Where do you buy your plants? Im looking for hibiscus and dandelions for my Red foot. But im warry about pesticides and stuff. I know if i ask, they will just tell me what i want to here.
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I have bought hibiscus from nurseries before,
I always ask if pesticides have been used,as they will be used for my torts and pesticides would kill them and that if anything happens to my torts I would not be happy,
It doesn't sound as threatening in Spanish! Honest!!
I always ask if pesticides have been used,as they will be used for my torts and pesticides would kill them and that if anything happens to my torts I would not be happy,
It doesn't sound as threatening in Spanish! Honest!!
Any pesticides they use on the plant will not be present on new growth.
shelly, i love your video. your tort looks like a bully. thats awesome
We have a member here that is a veteran tortoise keeper who also happens to work for a nursery. He has informed us that nowadays many nurseries are using systemic pesticides that stay in the plant for up to a year. External pesticides usually wear off within 3-6 months. Like you said though, they will probably just tell you what you want to hear.
I grow my own or find friends and family with long established plants.
I grow my own or find friends and family with long established plants.
You might be able to find an organic nursery. All my hibiscus are old way pre torts, but I didn't think about systemic pestisides that the gardener may use.
The dandelions I save seeds from ones blooming in my yard and our local park where I know we do no spraying. I also collect ones for feeding from those places, friends, and even ask total strangers if I can remove some from their yards.
The hibiscus I get from any place I find them. Last year I got them from WalMart, Alco, CVS, Country General, Menards, and Home Depot. From our local nursery (Earl Mays) in late fall when they went 75% off, I bought several of their hardy hibiscus plants. I try to find all the plants once they go on sale.
I also try to buy plants ahead of time, such as as soon as I start thinking about building or remodeling an enclosure I start collecting plants for it. Gives them time to out grow whatever chemicals they came with (they get repoted right away too). However I will also freely admit, I have bought plants from a store and have within a week or less, place them within my tortoises' enclosure.
A lot of how long I force something to remain out of an enclosure here depends on what kind of tortoise and even how big it is. For example, I know with my group of Russians any eatable plant will be swarmed upon by them in a feeding frenzy and gone in minutes. Take the redfoot group and they may take a nibble in passing but not eat a lot of the plant, so it's safer to place a newer plant with them. Meanwhile over in the hingeback enclosures, plants are ignored so even brand new plants are pretty worry free. On the size matter, the bigger the tortoise, the less I worry about placing new plants with them. I am sure my adult Russians could handle it better then my hatchling Russians could, so I plant accordingly.
On any plant I would check first with family, friends, neighbors, and even that place you drive by and see they have the plant your looking for. I have found as a general rule, even with a total stranger, if you ask a plant person for a start, for a small clump, or seeds from one of their plants, they are usually happy to give it to you. Craig's list/Freecycle and those types of places are also good sources. I know many members in here are very generous with what they have growing.
The hibiscus I get from any place I find them.
Last year I got them from WalMart, Alco, CVS, Country General, Menards, and Home Depot. From our local nursery (Earl Mays) in late fall when they went 75% off, I bought several of their hardy hibiscus plants. I try to find all the plants once they go on sale.I also try to buy plants ahead of time, such as as soon as I start thinking about building or remodeling an enclosure I start collecting plants for it. Gives them time to out grow whatever chemicals they came with (they get repoted right away too). However I will also freely admit, I have bought plants from a store and have within a week or less, place them within my tortoises' enclosure.
A lot of how long I force something to remain out of an enclosure here depends on what kind of tortoise and even how big it is. For example, I know with my group of Russians any eatable plant will be swarmed upon by them in a feeding frenzy and gone in minutes. Take the redfoot group and they may take a nibble in passing but not eat a lot of the plant, so it's safer to place a newer plant with them. Meanwhile over in the hingeback enclosures, plants are ignored so even brand new plants are pretty worry free. On the size matter, the bigger the tortoise, the less I worry about placing new plants with them. I am sure my adult Russians could handle it better then my hatchling Russians could, so I plant accordingly.
On any plant I would check first with family, friends, neighbors, and even that place you drive by and see they have the plant your looking for. I have found as a general rule, even with a total stranger, if you ask a plant person for a start, for a small clump, or seeds from one of their plants, they are usually happy to give it to you. Craig's list/Freecycle and those types of places are also good sources. I know many members in here are very generous with what they have growing.
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