# fertilizers



## taurusgi (Aug 20, 2010)

I have a kinda stupid question about fertilizers... I realize if the grass got fertilizers on it, then it's bad for our babies. But what if I use it directly on the soil and avoid any on the plants? I want to add some liquid MiracleGrow in the water when I water my plants (in the pots, not the lawn). Would it be safe to feed my tortoise baby the leaves part as long as the fertilizers don't get on to the planst?

thanks for any opinion!!


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## VICtort (Aug 20, 2010)

That is an interesting question. The literature often tells us to refrain from feeding veggies from fertilized fields, yet rarely do they say Why...MMMmm, it seems a lot of folks have strong opinions about food items but little or no data to support the opinions, understandalby, we don't want to experiment on our precious tortoises.

I live in an agricultural area, So. CA. desert, the Imperial Valley where much of your winter time lettuce etc. comes from. The farmers here use a vast array of fertilizers and pesticides, and "produce/leafy cole crops" are sprayed frequently. and growing without them is problematic but a few organic farmers are trying. I have grown much of my own tortoise food, but I have endured plagues of biblical proportions...


To answer your question, I would make sure I very thoroughly wash anything you feed your tortoises. Fertilizers are a wide topic, so examine what they have in them, some I imagine are better than others. Curiously, fertilizers may be highly toxic to us, but an "elixir" to plants, i.e. Ammonium nitrate, cheap nitrogen source.


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## terryo (Aug 20, 2010)

You know when they say you learn something new every day.....well......... I NEVER thought of this one.....I've always fed my vegetable garden Miracle grow veg. food...also I feed my fig trees with this too. I use all the veggies and figs for Pio and my boxies all the time. I've been doing this for years. Now you got me thinking.....I never realized this until reading this thread. No one ever got sick from eating anything all these years. Wow....now what?


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## Annieski (Aug 20, 2010)

In my thinking, the fertilizers may fall "on the line" as far as the chemical-free idea for food for torts. I would have to believe the pesticides would be the major concern for a toxicity problem. Since the soil content is so variable from one area to another, a fertilizer[in my thinking] just gives a nutriant-poor soil a boost.


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## tortoisenerd (Aug 20, 2010)

Washing it doesn't get the fertilizers or any other chemicals out...same with only applying it to parts of the plant. Supposedly it takes 3-6 months for any chemicals to leech out after they are applied, as they are systemic. I don't take chances and feed only organic.  I do this because torts eat 100% greens while humans eat much less of their diet, so theoretically a tort could be affected much more. Plus, hatchlings and other young torts can be sensitive to chemicals. Lastly, buying organic doesn't add much to my cost as I only have one tort, a lot of the greens I buy at the store are only available in organic (like dandelion greens), and I live in an area with a lot of organic produce. I go to the organic grocer and they actually have a lot quicker turn over on the produce than buying from the super market so it lasts me longer since its fresh, so the cost might end up more even that way. Costco spring mix is the cheapest and that comes organic.

Just something I don't want to take chances with. There have been all sorts of studies on the effect of chemicals in produce on children, and I think of my tort as my child, and he eats even more produce than a human child. So, that is the way I like to look at it. I would only use organic stuff on your garden like manure or whatever other natural pesticides are out there (vinegar or similar?). If you've had stuff applied to the lawn in the past, I'd wait 6 months to feed it. Same with just replanting the plant with chemicals doesn't make it safe. Be careful with buying plants from nurserys and feeding from public lawns as such, as both sources are almost guaranteed to have chemicals unless the nursery plant is labeled organic or you personally know that chemicals weren't applied.


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## taurusgi (Aug 22, 2010)

Thank you guys for the great opinions! I was actually lucky enough to find an organic grocery store today and they have lots of cool vegies that I can feel my baby Blacky!  Also got an organic baby green mix from VONS today... i guess I'll stick to those food now till I figure out how to grow the other food without chemicals! 

Although... maybe I should stop feeding my tomato, cucumber, and bell pepper the MiracleGrow? I'm so confused now. They are for me not for my tortoise by the way................


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## ekm5015 (Aug 23, 2010)

Even if you water the dirt and not the plant with fertilizer, the plant will still be affected. The roots absorb the nutrients from the soil, so the chemicals would be abosorbed into the plant. There are many organic alternatives that can be used. You could also start saving up some of your torts poo and use that as a fetilizer.


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## Tracy Gould (Aug 23, 2010)

I have been really careful what i feed my little Heman shelby i pick her weeds from my garden were i do not add fetilizer but i do not get the worry over potting compose i bought some from B n Q and used it with play sand to line her out door area i then found out about looking for organic and started to worry about what i put in her area, but a wild tortoise will roam any where and it it gets into a garden its not got to turn its nose up at a nice plant because of what its planted in is it! Anyway it getting too cold out side here in England now so i figure anythink in the compost will have weathered away by next spring and her weeds seeds have been poted in gaden soil just in case


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## Turtulas-Len (Aug 23, 2010)

I use my tort poo to make fertilizer, put it in something like cheesecloth or knee high stocking, and soak in water and use when watering plants,I add used coffee grounds and tea bags and use water from my turtle pond which is full of nutrients. then I use the solids left over to amend the poor soil I have here (clay,seashells,and rocks) coffee grounds are real good for rose bushes,and makes a good soil amendment for any type of soil.----Len


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## elegans (Aug 23, 2010)

This is really not as complicated as the thread has gone. Pesticides are certainly always a problem, and sod is very heavily treated. I never use sod that has not been "aged" by at least 90 days. Most every chemical that sod farms use has more than broken down by then. As far as fertilizers, they are almost all the same. Compost is the very best option, but Miracle Grow or any other fertilizer is fine. A plant does not know the difference between organic and non organic nitrogen or otherwise? Just as your body does not know the difference between a gram of protein from Soy or Beef? I love the idea of "Milorganite" and we use lots of it, but I would never put it on food crops as it has been shown to carry significant heavy metal concentrations. I grow my own organics where it makes sense to do so. Organic is largely oversold, and over priced. Grow as much of your own food as possible and then choose the best options for your pet as possible.


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## dmmj (Aug 23, 2010)

earthwomrs and earthworm castings is what I use.


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## Angi (Aug 23, 2010)

I have been reading about worm tea, manure tea and other plant teas. I have not tried making it yet. I am starting to make my own compost. Some fun ideas to try.


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## Tracy Gould (Aug 27, 2010)

elegans said:


> This is really not as complicated as the thread has gone. Pesticides are certainly always a problem, and sod is very heavily treated. I never use sod that has not been "aged" by at least 90 days. Most every chemical that sod farms use has more than broken down by then. As far as fertilizers, they are almost all the same. Compost is the very best option, but Miracle Grow or any other fertilizer is fine. A plant does not know the difference between organic and non organic nitrogen or otherwise? Just as your body does not know the difference between a gram of protein from Soy or Beef? I love the idea of "Milorganite" and we use lots of it, but I would never put it on food crops as it has been shown to carry significant heavy metal concentrations. I grow my own organics where it makes sense to do so. Organic is largely oversold, and over priced. Grow as much of your own food as possible and then choose the best options for your pet as possible.



So is Compost i bought from BNQ is safe? It does say it will feed the plant for 6 weeks then fertilizer would be needed if this is not ok were do i get safe compost from i live in the Pontefract in the UK


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## Missy (Aug 27, 2010)

dmmj said:


> earthwomrs and earthworm castings is what I use.


 I use worm poo too and it works great. I am now using tort poo as well


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## Terry Allan Hall (Aug 27, 2010)

Having a pet mini-pig and several dwarf goats and chickens, quality fertilizer is never in short supply...I pile it up in a corner and mix it in w/ the soil from time to time, and then use that soil in our container gardens.

Earthworms live in the container gardens and they add a lot of goodness to the mix.

Organic, yet very inexpensive.


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