Garden chat & photos for torts and people ♫ ♫

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
I was thinking about these trees the other day when i was looking at plants on ebay/etsy. Maybe ill try seeds this time instead of seedlings
All of the sprouts except one turned out to be a milkweed of one sort or another. The one truly looks like it could be eucalyptus. I'll try to remember to get a picture tomorrow.
 

Warren

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 24, 2019
Messages
1,721
Location (City and/or State)
Balto. MD
I like your Moon Flowers, I used to have them in my front yard year's ago. Just last week my wife found one growing in the back yard, didn't plant it.
 

Attachments

  • 20220829_201717.jpg
    20220829_201717.jpg
    725.2 KB · Views: 6
  • 20220829_201659.jpg
    20220829_201659.jpg
    720.4 KB · Views: 6

Oxalis

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
3,040
Location (City and/or State)
Michigan
I like your Moon Flowers, I used to have them in my front yard year's ago. Just last week my wife found one growing in the back yard, didn't plant it.
My mom grows these but forgot to put the seeds in the ground this spring. They remind me too much of bindweeds.
 

jaizei

Unknown Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 5, 2011
Messages
9,054
Location (City and/or State)
Earth
All of the sprouts except one turned out to be a milkweed of one sort or another. The one truly looks like it could be eucalyptus. I'll try to remember to get a picture tomorrow.

I've been procrastinating started another one because I'd have to find somewhere to overwinter it. I was reading about keeping them bonsai so I might try that.
 

Oxalis

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Messages
3,040
Location (City and/or State)
Michigan
How are everyone's gardens coming along so far this spring? We just had a ton of rain here, and so with these next few sunny days, things are really starting to come back. Found lots of buds on several of the trees we've planted the past couple years. The crocus was the first thing to bloom, as usual!

1680868496377.png
 

SasquatchTortoise

Active Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2020
Messages
332
Location (City and/or State)
Forth Worth, Texas
Compost question here:
I have a compost pile in the backyard and as I was stirring it, I noticed a few reptiles. Not something i've thought of before, but what are the risks of bacteria such as salmonella contaminating the compost then crops?
 

jaizei

Unknown Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 5, 2011
Messages
9,054
Location (City and/or State)
Earth
Am I overthinking it?

thinking isn't bad; its when you start doing things unnecessary and/or excessive that it might be a problem.

I wouldn't worry about it more than the wild reptiles spreading bacteria directly to the crops, or the bacteria just existing in the general area. letting the 'finished' compost sit (or "rest" lol) for a bit before using might further reduce the risk, but it's probably not necessary, and i only let compost sit after completion because of laziness.
 

Len B

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Messages
4,986
Location (City and/or State)
Southern Md - Northern Neck Va
How are everyone's gardens coming along so far this spring? We just had a ton of rain here, and so with these next few sunny days, things are really starting to come back. Found lots of buds on several of the trees we've planted the past couple years. The crocus was the first thing to bloom, as usual!

View attachment 355844
I don't have a actual garden but my weeds are doing great. So well I no longer need to depend on store bought food items. And in a few days the fruitless cherry tree will be in full bloom.KIMG2084.JPGThe mulberry, ROS. fig and ginkgo trees are leafing out fine.
 

Warren

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 24, 2019
Messages
1,721
Location (City and/or State)
Balto. MD
My weeds are doing well here also, my Banana Trees and Rose of Sharon's plants are just starting to grow again. I have to install the rest of my privacy fence before all my perennials pop up.
 

Attachments

  • 20230408_112934.jpg
    20230408_112934.jpg
    4 MB · Views: 5
  • 20230408_112947.jpg
    20230408_112947.jpg
    3.6 MB · Views: 5

SasquatchTortoise

Active Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2020
Messages
332
Location (City and/or State)
Forth Worth, Texas
I'm Rather new to (serious) composting, and I have a question for all of you that do so:
- do you compost non-organic foods? I understand that "organic" really doesn't mean much but I wanted to double check.
 

SasquatchTortoise

Active Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2020
Messages
332
Location (City and/or State)
Forth Worth, Texas
Alright, (maybe) the last question for you all. I've been trying some newer plants this year, and decided to get a dwarf banana. I had planed on giving my tortoise a leaf or two every now and then (after waiting a year or so for any nursery chemicals to leave the system) however I understand that bananas are require literal pounds of nutrients to stay healthy. Would a rich compost be enough? If not, then is there such a thing as 'tortoise safe' fertilizer? Obviously, the ones with pesticides mixed in are not good to use, but what about the ones meant for garden plants such as tomatoes?
 

Warren

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 24, 2019
Messages
1,721
Location (City and/or State)
Balto. MD
Alright, (maybe) the last question for you all. I've been trying some newer plants this year, and decided to get a dwarf banana. I had planed on giving my tortoise a leaf or two every now and then (after waiting a year or so for any nursery chemicals to leave the system) however I understand that bananas are require literal pounds of nutrients to stay healthy. Would a rich compost be enough? If not, then is there such a thing as 'tortoise safe' fertilizer? Obviously, the ones with pesticides mixed in are not good to use, but what about the ones meant for garden plants such as tomatoes?
I use miracle grow, or a fertilizer that I buy at Walmart (10-10-10) 40lb. bag. It is safe for all vegetables. I have Hardy Banana trees, they are just starting to grow again.
 

Attachments

  • 20230408_112934.jpg
    20230408_112934.jpg
    4 MB · Views: 2

SasquatchTortoise

Active Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2020
Messages
332
Location (City and/or State)
Forth Worth, Texas
I use miracle grow, or a fertilizer that I buy at Walmart (10-10-10) 40lb. bag. It is safe for all vegetables. I have Hardy Banana trees, they are just starting to grow again.
Do you happen to give your tortoises any of these leaves? I understand that they are not something to feed all the time, but seeing how fast they grow, I was hopping they could make an occasional food source
 

Warren

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 24, 2019
Messages
1,721
Location (City and/or State)
Balto. MD
Do you happen to give your tortoises any of these leaves? I understand that they are not something to feed all the time, but seeing how fast they grow, I was hopping they could make an occasional food source
Yes, I do give Sammy these leaves. Incase you don't know what safe, just check with TheTortoisetable.org
 

SasquatchTortoise

Active Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2020
Messages
332
Location (City and/or State)
Forth Worth, Texas
Okay, this is (definitely) my last question. Is Compost that is somewhat unfinished (tree leaves take quite a while to break down) safe to use? I am mainly concerned about my fruits and vegetables absorbing any potential toxins from different plants that I have composted. I try not to use any poisonous plants, but there are are a few small pieces. Is it even possible for a plant to absorb another plant's poison from the soil?
 

SasquatchTortoise

Active Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2020
Messages
332
Location (City and/or State)
Forth Worth, Texas
Okay, this is (definitely) my last question. Is Compost that is somewhat unfinished (tree leaves take quite a while to break down) safe to use? I am mainly concerned about my fruits and vegetables absorbing any potential toxins from different plants that I have composted. I try not to use any poisonous plants, but there are are a few small pieces. Is it even possible for a plant to absorb another plant's poison from the soil?
The compost is mainly: oak leaves ( the leaves are from trees mostly in our yard, however I cannot say that they have no access to pesticides, as oaks have wide root systems and our yard is somewhat narrow, and of course other leaves blow into the yard, if pesticides are even an issue in these circumstances), chinese pistache leaves (just a few because the "bin"is under the tree), food scraps like banana and corn cobs, a few weedy plants like horseweed (just the leaves, not a lot), tortoise food scraps that were pushed into the dirt (hay, turnip greens, lettuce, endive, dandelion, etc.), and grass
- the pesticides, I believe, are not an issue because hundreds of insects have moved in, but I don't know about those for sure either
 

SasquatchTortoise

Active Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2020
Messages
332
Location (City and/or State)
Forth Worth, Texas
Okay, this is (definitely) my last question. Is Compost that is somewhat unfinished (tree leaves take quite a while to break down) safe to use? I am mainly concerned about my fruits and vegetables absorbing any potential toxins from different plants that I have composted. I try not to use any poisonous plants, but there are are a few small pieces. Is it even possible for a plant to absorb another plant's poison from the soil?
Anyone know about this?
 

New Posts

Top