Outdoor substrate

Violanna

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Been a while since I’ve posted here, but things have been going great with Rocky! He is a happy healthy little boy. We are getting ready to set up his outdoor home for the summer. Wanted to already have done it but we are having really bad rains and flooding so we held off.

We will be moving to a house we are renting in the next week so unfortunately we can no longer set up a permanent enclosure. So I’m wondering what is a good substrate to use in an outdoor enclosure? I need something that I can plant in easy. We have pots of plants we grow and add to Rocky’s enclosure every month.
 

Tom

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I just use the ground outside. I don't put in substrate.
 

Yvonne G

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I don't see the problem. Just plunk the bottmless enclosure down on the ground.
 

ZEROPILOT

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So, you're going to make something like a sandbox with raised sides as an enclosure?
Something with a bottom? Flat or on short legs to protect the grass beneath?
 

jaizei

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He is a serious digger, and they won’t let me put his enclosure walls underground

Tortoises don't dig to escape, like a dog might. Enclosure walls don't need to extend underground to keep him in. Keeping other animals out (dog, fox, etc) is one of the primary reasons to have enclosure walls underground.

Are there any garden/planting beds or areas at this house? You could use that area since an outdoor enclosure is basically the same as a raised bed. Unless there's a restriction on gardening, I would make a planting area that also houses a tortoise.
 

ZEROPILOT

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Tortoises don't dig to escape, like a dog might. Enclosure walls don't need to extend underground to keep him in. Keeping other animals out (dog, fox, etc) is one of the primary reasons to have enclosure walls underground.

Are there any garden/planting beds or areas at this house? You could use that area since an outdoor enclosure is basically the same as a raised bed. Unless there's a restriction on gardening, I would make a planting area that also houses a tortoise.
Yes.
I think that we are confused as to exactly what you are planning to do.
 

ZEROPILOT

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If you bang a few of these steel pickets into the ground with a hammer and attach wood to them with exterior screws... You can make any number of enclosure shapes that you can take down or set up in just a few hours. And it's cheap.
My tortoise enclosures and my new fish pond enclosures are made this way. It does no harm to the yard. Holds up to storms and predators. And can be added to or removed easily.
Even better is if you buy 8, 10 or 12' lumber, you can make an 8x10, a 10x12, 24x24'....whatever, with no cutting required. And you have options on the height, etc.
 

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Basically anything that you used for him indoors should be fine outdoors but high quality dirt would probably be preferred(maybe mixed with some mulch) because that is what they're naturally walking on in the wild. But overall, it doesn't matter THAT much.
 

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