The Best Plants for Outdoor Enclosures

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Neal

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While it may be debatable, I think the best type of plant in any outdoor enclosure is fountain grass!!! The stuff grows fast, gets big, provides a lot of shade, and looks really good too. It can be eaten, a few of my tortoises seem to really like it, but I think for the most part tortoises won't eat it.

Here is one of our hides surrounded by 4 fountain grass plants.

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TylerStewart

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Let me guess; your Facebook plea for help burying the dripper line went unanswered? :)

We use a lot of the yellow iris grass here. For whatever reason, the fountain grasses didn't do as well here. I probably started with plants that were too small; they kinda got trampled.
 

Neal

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TylerStewart said:
Let me guess; your Facebook plea for help burying the dripper line went unanswered? :)

Haha. Didn't go unanswered, I had a couple of people lined up to help but the day they were going to come over was the day the baby decided to show up. Since we'll be moving soon, I figured it wasn't worth the effort at this point.

Speaking of the drip line, we also had a rough time with the fountain grass until the line was put in. Now the plants get a deep soak every other day and they're growing like crazy. Even the ones that are completely exposed to the sun the whole day.
 

lynnedit

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I really like Grasses too. I have some Carex. Fescue is great if established, but somehow mine seem to want to sit on it. :rolleyes:
They do need additional water (drip is great; doesn't evaporate) for the first 2-3 years.
 

Jacqui

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I like my tall grasses, too. They make great hiding areas, except my Mayalsian box turtles have this habit of worming their way into the thick stalk base (not the roots, the grass stalks). To get to them, you almost have to cut down the plant. :( :D I love how, in the winter here with everything bare and flat, the grass is still standing tall dancing in the wind. Nothing here eat it, it's even safe in the Russian enclosure.
 

N2TORTS

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yuppers Neal ... I have that around the yards too.....also there are several small clumping type bamboos that stay evergreen , safe , edible , and can handle the colds and hots between regions. The only thing I dont care for much on the grasses .....are the dried thistles that accumulate around the area and in my socks when wear them :p

JD~:)
 
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