RT diet..

[georgeshaw]

At the moment I'm feeding my RT on a a stir fry mix including a lot of greens, and some other bits I can find in my local store such as watercress, cucumber and bean sprouts, I got out to collect wild flowers and weeds but all I really recognise are the most simple ones such as dandelions and clover.. I have bought a 'grow your own set' but obviously it's going to be some time till it produces anything...
Is there anywhere I can look to find flowers and weeds in places such as garden stores? Or farm shops?

 

[Eloise's mommy]

At the moment I'm feeding my RT on a a stir fry mix including a lot of greens, and some other bits I can find in my local store such as watercress, cucumber and bean sprouts, I got out to collect wild flowers and weeds but all I really recognise are the most simple ones such as dandelions and clover.. I have bought a 'grow your own set' but obviously it's going to be some time till it produces anything...
Is there anywhere I can look to find flowers and weeds in places such as garden stores? Or farm shops?

Can you get kale or collard greens in your local grocery store? My RT loves them!! also I found her some organic oregano and she gobbles that up stems and all...I think your diet might be too high in water...other RT owner will chime in on this also a spring mix in a pinch must be better than some of the things listed above...they like broad leafy weeds. someone will post a care sheet for you but I liked this websites info.
http://russiantortoise.net/care_sheet.htm
the care sheet they have gives plenty of great info.

 

[Tom]

We have a plant ID section in the diet forum. Check it out and see of you recognize any of those. If not, take and post pics of the weeds near you, and we will help you I'd them. I've also had great success taking samples to a local nursery. Most of them have a wise old gardener that can ID anything. I have a wonderful lady named Sandy, who also happens to be a tortoise keeper. Once you know what it is, we can usually tell you if it's a good tortoise food.

What part of the country are you in?

What is in your stir fry mix? Sometimes, those are not the best for regular feeding. I commend you for trying to offer the best diet possible for your tortoise.

 

[biochemnerd808]

I really like the plant list on the Russian tortoise website, there are links to pics of the plants: http://russiantortoise.net/edible_plants.htm

There's also a really extensive list of what to feed and not to feed on The Tortoise Table website (some of the names are the common UK names, so they may be different in the US): http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/files/Booklet 2nd edition_March 2012.pdf

I would hesitate to get plants at a garden store - although I did this with things like daylily. Those often use fertilizers, so my rule of thumb is to grow a bought plant in organic soil for at least 2 months before feeding it to my tortoise. I do collect plants in my friends weedy gardens (I know that they don't spray) and in the wilderness a little ways from our house. I avoid picking plants at the park, because they usually fertilize, and dogs pee there etc.

I started out only collecting a few of the 'easy' plants like dandelion and clover and plantain weed. Then I started expanding, bit by bit, and now have memorized a lot of the edible plants. If I am in doubt, I'll bring back a sample, and look it up. If I'm not sure, I'll err on the safe side.

For the past 2 years about 90% of my tortoise's food is collected, except for December and January (but even then some plants are still green around here). This is healthy for my tortoises, and for my pocketbook, as well!

At the moment I'm feeding my RT on a a stir fry mix including a lot of greens, and some other bits I can find in my local store such as watercress, cucumber and bean sprouts, I got out to collect wild flowers and weeds but all I really recognise are the most simple ones such as dandelions and clover.. I have bought a 'grow your own set' but obviously it's going to be some time till it produces anything...
Is there anywhere I can look to find flowers and weeds in places such as garden stores? Or farm shops?