I have been a little busy building out the new pen for my box turtle. Here are some progress photos. The pen is 8'x10', with a 3'x3' triangle noticed out closest to my kids play set. The pen will receive direct sunlight in the morning and shade in the afternoon.
I dug 12" down, set a level sand base and laid three rows of treated 4"x4" timber. These were then re-burried and serve as the base for landscape timbers. I will have 6 rows of landscape timbers on top, giving me 16" of height. The turtle is currently 7" in height, so I believe this will be adequate. If it isn't, I can always add more, its just landscape timbers. In the second photo, I put in the turtle for scale.
I also have a small pond liner and pump filter kit I will put in next weekend. Based on the feedback I received from this forum, the pond will only be 3-ft by 6-ft and 18" deep in the middle, to accommodate the filter. The pond will slope from there to the sides relatively flat and I will use pond pebbles for the bottom. The turtle will have easy access in and out of the water. From what I am seeing with the indoor pen, this turtle likes to sleep underwater.
For moisture, I will be adding a small garden misting irrigation system and will run it nightly for a few minutes.
For substrate, the existing soil is pretty sandy. The grass has been removed. I will probably till in some peat moss of some kind. Looking for recommendations.
For plants, my thinking was border the pen with hostas, border the pond with some ferns and then border the interior with some kind of small fruit growing shrub. Any suggestions?
I dug 12" down, set a level sand base and laid three rows of treated 4"x4" timber. These were then re-burried and serve as the base for landscape timbers. I will have 6 rows of landscape timbers on top, giving me 16" of height. The turtle is currently 7" in height, so I believe this will be adequate. If it isn't, I can always add more, its just landscape timbers. In the second photo, I put in the turtle for scale.
I also have a small pond liner and pump filter kit I will put in next weekend. Based on the feedback I received from this forum, the pond will only be 3-ft by 6-ft and 18" deep in the middle, to accommodate the filter. The pond will slope from there to the sides relatively flat and I will use pond pebbles for the bottom. The turtle will have easy access in and out of the water. From what I am seeing with the indoor pen, this turtle likes to sleep underwater.
For moisture, I will be adding a small garden misting irrigation system and will run it nightly for a few minutes.
For substrate, the existing soil is pretty sandy. The grass has been removed. I will probably till in some peat moss of some kind. Looking for recommendations.
For plants, my thinking was border the pen with hostas, border the pond with some ferns and then border the interior with some kind of small fruit growing shrub. Any suggestions?