Help with an outdoor enclosure.

[TheFullmonty97]

Hey there,
The pictures show where the new tortoise run will be going, it's in it's begining stage and I need to strip all the plants back and set up borders.

Now I wanted to ask what you lot plant in your out door enclosures? My DIY skills outshine my green fingered ones so it has to be able to survive my lacklustre ability and the UK weather, any help would be appreciated he's a Russian btw.

 

[argus333]

looks great are u heating shed?

 

[Yvonne G]

This would be for Terry, the Russian tortoise, right?

They don't eat grass much, unless they have to, so if it were me doing the pen I'd dig out all the grass and plant clover, dichondra and any broad-leaf weed seed I could find. Then dig out the lilies in the back and replace them with hosta, viola/violets, pansies and other edibles you can find listed on the Tortoise Table - http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp

Since they hibernate, you won't need to heat his shed. They do quite well in the UK weather.

 

[TheFullmonty97]

Ahh ok, well cheers, gonna go to B&Q pretty soon and get a lot of plants. Once I've pulled the grass up would the topsoil be fine for him? Or should I order in something else?

 

[Yvonne G]

The native soil there in the yard is just fine.

 

[TheFullmonty97]

Great! Thanks Yvonne, always helpful !

 

[lynnedit]

They do well in the UK, but you might consider setting up a dry area; a cold frame or small shed because of rainy Springs/Autumns.
If you are in the Southern UK, you probably won't need any extra heat or a basking light, though I think some do have this.

Here is a good source for a seed mix for Testudo in the UK.
http://www.herbiseed.com/pets/home/mix.aspx

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Plant day lilies and Rose of Sharon, poppy and maybe grapes for the leaves...that's good healthy food, (the blooms) and I found it's easy feeding for most tortoises...I just tried to post a new picture of King Robert III but the attachment wouldn't work. He's 150 pounds now...I will try again later...see ya!

 

[TheFullmonty97]

Well I've got the Re-purposed chicken coup I was gonna fill with coco-fibre kinda stuff, and I'm on the Isle of Wight in the south so I didn't really think a heat source would be needed, there's gonna be a couple of foot's worth of granite for basking,

Are day Lillie's or rose of Sharon hard to grow?