Getting Ready For Spring Planting!

Status
Not open for further replies.

Torty Mom

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
3,821
Location (City and/or State)
Bakersfield, California
I was at HomeDepot today and they have bareroot roses out and grape vines. Our store had 5 different types of grapes. I got the Thompson's seedless. I had no clue on which variety to get. Does anyone know if one variety is better than the other?

Grapes were $6.98 and the roses were $4.98.

I have 1 rosebush now, I am thinking about getting a few more. My crew all love the red bush I have, so I was thinking maybe yellow or orange.

Happy shopping!
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I've been planning for this too. Last Spring, I tried all the different grape vines. They all did well and the tortoises loved all the types equally. BTW, did you know that if you pinch off any budding grape clusters that you will get more vine growth? I'm getting a dozen or so more this spring. I'm also going to plant a whole bunch more opuntia. I'm up to about 20 of those, but I've got acres to grow more, so why not? I've got all sorts of tortoise food plans for this spring. All my roses do great here, but I just can't keep hibiscus alive. I'm going to try the "blue" hibiscus and the "hardy" hibiscus this coming year. I put out some rose of sharon, but I was repeatedly unsuccessful at keeping the rabbits and squirrels out of it. Damn varmints!
 

tortoises101

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2010
Messages
1,390
Location (City and/or State)
Ontario, Canada
Oh yes, grape leaves are a very good food for tortoises. I used to have a really old one before some hacked it down (the stinking bastard, we called the cops on him), but it's growing back and looks good. Anyways, it doesn't matter which variety you get, the leaves are all equally nutritious. But if you plan to feed them some grapes, then I would go with the seedless variety. As for cactus, I grow them indoors, as it's too cold to grow them outdoors in Canada (unless their the cold tolerant varieties). I just sow a pad in a pot of soil and watch it grow away. But if I could grow Opuntia outdoors, I'd grow a patch of them.
 

Torty Mom

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
3,821
Location (City and/or State)
Bakersfield, California
I am trying to grow a pad of opuntia right now. I saw a giant opuntia growing just off of highway 58, so, like the dork that I am I knocked on their door and asked if I could pick some fruit and a few pads, and the sweet little old lady was such a cutie, she was really excited when I told her I was going to feed them to my tortoises.

I hope it grows the boys have already knocked it over once playing football, so I moved it.

I went back to home depot the next day and got 3 rose bushes and another grape vine! :p
 

jackrat

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Messages
2,321
Location (City and/or State)
Hamburg,AR
I've got opuntia planted in different spots all over my place.I just bought 2 pounds of mustard seed.I have a big envelope of assorted rose of Sharon seeds that I will be starting.Oh,yes,I'll probably be planting the figs this weekend!
 

pugsandkids

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Mar 18, 2010
Messages
1,019
On a much smaller scale I bought pansy, and nasturtium seeds for the tort yard. Ya, we are under a flood watch and supposed to get three inches of rain tonight. I'm planning Oscars yard for spring! I'm excited about the grapes idea. My family loves them, I could do an arbor!
 

Torty Mom

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
3,821
Location (City and/or State)
Bakersfield, California
It started to rain here a little while ago. Yesterday was GORGEOUS, I had all the torties out for over 3 hours. I got alot of gardening done.

I had to drive to Valencia today to pick up my big son, so I wanted to beat the storm in case they were going to close the grapevine down for snow. It was gorgeous in Valencia today too. Wish I could have stayed longer.

I also brought in all my potted plants and we will have below freezing temp with this next storm.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top