# Nutritional value for Grape and Mulberry leaves



## Prairie Mom (Oct 8, 2014)

Today, I was talking with some members about the nutritional value in Grape and Mulberry leaves. I found these two websites that give the nutritional information for grape leaves and for mulberry leaves. My little Sulcata Mavis arrived with obvious calcium deficiency, so I'm always looking for calcium rich natural food sources.

Grape leaves: 50.8mg Calcium http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/3038/2

Mulberry leaves: 2700mg Calcium! http://www.laoswisssilk.com/en-us/pages/9/

So, now, I definitely get what the big deal is about Mulberry leaves and WANT SOME for my Mavis. Meanwhile, she'll continue enjoying grape leaves and other good sources of calcium


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## lismar79 (Oct 8, 2014)

I will have plenty of mulberry trees this coming spring. Serious amounts of saplings pop up. Remind me & I will ship you some


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 8, 2014)

lismar79 said:


> I will have plenty of mulberry trees this coming spring. Serious amounts of saplings pop up. Remind me & I will ship you some


Thank you!!!


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## mike taylor (Oct 8, 2014)

How do you get the cuttings to root? I cut like 50 off a tree and all died .


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## lismar79 (Oct 8, 2014)

I have not tried cuttings. Birds take care of spreading these for me with the seeds. Only one of mine fruits the rest are small to med size that have not fruited. I get so many saplings in the spring shoot up because we don't mow our tree line until early summer. I will try to remeber to post them in the spring, if any one wants any.


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## G-stars (Oct 8, 2014)

Count me in. 


— Gus


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## ZEROPILOT (Oct 8, 2014)

I have only a young mulberry tree so not many spare leaves and it's easy to see that my tortoises love them. However, I have tons of grape vines and no one will touch the leaves, edible or not.


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## bouaboua (Oct 8, 2014)

I ordered three mulberry three from a online nursery. They came-in like only 3 inches tall. after two year, that are over 6 foot tall but still not producing too many leaves, I just had then planted into the ground this spring. I hope in another two years. I will have some surplus.


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## Crystal carline (Oct 8, 2014)

Is there anywhere to get a mulberry tree that is larger size. I'm from Louisiana 


Sent from my iPhone using Tortoise Forum. 
Peaches


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## lismar79 (Oct 8, 2014)

I wonder how much is lost with dried leaves? Would using this sprinkled on fresh food be worth it??
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NICJ8TQ/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I made my own for the winter because its free but for those without....what do you think?


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## Jacqui (Oct 8, 2014)

I have spent the last couple of days cutting out mulberry trees/bushes. lol I have lots of them growing all over the place to use for food and came no where near using even 5% of what I grew. Strange thing this year, my two older sulcatas decided they didn't want to eat any.  Mavis will have a box of them coming next week. lol


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 8, 2014)

mike taylor said:


> How do you get the cuttings to root? I cut like 50 off a tree and all died .


Hi Mike, I have no experience with Mulberry and I was just curious if you tried using root hormone compounds with you cuttings and whether that seemed to make any difference?


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 8, 2014)

ZEROPILOT said:


> I have only a young mulberry tree so not many spare leaves and it's easy to see that my tortoises love them. However, I have tons of grape vines and no one will touch the leaves, edible or not.


Darn! You have picky eaters! Grape leaves are nutritious too, little stinkers!


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 8, 2014)

lismar79 said:


> I wonder how much is lost with dried leaves? Would using this sprinkled on fresh food be worth it??
> http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Mulberry-Loose-Natural-Imports/dp/B00NICJ8TQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1412814706&sr=1-5&keywords=loose mulberry leaves
> 
> I made my own for the winter because its free but for those without....what do you think?


Interesting question. I'm curious what others think. I imagine that the leaves would lose some nutrition with the drying process, but on the other hand...those leaves are so amazingly nutritious that it could still be worth it.


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 8, 2014)

Jacqui said:


> I have spent the last couple of days cutting out mulberry trees/bushes. lol I have lots of them growing all over the place to use for food and came no where near using even 5% of what I grew.





-Did you just post that to make everyone jealous?


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 8, 2014)

Jacqui said:


> Mavis will have a box of them coming next week. lol



You are soooo awesome! I will definitely refund your shipping and I hope to send out some of my indoor gardening experiments in the near future as a fun gift


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## Jabuticaba (Oct 8, 2014)

Prairie Mom said:


> -Did you just post that to make everyone jealous?


It sure made me jealous! LOL! Wish I were in the US. Would be so cool to swap stuff. 


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES


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## bouaboua (Oct 8, 2014)

This is at 6 months...



This is at 18 months, now in the front yard.


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 8, 2014)

bouaboua said:


> This is at 6 months...
> 
> View attachment 99415
> 
> ...


PRETTY!


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 8, 2014)

Jabuticaba said:


> It sure made me jealous! LOL! Wish I were in the US. Would be so cool to swap stuff.
> 
> 
> May
> ...


I know! I thought about that too  Heck!-I'd love to try some Jabuticabas too


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## Jabuticaba (Oct 8, 2014)

Prairie Mom said:


> I know! I thought about that too  Heck!-I'd love to try some Jabuticabas too


It's been almost 30 yrs since I had jabuticabas. 


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES


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## Jacqui (Oct 8, 2014)

Prairie Mom said:


> -Did you just post that to make everyone jealous?



Nopers. Just stating facts and giving folks an idea about how fast these things can grow.


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## Jacqui (Oct 8, 2014)

Jabuticaba said:


> It sure made me jealous! LOL! Wish I were in the US. Would be so cool to swap stuff.
> 
> 
> May
> ...



Would have been happy to send you some too.


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 8, 2014)

Jabuticaba said:


> It's been almost 30 yrs since I had jabuticabas.
> 
> 
> May
> ...



That's right! I'm forgetting you're in Canada. Well, then, we BOTH need some Jabuticabas.


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 8, 2014)

Jacqui said:


> Nopers. Just stating facts and giving folks an idea about how fast these things can grow.


The growth really does seem to be incredible.


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## Amanda81 (Oct 8, 2014)

ZEROPILOT said:


> I have only a young mulberry tree so not many spare leaves and it's easy to see that my tortoises love them. However, I have tons of grape vines and no one will touch the leaves, edible or not.





lismar79 said:


> I have not tried cuttings. Birds take care of spreading these for me with the seeds. Only one of mine fruits the rest are small to med size that have not fruited. I get so many saplings in the spring shoot up because we don't mow our tree line until early summer. I will try to remeber to post them in the spring, if any one wants any.


i would love some too, can I get added to the list, that's one thing I haven't been able to get my hands on.


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## CharlieM (Oct 8, 2014)

Mulberry trees are very cheap on ebay. You can keep pruning them as you need leaves for the tortoises to keep them smaller. Some do well in containers.


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 8, 2014)

CharlieM said:


> Mulberry trees are very cheap on ebay. You can keep pruning them as you need leaves for the tortoises to keep them smaller. Some do well in containers.


Cool! You're right... this website says they can grow in a container for up to 15 years. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=642


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 9, 2014)

Crystal carline said:


> Is there anywhere to get a mulberry tree that is larger size. I'm from Louisiana
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tortoise Forum.
> Peaches


Hi Crystal Carline, I've never grown Mulberry before, but based on what Yvonne, Bouaboua, Jacqui, and lismar says, it sounds like they grow so fast that you may not need to buy a large expensive one in the first place. If you don't have any garden nurseries in your area that sell mulberry trees, you can always try an online one. I don't have good nurseries where I live and have bought most of my fruiting shrubs from various online catalogues. There's always about a 50/50 chance the plant won't survive, but many of the online catalogues have replacement guarantees. Just check the return policy BEFORE you make your order and always be sure to save the box and all packing materials just in case they need it.

We can ask @bouaboua where he got his from. @CharlieM says they're pretty cheap on ebay. I've never ordered from ebay, but it wouldn't hurt to look in to. I also noticed this online nursery has mulberry trees for sale:
http://www.starkbros.com/products/fruit-trees/mulberry-trees -I don't know what the quality of their mulberries are like, but I ordered 12 blackberries from them last year and only 1 of the 12 didn't make it. Often when you order trees online they arrive looking like a STICK in a pot, so try not to be too alarmed when it arrives and just make sure you keep everything if you need to return it. Good luck and remember grape leaves are good too


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## AZTorts (Oct 9, 2014)

mike taylor said:


> How do you get the cuttings to root? I cut like 50 off a tree and all died .



I've had the same bad luck with them. I have been told that new mulberry trees are banned here in the Phoenix area due to their pollen so I can't even go and buy one.


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## AZTorts (Oct 9, 2014)

bouaboua said:


> This is at 6 months...
> 
> View attachment 99415
> 
> ...



Beautiful! Are they males or females?


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## Jacqui (Oct 9, 2014)

AZTorts said:


> I've had the same bad luck with them. I have been told that new mulberry trees are banned here in the Phoenix area due to their pollen so I can't even go and buy one.



Want some leaves?


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## AZTorts (Oct 9, 2014)

Jacqui said:


> Want some leaves?



Awww than you for asking! But I have some in my fridge that I got from my dad's male mulberry tree. Every time I go over there I grab some. LOL Is it better to let the leaves dry out? I've taken many cuttings from his tree as well in hopes of getting one to take but none of them have. I don't need a lot at this point since my torts aren't even 3" long yet. They love my grapevine leaves, ruella flowers, pumpkin vine leaves, and hibiscus leaves but I want them to have more variety. I was in the feed store yesterday and noticed they have 25 lb bags of tortoise/turtle/alligator food. Now mine are too small for that but is it a good idea to supplement with that kind of food?


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## Crystal carline (Oct 9, 2014)

Thanks so much prairie mom. I did find an online nursery that sells mulberry and grape vines. I just always want full grown now LOL. Everything I have planted is not allowed. Such as oak trees wisteria bottle brush oleander and ligustrum. I'm trying to wait and see if my local nurseries will have plants to offer that I need. I did succeed with some grasses and squash. Now I'm trying pumpkin This is a lot of work and research. So worth it though. Have a great day !!! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tortoise Forum. 
Peaches


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## Yvonne G (Oct 9, 2014)

Sometimes a nursery will special order for you. Just ask.


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 9, 2014)

Crystal carline said:


> Thanks so much prairie mom. I did find an online nursery that sells mulberry and grape vines. I just always want full grown now LOL. Everything I have planted is not allowed. Such as oak trees wisteria bottle brush oleander and ligustrum. I'm trying to wait and see if my local nurseries will have plants to offer that I need. I did succeed with some grasses and squash. Now I'm trying pumpkin This is a lot of work and research. So worth it though. Have a great day !!!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tortoise Forum.
> Peaches


I understand! I'm pretty excited to see how fast these grow. I'm very new to tortoise keeping, but have always loved gardening. I'm thrilled to now have a little beastie who appreciates my gardening. Growing food for my tortoise is half the fun Good luck with your pumpkin! Mine did really well this year and I'm hoping to recycle the seeds from the garden-grown jack '0 lanterns we're about to cut. woo-hoo!


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## Jacqui (Oct 9, 2014)

AZTorts said:


> Awww than you for asking! But I have some in my fridge that I got from my dad's male mulberry tree. Every time I go over there I grab some. LOL Is it better to let the leaves dry out? I've taken many cuttings from his tree as well in hopes of getting one to take but none of them have. I don't need a lot at this point since my torts aren't even 3" long yet. They love my grapevine leaves, ruella flowers, pumpkin vine leaves, and hibiscus leaves but I want them to have more variety. I was in the feed store yesterday and noticed they have 25 lb bags of tortoise/turtle/alligator food. Now mine are too small for that but is it a good idea to supplement with that kind of food?



Would depend on what kind of food it is (as in what is in it). Are they saying all three swill eat this same food?


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## Jacqui (Oct 9, 2014)

Crystal carline said:


> Thanks so much prairie mom. I did find an online nursery that sells mulberry and grape vines. I just always want full grown now LOL. Everything I have planted is not allowed. Such as oak trees wisteria bottle brush oleander and ligustrum. I'm trying to wait and see if my local nurseries will have plants to offer that I need. I did succeed with some grasses and squash. Now I'm trying pumpkin This is a lot of work and research. So worth it though. Have a great day !!!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tortoise Forum.
> Peaches



Wanting a full grown one so you can have leaves now? If so, my offer of leaves is good to you also.


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## Maggie Cummings (Oct 9, 2014)

Jacqui said:


> I have spent the last couple of days cutting out mulberry trees/bushes. lol I have lots of them growing all over the place to use for food and came no where near using even 5% of what I grew. Strange thing this year, my two older sulcatas decided they didn't want to eat any.  Mavis will have a box of them coming next week. lol


Shoot, don't throw any of those little trees away...I'll take a couple...if they can grow in Nebraska they will grow here I'm sure....
he loves grape leaves. Gets'em daily...I have grape vines...


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## Crystal carline (Oct 9, 2014)

Thanks that's so sweet. I'm new to this and trying to learn as much as possible. My chia grass should be ready in a few days and wheat grass. Hoping she likes them. I mostly read all the posts and search for info on the forum. Learning a little at a time 


Sent from my iPhone using Tortoise Forum. 
Peaches


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## leopard777 (Oct 9, 2014)

mulberry tree easy to grow ? any special care and which ones ?


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## Jacqui (Oct 9, 2014)

Pretty much any of the types and pretty much everywhere they grow well.


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## bouaboua (Oct 9, 2014)

AZTorts said:


> Beautiful! Are they males or females?


I can't tell......And I'm not really care too. I only what them to produce leaves. hahahahahah!!!!!


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## CharlieM (Oct 9, 2014)

There are fruitless varieties, maybe they are male, that are sought after by many. They come in weeping varieties too.


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## AZTorts (Oct 9, 2014)

bouaboua said:


> I can't tell......And I'm not really care too. I only what them to produce leaves. hahahahahah!!!!!



It will be a bonus if they are females. Mulberries are delicious! But they are purple and they will stain things.


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## turtlemanfla88 (Oct 10, 2014)

Hey i work with the native black FLA mulberry. I know we also have a red type and a white type also. I am looking for these.
Try prickly-pear cactus that is also high in calcium.


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## Abdulla6169 (Oct 10, 2014)

leopard777 said:


> mulberry tree easy to grow ? any special care and which ones ?


I just deeply water mine and it grows well...


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 24, 2014)

I was lucky enough to receive some Mulberry goodies in the mail recently. I posted about it in Littleginsu's trading goodies thread: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/trading-goodies.87084/page-3 It feels so good to be providing these nutritious treats to my Sulcata. Thanks guys!


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## Amanda81 (Oct 24, 2014)

I recently planted a couple grape vine plants and I'm going today to pick up some white mulberry cutting to start me some of those and since the only type of prickly pear I had was the type with the big long thorns and well I'm real tired of digging those out my hands I just started 13 plants of prickly pear (I can't remember the correct name for it) that don't have the thorns, just the little ghord things. I turned a corner of my rep room into a grow center for everything since I'm just starting it and it's turning cold. By next spring I will have a bunch of goodies to feed my guys, I'm so excited I can't stand myself. It does feel good to know your growing and able to give them the good things they need.


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## Prairie Mom (Oct 24, 2014)

Amanda81 said:


> I recently planted a couple grape vine plants and I'm going today to pick up some white mulberry cutting to start me some of those and since the only type of prickly pear I had was the type with the big long thorns and well I'm real tired of digging those out my hands I just started 13 plants of prickly pear (I can't remember the correct name for it) that don't have the thorns, just the little ghord things. I turned a corner of my rep room into a grow center for everything since I'm just starting it and it's turning cold. By next spring I will have a bunch of goodies to feed my guys, I'm so excited I can't stand myself. It does feel good to know your growing and able to give them the good things they need.


You're an indoor gardener after my own heart!  Reading your post makes me giddy. I have a decent grow light set up too. I haven't ever grown cactus, but will be growing a few varieties of grass, edible flowers, and even young pumpkin and squash seedlings for my tort to eat over the long cold winter. If I get enough going, I'll offer some up on the trading goodies thread. Tortoises are the perfect pets for gardeners


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## Keith D. (Jul 25, 2015)

lismar79 said:


> I will have plenty of mulberry trees this coming spring. Serious amounts of saplings pop up. Remind me & I will ship you some


Hiya, I was wondering if you have any mulberry saplings you would be willing to send me


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## lismar79 (Jul 25, 2015)

Keith D. said:


> Hiya, I was wondering if you have any mulberry saplings you would be willing to send me


I have a couple of people who have asked and I'm trying to get to it, been working a lot and a baby has been keeping me too busy


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## Keith D. (Jul 25, 2015)

lismar79 said:


> I have a couple of people who have asked and I'm trying to get to it, been working a lot and a baby has been keeping me too busy


 K no worries, let me know when u have some


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