Soil Question

[Seiryu]

I am probably worrying more than I should. But Home Depot had bags of Organic potting soil on sale. Specifically this

http://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/p...l&proId=prod70318&itemId=cat80014&id=cat50156

This will be for the outdoor enclosure that will be *started* this year and finish next year. I mainly got it for the plants. To start with a healthy growth. The tortoise himself will not actually be in the enclosure Until late, late next year (if at all) or in 2011.

"Benefits:
Contains a blend of all-natural, organic ingredients: sphagnum peat moss and composted bark fines Natural fertilizers provide both quick- and slow-release feeding to get plants off to a fast start and keep them growing Delivers twice the growth of ordinary potting soil naturally "

So I guess by that time, if any fertilizers were there (which there shouldn't be) by 12months it'll all be gone. The bag says the "Natural fertilizers will last 3 months." So that's 9months after it's supposed to be gone.

 

[Yvonne G]

A couple years ago I reclaimed part of my driveway to enlarge a couple tortoise pens. I dug out the decomposed granite and roadbase, but what was left under those layers was a layer of hard pan (a type of calische that you can't get a shovel through, let alone a pick-ax). I put down a layer of (darn it! the name escapes me, but its a white powder that's supposed to loosen the soil and help drainage), then a layer of leaves, then a layer of decomposed horse manure. The top coat was a layer of bagged top soil that I bought at Lowe's. The reason for this long story is because of the top soil. It is so loose, and it doesn't compact, that when the tortoises bite the grass, half the time they pull it out by its roots. Maybe I should have rented a compactor and pressed the top soil down, but even now, after a winter of rain, the ground is still too soft.

If it is at all possible, I think you need to dig your bagged soil into the existing dirt where you are building your pen, incorporating the two together.

Yvonne

 

[Seiryu]

A couple years ago I reclaimed part of my driveway to enlarge a couple tortoise pens. I dug out the decomposed granite and roadbase, but what was left under those layers was a layer of hard pan (a type of calische that you can't get a shovel through, let alone a pick-ax). I put down a layer of (darn it! the name escapes me, but its a white powder that's supposed to loosen the soil and help drainage), then a layer of leaves, then a layer of decomposed horse manure. The top coat was a layer of bagged top soil that I bought at Lowe's. The reason for this long story is because of the top soil. It is so loose, and it doesn't compact, that when the tortoises bite the grass, half the time they pull it out by its roots. Maybe I should have rented a compactor and pressed the top soil down, but even now, after a winter of rain, the ground is still too soft.

If it is at all possible, I think you need to dig your bagged soil into the existing dirt where you are building your pen, incorporating the two together.

Yvonne

So add the dryer dirt with the organic soil then? What about mixing Play Sand and the Organic soil, would that be ok? (For the Tort AND Plants)?

And from what you can see, is the soil Ok to use?

 

[tortoisenerd]

Isn't the organic stuff safe to use right out of the bag? It's the unnatural fertilizers I'd be worried about, not the natural ones. I need backup on this one though so wait for a second opinion please. If it wasn't organic it would need to sit out.

 

[Seiryu]

Isn't the organic stuff safe to use right out of the bag? It's the unnatural fertilizers I'd be worried about, not the natural ones. I need backup on this one though so wait for a second opinion please. If it wasn't organic it would need to sit out.

Yes I know it's unnatural ones need to sit out. However there are a lot of "organic" soils that use fertilizers, and not just natural ones.

This type was the only kind Home Depot had that didn't have fertilizers or weird things listed on it. I am pretty sure it's safe. But either way, like I said he won't be in his outdoor enclosure (he'll be way too small for the big one) until late next year and possibly even 2011

 

[Greg T]

It should be fine, especially since they aren't going to be on it for a while. If there happens to be some fertilizers in there, they will break down long before next year comes.

 

[jcooper0311]

I don't know if it's just me but (outside) in the places that I added play sand to the soil, I can't keep anything growing there. It's a big bald spot and you can tell exactly where the sand was mixed in. If I had to do it again I wouldn't have mixed in the sand.

 

[Seiryu]

I don't know if it's just me but (outside) in the places that I added play sand to the soil, I can't keep anything growing there. It's a big bald spot and you can tell exactly where the sand was mixed in. If I had to do it again I wouldn't have mixed in the sand.

Well that answers that question then thanks, jcooper! Not doing that then

Yvonne - Would mixing the organic soil with Top Soil work ok (in terms of them pulling up roots and all). Or basically just use the dry stuff?

I have quite a bit of dry area, right where I am going to put the pen anyways so I may just do that, if I can get any of it, Tried growing grass there, but no luck. The big tree in the backyard really has roots EVERYWHERE and seems to not allow things to grow well in that spot.

 

[Millerlite]

why are you adding soil to grow stuff? if you turn the soil where your going to put the enclosure soften it up, then turn in some soil from home depot then water it down so it gets firmed up, that would be good. that would work.

 

[Seiryu]

why are you adding soil to grow stuff? if you turn the soil where your going to put the enclosure soften it up, then turn in some soil from home depot then water it down so it gets firmed up, that would be good. that would work.

I'm not digging into the ground for the enclosure. So I have to add soil/dirt to the enclosure. And Home Depot like I said had some organic stuff that should help get all the plants off to a good start on sale. (3$/16 qt). Usually it is $7-8 / 16 qt.

Anyways yes, I plan to mix the organic stuff with my dryer yard dirt. Yvonne recommended to do that so the tortoise doesn't up-root everything.

I was just wondering if INSTEAD of the dirt on the ground if I could just use top-soil. That's because I am not sure how much of the dirt from my yard I could actually get because of all the roots over there.

But it seems the top-soil won't do.

 

[Crazy1]

Seiryu, when I built my outside pens I had to dig down about 8 inches to put wire down so nothing digs in-nothing digs out. I used that soil Kelloggs potting soil-all natural and a little sand. It worked fine I can grow just about anything in there and the soil compacts nicely. You said you won't be digging up the area because of roots?? can you explain? Then you stated you wnat to mix the organic stuff with your dryer yard dirt. Sorry this confused me. Digging up some yard dirt and adding the Kelloggs all natural garden soil or your Miracel Grow Organic soil would work. Just about any soil would work you want to by if you don't plan on placing the tort in there for a year. Most all chemicals will be gone by then so I really don't think you have anything to worry about. When I redo a pen I try to do it when the torts come in for the winter. This gives them all winter for things to settle wash away and strat to grow.

 

[Seiryu]

Seiryu, when I built my outside pens I had to dig down about 8 inches to put wire down so nothing digs in-nothing digs out. I used that soil Kelloggs potting soil-all natural and a little sand. It worked fine I can grow just about anything in there and the soil compacts nicely. You said you won't be digging up the area because of roots?? can you explain? Then you stated you wnat to mix the organic stuff with your dryer yard dirt. Sorry this confused me. Digging up some yard dirt and adding the Kelloggs all natural garden soil or your Miracel Grow Organic soil would work. Just about any soil would work you want to by if you don't plan on placing the tort in there for a year. Most all chemicals will be gone by then so I really don't think you have anything to worry about. When I redo a pen I try to do it when the torts come in for the winter. This gives them all winter for things to settle wash away and strat to grow.

Sorry for the confusion

I WANT to use the dirt in my yard to mix with the soil. However the roots from the tree really prevent from digging it up because there are so many of them. Which is also why I can't dig a hole to put the enclosure down into the ground, there are too many roots.

And in terms of the tortoise up-rooting things. Yvonne said her ground is still too soft with just the soil and nothing mixed with it. So I wanted to know if top-soil would help prevent up-rooting. But with it being softer, I doubt it would help prevent uprooting.

Or if I would need dryer rougher stuff to mix (Like my dirt) to prevent it.

So you're saying adding some play sand will help prevent up-rooting and things should still grow? I guess not to add too much then.

I'll go out and take some pictures of what I'm talking about to clear some things up

---

Ok. First is of the shovel. It's a little hard to tell, but it's only about an Inch into the ground before I hit something. A root. That's as far as I could go.

Here are some root pictures

Another

And here is the "general feel" for the area, it's basically all like this picture (with more roots everywhere)