Spring Planting

Tom

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Replanted a couple of my above ground planters. Each is planted with half "Testudo Mix" and half "Tortoise Grazer Mix from @TylerStewart at tortoisesupply.com

Before:
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IMG_5154.JPG


And after:
IMG_5299.JPG

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And my broadleaf plantain plot has also returned nicely now that winter is over. This pic is taken after I've already fed out hundreds of leaves from this plot. Thank you to the lovely @Carol S for generously giving me the seeds to start this plot:
IMG_5300.JPG
 

KarenSoCal

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Replanted a couple of my above ground planters. Each is planted with half "Testudo Mix" and half "Tortoise Grazer Mix from @TylerStewart at tortoisesupply.com

Before:
View attachment 236415
View attachment 236416


And after:
View attachment 236417

View attachment 236418


And my broadleaf plantain plot has also returned nicely now that winter is over. This pic is taken after I've already fed out hundreds of leaves from this plot. Thank you to the lovely @Carol S for generously giving me the seeds to start this plot:
View attachment 236419
Sure wish stuff would grow like that here! This is the only place I know that if you water the ground, nothing comes up! I'm having limited success with growing seeds in Chug's enclosure.
Your plots are beautiful.
 

Ghazan

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What's the duration of the time lapse? I have a bag and haven't gotten around to planting it
 

Bambam1989

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I was considering digging up some of the broadleaf plantain coming up here and moving them into a single area. They never get very large due to being outcompeted by other weeds.
I discovered this winter that the narrowleaf is much more cold hardy and robust. It never died back and would even manage to put out new growth from time to time.
 

Tom

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I was considering digging up some of the broadleaf plantain coming up here and moving them into a single area. They never get very large due to being outcompeted by other weeds.
I discovered this winter that the narrowleaf is much more cold hardy and robust. It never died back and would even manage to put out new growth from time to time.
My tortoises love and eat both, but they seem to like the narrow leaf just a little more.
 

Tom

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How does plantain handle your heat? I need to find seeds.
As long as I keep it watered it thrives in full sun and 100+ heat. I literally pull buckets of leaves out of that little plot and it just keeps growing and growing. The seeds spread and now I have more of it growing all over that area. I love it! My tortoises love it even more! Its a really easy plant to collect and feed out too. Easy for me to get a lot of bulk out of it quickly vs. handful after handful of other littler stuff.

It just sort of stops growing in winter. It doesn't die off, but it doesn't really grow and the leaves are small. But for the other 9 months of the year, it grows like a bad weed! In late spring and summer, I'll get giant leaves that are 12" across and 18" tall.

Be aware that the gophers and grasshoppers like it just as much as the tortoises. Its a war out there...
 
N

no one

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Hmm, lots of Tortoise food!!

I am growing my own broad leaf and narrow leaf plantain, but it is colder here. Yours look better...
 

Diamond

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Does anyone know if zucchini leaves are safe for torts. I have zucchini growing in my garden and the leaves are huge. Wasn't sure if i could feed them.
 

Tom

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Does anyone know if zucchini leaves are safe for torts. I have zucchini growing in my garden and the leaves are huge. Wasn't sure if i could feed them.
As far as I know, all of the squash leaves are fine.
 

daniellenc

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They are safe and @Tom i just planted the same today so hopefully in a few weeks I can stop wild grazing. @Diamond squash and zucchini leaves aren’t bad to add to a varied diet unless they were grown with fertilizers or pesticides
 

Tom

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They are safe and @Tom i just planted the same today so hopefully in a few weeks I can stop wild grazing. @Diamond squash and zucchini leaves aren’t bad to add to a varied diet unless they were grown with fertilizers or pesticides
Fertilizer is fine. It is necessary for plant growth. We just need to be sure that it is plain fertilizer with no additives like a "Weed n' Feed". And we need to make sure the tortoise doesn't have access to the actual fertilizer product. I grow most of my tortoise food in raised beds that the tortoises can't reach and I mix in fertilizer every year to replenish what has been used up.
 

Tom

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I've cut three feedings from this planter so far. Got a little left to go:
IMG_5456.JPG

I'll start cutting this one soon:
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Something is eating my plantain this year. I killed a big grasshopper, but I think there must be more, or something else too.
 

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bouaboua

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I think I now knows, where are all my tortoise escaped?? After I show them your photos.........
 

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