plants

[PALOALTO]

I would like to make a separate enclosure for my baby Hermanns. i plan to only put plants in this one, and put him in there a couple times a day, just for a change of scenery from his usual enclosure.

Can anyone recommend any flowers and plants he may like? preferably, nice smelling ones. In the future, I may link the two habitats, but for now it would be separate.

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Another question, does anyone know if those seeds they sell at Home depot have any pesticides, or anything that may be harmful? I was going to get actual plants, but I think seeds may be safer

 

[robopeen]

I got the Russian seed mix and violet seeds from Carolina Pet Supply. Poppies and hibiscus ad good too. You might be able to find organic seeds at your local stores, if not they're all over the internet.

 

[Moozillion]

There are lots of plants that are safe and good for your tort to eat. I have planted myHermann's indoor winter enclosure with several of these: Swedish ivy (which she ate up) and spider plants (which she hides under). They are a handy snack for her, pretty to look at, help keep humidity up and make her life more interesting.

If you do an online search for The Tortoise Library, and also The Tortoise Table, they'll get you off to a good start! A wide variety of broad leafed greens and weeds is very good for them, and many of us grow our own- either directly in the enclosure or in pots that get set into the enclosure once the plants are big. My tortoise will either trample seedlings growing directly in her enclosure, or else she nips off just the little green tips of the sprouts, so i prefer to grow mine in pots and transplant them when they're bigger. I have used seed mixes from Tortoise Supply and from Carolina Pet Supply; Arizona Tortoise Compound also sells seed mixes- I haven't used any myself, but I've seen very good reviews about them.

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I bought some plants from Home Depot, but I think they're almost guaranteed to have been sprayed with pesticides which could be harmful for torts. So I transplanted them into organic potting soil and am letting them grow in that and put out new leaves that I KNOW I haven't sprayed before I put them in her enclosure.