Newyorkjets718
New Member
Hi! I just recently planted some grass indoors for my little Herman. It grew very fast and was easy to maintain. I wanted to plant some other beneficial weeds and flowers and suggestions?? 
Planting
- Thread starter Newyorkjets718
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Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
This website is great to check out for what plants to grow! Try the wildflower section
The Tortoise Table - Home
The Tortoise Table plant database and resource site for Tortoise owners
www.thetortoisetable.org.uk
There is a Testudo Seed Mix you can order and plant: https://www.tortoisesupply.com/TestudoMix
I can't find exact composition but I guess there should be broadleaf plantain, marigold, clover and more. The drawback is that these plants need a lot of sunlight to grow.
And here is the list of plants from another seed mix:
chickling vetch, common vetch, chicory, sainfoin, white mustard, pot marigold, lucerne, florence fennels, borage, ribwort plantain, mallow, common kidneyvetch, dill, caraway, wild carrot, cornflower, parsley, mugwort, salad burnet, lovage, corn marigold, yellow bedstraw, red campion, field scabious
Anastasia 22
Well-Known Member
Hello! Did you get the kit from pet store? I asked because I planted something like that before and my tortoises didn't want it. Later I realized that I used the soil that was included in the kit and most likely was full of chemicals....
The potting soil you used contains perlite. It's fine to grow plants in that if you are cutting and feeding, but never let any tortoise have direct access to perlite. They will eat it and it can slowly kill them.
Newyorkjets718
New Member
Can you suggest a good brand of top soil that I can mix with my coco coir for substrate.
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
It’s best to avoid top soils all together, there’s truly no knowing their contents, it varies from bag to bag, best sticking with just the coir
Coco coir is a bad growing medium. For potted plants it's okay to use organic planting soil, just without perlite (usually it's listed in composition). Pots/trays are easier to manage in the enclosure - as soon as tortoise destroys the plant you can swap it with a fresh one. Also flower pots can be used as a part of landscaping (breaking line of sight), placed on top of the hides (keeps plant safe and makes hide more "hidey").
Newyorkjets718
New Member
I get so many mixed answers lol I have all Coir and then read that it should be 50/50. So I’ll just leave it. Thank you!It’s best to avoid top soils all together, there’s truly no knowing their contents, it varies from bag to bag, best sticking with just the coir
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
You can use potting soil for planting, just keep it outside the reach of the tortoise.
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
No. Store bought soil isn't safe as tortoise substrate, in spite of all the people recommending it on the internet. Keep any soil in pots where the tortoise can't get to it, unless you made the soil yourself and know exactly what is in it. I've used yard dirt from around my property as long as there are not lawn chemicals or pesticides sprayed in that area, but this is very messy in an indoor enclosure. The best solution is potted plants. I use hanging potted plants too.
Copy/pasted from the info care sheet:
5. Soil: Soil is made from composted yard waste. Could be oleander trimmings. Could be azaleas. Could be lawn grass recently treated with insecticide, weed killer or fungicide. There is no way to know what is in that bag. There are all sorts of other weird ingredients added in and it can change as much and as often as the makers want. The contents of that bag are intended to grow plants in a pot or a garden. The makers and sellers do not intend for small animals to be living in it or on it in small enclosures. The contents of that bag might be toxic or dangerous, and the "Organic" moniker means very little. Oleander and rattle snake venom are both 100% organic and natural. Don't allow a tortoise access to bought-in-a-bag soil. If you make your own soil and know 100% of the ingredients and are sure all those ingredients are safe, then you can use it, but its still messy and not a good way to go. If you bought it at a store, there could be anything in that bag. Don't gamble with your tortoise's life. It is fine to use toxin free soils to grow plants to feed our tortoises, and in potted plants inside tortoise enclosures, but the tortoise should not have access to the soil, and certainly should not be living on it, or burying themselves in it. P.S. Perlite is a tortoise killer, and perlite is in many, if not most, potting soil mixes. Be careful.
More here:
Info For New People. Please Read This First.
Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...
tortoiseforum.org
Newyorkjets718
New Member
Thanks so much. I just did the color !No. Store bought soil isn't safe as tortoise substrate, in spite of all the people recommending it on the internet. Keep any soil in pots where the tortoise can't get to it, unless you made the soil yourself and know exactly what is in it. I've used yard dirt from around my property as long as there are not lawn chemicals or pesticides sprayed in that area, but this is very messy in an indoor enclosure. The best solution is potted plants. I use hanging potted plants too.
Copy/pasted from the info care sheet:
5. Soil: Soil is made from composted yard waste. Could be oleander trimmings. Could be azaleas. Could be lawn grass recently treated with insecticide, weed killer or fungicide. There is no way to know what is in that bag. There are all sorts of other weird ingredients added in and it can change as much and as often as the makers want. The contents of that bag are intended to grow plants in a pot or a garden. The makers and sellers do not intend for small animals to be living in it or on it in small enclosures. The contents of that bag might be toxic or dangerous, and the "Organic" moniker means very little. Oleander and rattle snake venom are both 100% organic and natural. Don't allow a tortoise access to bought-in-a-bag soil. If you make your own soil and know 100% of the ingredients and are sure all those ingredients are safe, then you can use it, but its still messy and not a good way to go. If you bought it at a store, there could be anything in that bag. Don't gamble with your tortoise's life. It is fine to use toxin free soils to grow plants to feed our tortoises, and in potted plants inside tortoise enclosures, but the tortoise should not have access to the soil, and certainly should not be living on it, or burying themselves in it. P.S. Perlite is a tortoise killer, and perlite is in many, if not most, potting soil mixes. Be careful.
More here:
Info For New People. Please Read This First.
Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...
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