do you grow food for your tortoise?

[Josh]

if so, what do you grow? what are some other good resources for good places to find organic produce for torts?

 

[Tegan]

Hello, I do grow food for my babies... Right now i have crimson clover, dandelion, and if my bermuda seed ever gets here i'll have that growing to. I built big flower boxes out of fence plank a while back and failed at grow veggies in them. The local squrrels ate every thing i got to grow. But at least for now they the walls on them keep them from getting out and i can just put the baby sulcatas in there to graze. I also give them kale, carrots, and cucumber. You can get small amounts of seeds on ebay for really cheap. I think i got 1/2 lb of clover for around $8 with shipping.

 

[T-P]

I grow all my weeeds and plants for my tortoises (taking ages but thats the joy).
But otherwise i go weed picking for them.

So far im growing:
bermuda grass, Clovers, Dandelion, Sunflower, Rose, Hebe, Petunia, Fuschia, Plantain, Vetch and Hibiscus.

Edible for all tortoises are:
1.Aloe Vera (limited amounts as it has a high oxalic content)
2.Bamboo (all varieties)
3.Bedstraw (cleavers)
4.Bindweed (it can contain lsd related hallucinogenics and potentially toxic levels of nitrates and oxalic acids so only as part of a restricted varied diet)
This is Black Bindweed
This is Field Bindweed
This is Hedge Bindweed
5.Birds Foot Plant
6.Roses (petals and leaves but not thorns for obvious reasons)
7.Bristly Ox Tongue
8.Buddleia
9.Cacti (some not all)
10.Calendula Marigold/Daisy marigold
11.Campanula
12.Carrot tops (these are rich in vitamin a and fibre but do contain levels of oxalic acid)
13.Cats Ear
14.Clover (all)
This is White Clover
15.Cornflour
16.Cut Leaved Nettle
17.Dandelion
18.Evening Primrose
19.Forget Me Not
20.Gazania
21.Globe Thistle
22.Hawks Beard
This is a smooth Hawkes Beard
23.Henbit Nettle
24.Hibiscus
25.Honeysuckle Flowers
26.Hostas
27.Knapweed
28.Lavatera
29.Lavender
30.Lemon Mint
31.Mallow
32.Milk Thistle
33.Mimulas
34.Nasturtium
35.Pansies
36.Plantains (all)
This is greater Plantain
37.Pumpkin Flowers
38.Rape
39.Red Nettle
40.Ribwort Plantain
41.Sedum
42.Shepherds Purse
43.Slender Speedwell
44.Sow Thistle
This is a Smooth Sow Thistle
This is Prickly Sow Thistle
45.Spotted Nettle
46.Stinging Nettle
47.Sunflower
48.Trefoils (all)
49.Verches (all but are high in protein so as part of a restricted varied diet)
50.Violets
51.White Nettle
52.Wild Cabbage
53.Yarrow
You can buy most seeds of the list above (none-weeds) from garden centers or florists.
And some places sell weed seeds such as shelledwarriors.co.uk

 

[Josh]

i can't wait to dine on the fruits (and veggies) of an organic garden. of course, i'd share with my tortoise(s)

 

[Tab]

I picked up several different lettuce starts this spring; the former owner of our house had an old birdbath that I filled with dirt. The lettuce grew like crazy; it has to be watered a lot but it looks pretty and Slava loves it!

 

[Jentortmom]

A website that sells seeds for reptiles and they come in different blends, weed blend, grass blend, meditarrain blend, etc. www.turtlecafe.com/home.pl I just received three different bags and they seem pretty reasonable. ANother place you can order from and it is a mix of leaves and weeds and such based on the turtle or tort, plus they sell plants that are ready to be placed in an enclosure. www.reptileeats.com The bags come and then you just feed to turtles no seeds needed.

 

[T-P]

The weed, grass and mediterainian blend are great!
i recently got 3 large large seed trays, planted first tray with weed seeds, second tray with grass seed and thrid tray with med-like blend.

 

[Bansh88]

I have 3 Hibiscus that put out sevral flowers a day. I also have a huge Fruitless Mallberry tree that puts out billions of edible leaves. Everyone loves them.

 

[T-P]

My grandparents have a huge hebe bush, and a large fusha bush and a very very BIG rose bush that all hang over and through one end of my outdoor enclosure when i move it midday-time...the bushed trape through my enclosure, and the tortoises love to eat the rose bush leaves, the fuschia bush flowers and the hebe bush flowers.

 

[Crazy1]

Yes, I grow iceplant, spider plant, wandering jew, bermuda, roses, dandilion, geranium, Zinnias, Pansies, squash blossoms and CrapeMertle oh yea and grape. They love grape leaves.

 

[greyhairedguy]

Hello All,

Just had a question about the seed that is available at various sites. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I was wondering if I should buy seed now and plant them or wait for spring next year to do it.

I sent an email to Turtlecafe.com last Mon, and I still haven't heard a response so I thought I'd try here. Anyway, I'm interested in thier weed and weedy flower mix.

Any info is greatly appreciated.

Ed

 

[Jentortmom]

What type of turtle or tortoise are you feeding?? Do they hibernate in the winter? If they do not hibernate then you could put seed in trays and grow it indoors then feed it to them, but if they hibernate then I would wait until spring. If you want weeds and such you can order from www.reptileeats.com and they have fresh greens, grasses, weeds and they will send them to you and all you have to do is feed.

 

[Bansh88]

Buy some cheap seed packets and try it out. What's the worse that can happen? You're out $2?
Figure out some safe flowers like California Poppy or.....uh....someone help me and plant them.
Don't spend big bucks on "tortoise mix". Something is bound to sprout and grow in fall.

 

[T-P]

Well you can grow seeds now, but grow them indoors, eventually when they get larger you can put them outdoors on dry days and when it is raining lightly, not heavily.

Then you can put them in tortoise enclosures..

 

[Hunter]

I don't see actual corn mentioned. My Hunter loves corn on the cob. Is that ok to feed him that every once in a while?

 

[Hunter]

I realize there is corn in much of the dry pellets offered for land tortoises so I figured it would be alright???
[img=640x480]http://www.hostdump.com/uploads/98d87c9e11.jpg[/img]

[img=640x480]http://www.hostdump.com/uploads/3019fd8f38.jpg[/img]

 

[T-P]

Hi hunter, your leopard should be on a fibre and weed diet ONLY.
which means no fruit, no meat, no veggies, and other things.

You should only feed grasses and weeds and flowers

 

[Hunter]

Hi hunter, your leopard should be on a fibre and weed diet ONLY.
which means no fruit, no meat, no veggies, and other things.

You should only feed grasses and weeds and flowers

Thank you. I will not give him anything else from now on

 

[Hunter]

T-P. Could I ask for some more specifics? Maybe a list of what he should be eating and where to get it?

 

[reptileeats]

This is great time of year for all tortoises. The best vegetables for them are so abundant pumpkin, acorn and butternut squash. All work as a natural wormer. A little calcium dust and let them go to town.

The key to a healthy tortoise is variety. Weeds such as Dandelion, Plantain(weed not Banana type fruit), Clover, Wild Lettuce and many others are great. Greens are also fine to feed, not to rely solely on but to offer a varied diet, I prefer Turnip Greens over Collards or Mustard greens. Vegetables should be included in a varied diet a few good ones are, acorn & butternut squash, and one of their favorites, Prickly Pear Cactus.

The majority of the diet should be hay. Stay away from Alfalfa because it has way too much protein for tortoises. I would use Timothy or something similar. You can even buy this from the pet section of Walmart(they sell it for Rabbits).

Leopard tortoises will graze happily on lawn grass if presented with the opportunity and this seems to prevent most such problems at source. If you consider doing this make sure you or your neighbors don't use fertilizers/pesticides or other chemicals. Some grasses are toxic so you might want to do your research before going this route.

I hope this helps. I would be happy to answer any other questions you might have, just ask.