Substrate and Plant Questions

[TandM]

Hello all, it has been a long while since I have last posted. My baby tort, which I believe is a Greek, has easily double in size over the last two years and is now very active. Because of how much he moves around the eco earth substrate we use quickly turns to dust and has made a mess of my house. Would a new substrate of black dirt and cypress mulch be sufficient for him as I am looking for something that will be less dusty. Also, is there any difference from the jungle floor type substrates in pet stores (looks just like black dirt) and just regular dirt at the garden store? I find it hard to justify paying 25$ for a bag of what appears to just be dirt.


I am also on the verge of giving up with plants in the enclosure, as my tort is so active that he tramples and smashes into anything we plant until it is destroyed. Does anyone have any suggests for some very hardy plants that are either edible or safe to put into the enclosure that have a hope of surviving longer than a week.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Marisol:

I like to leave the plants in the pots, then set the pot way down onto the actual floor of the habitat, pushing the substrate up around the pot. This moves the plant up above the tortoise and he can't push over the pot.

As to the substrate - you can use anything you can find that holds moisture, except pine or cedar. I buy the small particle orchid bark. Orchids are very sensitive and the medium used to plant them has to be pure, so I know I'm safe using it. Call around to nurseries in your area and see if they sell orchid bark. If you can't find that, then cypress mulch is a good second choice, however the particles are usually a bit larger than I like.

 

[TandM]

Thanks for your help Yvonne!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I think the theory about that jungle dirt being so expensive it that it is sterile.
But, yeah, I use orchid bark and plain old $1.95 potting soil.