Help with growing grass in outdoor tortoise enclosure

[clbeaver]

Hello...i have 2 sulcatas in an outdoor tortoise enclosure for about 6 years now and having trouble getting grass to grow in there this year...so we have been supplimenting with other food for nutrition but im sure they miss their grass! we water what little bit of grass that is left the almost daily or every other day..we havent ever had trouble like this before but for some reason this year nothing is growing in there not even the olants in there. This summer we put out 2 bags of bermuda grass seed out and neither of them came up?? Is there something i need to put on the soil to get the grass to grow?? Im thinking maybe there is too much acid in the soil or something is the cause and not sure how to correct the soil issue since there are tortoises involved and need to be cautious as what i need to put in their enclosure to fix the problem...I have googled this topic but i havent been able to find any helpful info so i thought i would try this avenue.. i am getting ready to put out winter rye but afraid to since the other 2 bags didnt do anything.. any suggestions??

 

[wellington]

Hopefully it's a very large enclosure with two sullies in it. If so, then I would section off a large portion that they can't get too. Grow that grass and when it's up and doing good move them to that section and seed the other. As your torts get bigger and bigger it will be almost impossible to keep grass growing without alternating space.
Now as for the two together. Have you read the many threads about tortoises not doing good in pairs? One will get bullied by the other and end up smaller and sick. If it's a pair, male/female then the female will get pestered to illness or death. At any time this can happen. At young age or even after being together for a long time. It can be obvious bullying or just little things, like not letting the other get to food, water, hide, etc. So this is a heads up to watch for it and be prepared to separate at any little sign.

 

[clbeaver]

Hopefully it's a very large enclosure with two sullies in it. If so, then I would section off a large portion that they can't get too. Grow that grass and when it's up and doing good move them to that section and seed the other. As your torts get bigger and bigger it will be almost impossible to keep grass growing without alternating space.
Now as for the two together. Have you read the many threads about tortoises not doing good in pairs? One will get bullied by the other and end up smaller and sick. If it's a pair, male/female then the female will get pestered to illness or death. At any time this can happen. At young age or even after being together for a long time. It can be obvious bullying or just little things, like not letting the other get to food, water, hide, etc. So this is a heads up to watch for it and be prepared to separate at any little sign.

Yes its a pretty large enclosure...But the grass seed im planting isnt even trying to come up? Last year i had no problem with it coming up not sure what the issue is this year..So im thinking it may have to do with soil? And not sure what i can put on it since they are in the enclosure? And ty for the headsbup on bullying..As for the bullying i havent seen that yet...we thought it was 2 males (i def know the one is a male ) but i think the smaller one is ending up being female or so i hope!

 

[Yvonne G]

You'll have to divide the enclosure in half. Keep the tortoises off one half while you plant and water, and don't move them back until the grass is established. Then move them over and plant and water the other half.

In good pasture management, you rotate the animals, you have the animals off the pasture while you water and allow it to grow, then move the animals and you take care of the other pasture while the animals are off it.

I have a pretty big space for my one sulcata, and he actually has three yards. I rotate him through the different yards weekly.

 

[Holly'sMom]

I know this probably isn't practical for you but I grow it in pots in top soil. I get a bag of the fix a bald spot kind then just replant chunks. You could prob do the same in anything even an old baby pool. The spot fixing grass seems to grow in days even in the shade