Okay substrate??

[Fujininja]

Hello im making a new outroo enclosure and was wondering if cypress mulch and this topsoil would work for my 11 month old hermanns tortoise. The ingridients in the soil is processed forest material and peat moss. Thank u!

 

[wellington]

I'd be careful with the soil. It's hard to say what is in the forest stuff. They put all kinds of things in it. I bought some soil one time, suppose to be organic and it had plastic in it. If this is an outdoor enclosure, can you use what you already have as ground?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

You need to stay away from cedar and pine as they are toxic to turtles. Just run your hand thru the stuff making sure there's nothing "extra" in it

 

[Fujininja]

I'd be careful with the soil. It's hard to say what is in the forest stuff. They put all kinds of things in it. I bought some soil one time, suppose to be organic and it had plastic in it. If this is an outdoor enclosure, can you use what you already have as ground?

Im using a kiddie pool because I cannot dig holes in the yard because of the rules. Do you know of another substrate I could use to replace it?

 

[Fujininja]

You need to stay away from cedar and pine as they are toxic to turtles. Just run your hand thru the stuff making sure there's nothing "extra" in it

Okay, Thank you

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Try to get just cypress mulch, no need for topsoil. But read the bag carefully and see what's in it.

 

[wellington]

Just peat moss is fine too.

 

[Fujininja]

Try to get just cypress mulch, no need for topsoil. But read the bag carefully and see what's in it.

I will try thank you!

 

[Fujininja]

Just peat moss is fine too.

I thought that too at first but then I read that sometimes it can cause impaction?

 

[wellington]

The peat moss I bought from Home Depot is almost the same consistency as coconut coir.
Sphagnum moss or any substrate that is in the stringy type form, I wouldn't use.

 

[Fujininja]

Is this the one? http://m.homedepot.com/p/3-cu-ft-Peat-Moss-3001-CFC003P/205883917

The peat moss I bought from Home Depot is almost the same consistency as coconut coir.
Sphagnum moss or any substrate that is in the stringy type form, I wouldn't use.

this

 

[wellington]

No. It comes in a big compact square very heavy and only about 20 bucks or so. I have never been able to find it on their website.

 

[Fujininja]

No. It comes in a big compact square very heavy and only about 20 bucks or so. I have never been able to find it on their website.

Okay, I will try to find it

 

[Tom]

Coco coir or fine grade orchid bark work best. These can be found in bulk at a garden center, not at a large hardware store.

I don't like soil because you can't know what its made of.

I don't like cypress because the pieces are not uniform, too large and sometime sharp, it stinks like a swam since thats where it came from, I have to rinse it clean before use, and because they are deforesting the swamps to produce it.

 

[BrianWI]

I don't like soil because you can't know what its made of.

You probably wouldn't want to know anyway

 

[Tom]

You probably wouldn't want to know anyway

Here in CA we all have bins for yard trimmings. We throw grass clippings, bush trimmings, and any sort of organic yard waste into these bins. The bins are collected weekly and the contents are sold to the companies that make soil and compost.

The problem is that a lot of the stuff thrown in those bins is either toxic plant materials, like oleander for example, or its treated with toxic chemicals like fungicides or the typical "weed n feed" yard treatments. At every hardware and garden store here, there is a plethora of toxic chemicals to spray all over your yard and garden to cure whatever ails you.

There is no practical way to know what residual chemicals or plant toxins are in the material after the composting process is done, and the stuff is bagged up and sold.

 

[Fujininja]

Coco coir or fine grade orchid bark work best. These can be found in bulk at a garden center, not at a large hardware store.

I don't like soil because you can't know what its made of.

I don't like cypress because the pieces are not uniform, too large and sometime sharp, it stinks like a swam since thats where it came from, I have to rinse it clean before use, and because they are deforesting the swamps to produce it.

Okay thank you for the info, so I should be looking for the things I need in garden centers instead of Home depot or lowes?

 

[Knap_123]

I got this for $12 at home depot