sprouted grains

Pro Tip:

Choose tight-blossom squash varieties for maximum flower harvest:

• Grey Zucchini

• Pattypan

• Tromboncino (great for vertical spaces)

Seeds available from:

https://www.rareseeds.com

Growing Environments for Every Setup

Indoor Growing:

Use pots or trays with quality organic soil and LED grow lights. Ideal for microgreens, lettuce, and herbs.

Greenhouse:

Great for squash, papaya, guava, and year-round edible flowers. Use predator bugs like lacewings for pest control.

Porch or Balcony:

Go vertical with stacked pots, railing planters, and hanging baskets for dandelions, nasturtiums, and leafy greens.

Outdoor Beds:

The dream setup — rotate seasonal crops, build compost-rich soil, and avoid sprays by using Korean Natural Farming methods.

Korean Natural Farming: Healing the Soil, Healing Ourselves

Korean Natural Farming (KNF) is a method of working with nature, not against it. It uses fermented local plants and microorganisms to feed your soil, instead of chemical fertilizers or synthetic sprays.

Key Techniques:

• FPJ (Fermented Plant Juice): Feed your greens with plant ferments made from the same species

• IMOs (Indigenous Microorganisms): Gather native microbes from the forest and inoculate your garden

• LAB (Lactic Acid Bacteria): Use for digestion, soil health, and even gut health in fermented food recipes for you and your pets

Growing with KNF brings your garden to life — literally. You’ll be feeding not just plants, but the entire microscopic web of life beneath them. And in doing so, you’ll create food that gives life back to you.

Cho KNF Official Guide (PDF)

https://www.naturalfarminghawaii.net/uploads/8/9/1/4/8914092/cho_knf_english_manual.pdf

Final Word: If You Care, You Grow

This guide is about love. Not the plastic kind. Not the packaged kind. The real kind — the kind that grows in soil, breathes in sunlight, and shares space across species. When you grow your own food for your animals, you aren’t just saving money or improving nutrition. You’re making a commitment to life.

You are choosing to share your meals with the beings you care for. You’re eating hibiscus petals together. You’re sipping water from the same mint leaf. You’re reconnecting with the earth that made both of you. That’s not just healing — that’s how healing begins.

So plant a seed. Rinse a dandelion. Watch your dragon or skink or parrot light up with the same joy you feel when you pick fresh greens. In that moment, you’re not a “pet owner.” You’re part of something bigger — a co-gardener in the miracle of life.

SOURCES:

• UCI Oxalate Content of Foods (PDF):

  https://ucikidneystonecenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Oxalate-Content-of-Foods.pdf

• Korean Natural Farming Official English Guide (PDF):

  https://www.naturalfarminghawaii.net/uploads/8/9/1/4/8914092/cho_knf_english_manual.pdf

• Rare and Heirloom Seeds for Edible Greens and Flowers:

  https://www.rareseeds.com