Salad Planter For Tortoise

[Bow]

Got a plant pot that is full of "Asian greens" from the local garden store, they swear that they don't spray them with anything, but it possibly was fertilized at some point. I dug the pot down so it's level with the coco coir in Walters table, then re thought and took it out again. Will fertilizers hurt him if the plant is still in it's pot not directly in his coir? He really liked it, so I feel guilty stealing it away from him. The pot has drainage holes in the bottom which was the main cause of my paranoia.

 

[JoesMum]

There are mixed opinions, but my view is that if it is safe for you to eat then your tort will be fine. I rinse the leaves of supermarket living lettuces to remove residues but that is all.

The plants that must be grown on in clean soil are those sold as house or garden plants. Those do not have to be grown using food safe fertilisers and so may have taken up harmful chemicals.

 

[ascott]

I would not offer any food item if fertilizer was used in the growth of the plant....that is my personal belief---as joesmum expressed, folks generally will do their own thing on this subject....but, again--I would not offer foods fertilized....

 

[Tyrtle]

They look exactly like the Spring Mix in a box you get at the store. It looks like they just took some seeds and grew them and they are selling as "living" lettuce. Did they say they were to be eaten?

My bet is that any lettuces grown for sale in the grocery store including the mixed greens, iceberg, and anything else you eat are being fertilized to some extent. I am with JoesMum on this one. If these particular greens are being sold as something a person can eat rather than a houseplant, then I think it's okay to feed.

 

[wellington]

I would be cautious of feeding them also. If you do, I would replant them in plain dirt and rinse the plant off first.

 

[Bow]

They look exactly like the Spring Mix in a box you get at the store. It looks like they just took some seeds and grew them and they are selling as "living" lettuce. Did they say they were to be eaten?

My bet is that any lettuces grown for sale in the grocery store including the mixed greens, iceberg, and anything else you eat are being fertilized to some extent. I am with JoesMum on this one. If these particular greens are being sold as something a person can eat rather than a houseplant, then I think it's okay to feed.

It's meant to be harvested every three weeks and used in salads, hopefully that means edible lol.

 

[Tom]

They look exactly like the Spring Mix in a box you get at the store. It looks like they just took some seeds and grew them and they are selling as "living" lettuce. Did they say they were to be eaten?

My bet is that any lettuces grown for sale in the grocery store including the mixed greens, iceberg, and anything else you eat are being fertilized to some extent. I am with JoesMum on this one. If these particular greens are being sold as something a person can eat rather than a houseplant, then I think it's okay to feed.

I agree completely...

Plants don't grow without SOME form of fertilization. These are simply nutrients that plants assimilates into new growth. Once assimilated, the nutrients in their various concentrations and ratios are no longer harmful to tortoises or other plant eaters. If the tortoise were to eat the fertilizer directly, it COULD be a problem, but once the "fertilizer" is processed by the plant is should be fine. Now systemic pesticides would be another issue entirely, but since these are sold for human consumption, I doubt that is an issue...

 

[ascott]

http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=brands&id=19026021

Here is a site simply for reference...go ahead and scroll to the bottom area and click on each of the ingredients...then click on other products that contain each of those ingredients....interesting?

I again will recommend not promote fertilizer use in plants you are going to offer your tort...and again, simply my opinion

 

[Bow]

http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=brands&id=19026021

Here is a site simply for reference...go ahead and scroll to the bottom area and click on each of the ingredients...then click on other products that contain each of those ingredients....interesting?

I again will recommend not promote fertilizer use in plants you are going to offer your tort...and again, simply my opinion

I believe the only fertilizer in the planter came from the wrong side of a cow... It also doesn't have a list of any chemicals on the tag, so I can't really check

 

[JoesMum]

Like I said... if it's safe for humans to eat your tort should be fine. Your pet doesn't have to eat organic if you don't.

Your pet does have to avoid pesticides like you do. So rinse the leaves first.

If the plant isn't being grown as a food plant for humans, transplant it to organic soil and grow it on for a month.