Garden chat & photos for torts and people ♫ ♫

bouaboua

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Holy little smokies! You're one lucky guy. You hVe unlimited amounts of tortoise/turtle food. That's so much upkeep I'd imagine. Your mother in law is a special and talented woman.
Yes. I'm very lucky to have her helping us. I'm grateful.
 

Prairie Mom

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Today's high was 49 degrees...sigh. So, we brought in the kiddie pull and let Mavis hang out with us in the living room. -My house is no place for a tort to wander in.
email mavis strawberry.jpg

Most of my garden is done for the year, I only have a few cold weather vegetables left, but I still have lots of edible flowers. Mavis is enjoying her "salad" of fescue, crab grass, mallow, nasturtiums, snap dragons, zinnia, grape leaves, strawberry leaves, hollyhock leaf, Mulberry leaf from an awesome forum member, dandelion leaf, and a strawberry for a treat. I think her "salad" looks pretty tasty :)
 

DanD

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All these garden and pictures are awesome! Just recently finished my greenhouse for growing tortoise food and has a large open bottom for the tortoise to hang out in if it's warm enough. Growing trays of food are for the tortoise, I have a second garden outside with cactus and other plants
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Prairie Mom

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All these garden and pictures are awesome! Just recently finished my greenhouse for growing tortoise food and has a large open bottom for the tortoise to hang out in if it's warm enough. Growing trays of food are for the tortoise, I have a second garden outside with cactus and other plants
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Wow, you're greenhouse is beautiful! I have a bit of greenhouse envy. Your tort is going to LOVE being in there (heck! I'd like being in there too!) :) I think I can see some of your garden peaking through the back glass. I also just bought some of those exact trays to grow grass for my own tort. What all do you have growing in the pots?
 

Len B

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I don't really have a garden but I grow different things.Mostly stuff that the tortoises can eat. I always have a couple tomato plants going even though I get pounds of them brought by every week. (I love fried green tomatoes), in fact we had some with dinner this evening. I have spent time this year collecting and drying my lawn for winter food for the tortoises. My lawn is more good weeds and clover than the grass that most people want. I cut and started drying some more today, The tortoises seem to like the dried and then re-hydrated lawn more than the fresh cut clippings. This is the area I cut from todayfoodgrass.jpg and here is where it is drying at least until tomorrow evening, then i will bag it up and move it inside to complete the dryingfoodgrassdry.jpg Also here is a simple way to start seeds using plastic bottles, Cut it in half, use some type of fabric to make a wick by letting it hang out of the top opening it also will keep the soil from getting into the water. Put the top half into the bottom half and the water will wick up the fabric and keep the soil as moist as you want without watering everyday.
 

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bouaboua

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All these garden and pictures are awesome! Just recently finished my greenhouse for growing tortoise food and has a large open bottom for the tortoise to hang out in if it's warm enough. Growing trays of food are for the tortoise, I have a second garden outside with cactus and other plants
View attachment 101792
View attachment 101793
WOW this is nice! ! ! ! !

Great idea!!!!!! I like it.
 

Prairie Mom

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I don't really have a garden but I grow different things.Mostly stuff that the tortoises can eat. I always have a couple tomato plants going even though I get pounds of them brought by every week. (I love fried green tomatoes), in fact we had some with dinner this evening. I have spent time this year collecting and drying my lawn for winter food for the tortoises. My lawn is more good weeds and clover than the grass that most people want. I cut and started drying some more today, The tortoises seem to like the dried and then re-hydrated lawn more than the fresh cut clippings. This is the area I cut from todayView attachment 101797 and here is where it is drying at least until tomorrow evening, then i will bag it up and move it inside to complete the dryingView attachment 101796 Also here is a simple way to start seeds using plastic bottles, Cut it in half, use some type of fabric to make a wick by letting it hang out of the top opening it also will keep the soil from getting into the water. Put the top half into the bottom half and the water will wick up the fabric and keep the soil as moist as you want without watering everyday.

Okay,that is just a REALLY cool post, @Turtulas-Len !!! I was hoping for inspirations just like that! So are you cutting the grass and drying it for your winter supply? And I'm guessing you are just soaking the grass/weed clippings right before feeding time and your tortoise really does prefer it? ---Amazing.

Also, I've never been so excited by a photo of a soda bottle in my life! (wow, I'm a nerd! Ha!) When I saw it, I slammed my hands on the table and hollered for my husband to come see! You totally solved my tomato seedling problem! I don't know if you noticed, but in an earlier post, I mentioned how I kept nearly drowning my tomatoes in soda bottles (I can't resist a free planter!). Your example is so simple and perfect!!! Thank you!
 

Prairie Mom

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p.s. I also use my soda bottles to cover my seedlings if there is a chance of frost. Who knew the vessels for those sweet nectars of death could be so handy!? ;)
 

Prairie Mom

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I always have a couple tomato plants going even though I get pounds of them brought by every week. (I love fried green tomatoes), in fact we had some with dinner this evening .
AND... a recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes would also be most welcome :)
 

Prairie Mom

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STRAWBERRIES!!! I squeeze everbearing strawberries in everywhere. My kids search through the plants like they are hunting for Easter eggs. I have three kinds growing out back: "Ozark Beauty", "Quinalt", and "Berries Galore." I don't have a ton of options in zone 4 and have found "Berries Galore" to be my favorite. They start blossoming in the snow and continue through the fall. Also, it seems that the older the individual plant gets, the bigger the berries seem to be getting.
crop strawberry.jpg

gretchen strawberries.jpg

mavis strawberry hill.jpg
Wandering through a patch of strawberry leaves
 

Len B

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AND... a recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes would also be most welcome :)
My Wife's Recipe, salt, pepper, season all, and flour. slice tomato and and the mix will stick to the slices. If you want a thicker crust you can dip the tomato slices in a scrambled up raw egg before rolling in the batter. You can add anything to the batter you want..
 

Jacqui

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p.s. I also use my soda bottles to cover my seedlings if there is a chance of frost. Who knew the vessels for those sweet nectars of death could be so handy!? ;)

lol Your the only other person I know who does this also.
 

Jacqui

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My Wife's Recipe, salt, pepper, season all, and flour. slice tomato and and the mix will stick to the slices. If you want a thicker crust you can dip the tomato slices in a scrambled up raw egg before rolling in the batter. You can add anything to the batter you want..

That's what I do too. I have found I really like the tomatoes that are just turning orange (if a red variety) best.
 

Jacqui

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On our last visit, my voice could be heard yelling across a field: "KIDS, DON'T YOU REALIZE YOU'RE THROWING COW POOP AT EACH OTHER!!! YES, THAT IS POOP FROM COW BOTTOMS!!!"

That reminded me of a day my son was suppose to be shoveling horse manure and taking it to the aging patch (couldn't really call it a compost pile because I never had green stuff to add to it, only old hay and manure, so we just called it the aging patch). His buddy, Ian, showed up and started pitching in. Well some where along the way, it got into a "road apple" throwing contest. They ended up fertilizing the yard down there quite well and I think they had a blast doing it. One of those fond memories for me to look back at.
 

Prairie Mom

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That reminded me of a day my son was suppose to be shoveling horse manure and taking it to the aging patch (couldn't really call it a compost pile because I never had green stuff to add to it, only old hay and manure, so we just called it the aging patch). His buddy, Ian, showed up and started pitching in. Well some where along the way, it got into a "road apple" throwing contest. They ended up fertilizing the yard down there quite well and I think they had a blast doing it. One of those fond memories for me to look back at.
"Road Apple" Ha ha ha!!! Man, what is it with kids and poop!? :D
 

Jacqui

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Steven, your Mother-in-law is smart. We here in the USA, tend to plant our crops in neat little rows with a large walking space between them. What a waste!! The patch method like your Mother-in-law does, gives much more growing area.
 

Jacqui

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YES! I'm in the cool like Jacqui club ;)

LOL I can say I have never been called or considered cool. lol I was just raised to reuse everything I can in my yard. My Grandmother taught me that (I even have an old coffee maker flower pot from her) and my Mom continued it, even though she had a brown thumb like me. From my Mom I have an old metal mop bucket on wheels for a planter. Ahhh you making me think of some wonderful memories with this thread Lady.
 
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