The Tortoise Hangout

[MistyChee']

My outdoor tortoise pen is finally finished! I am so proud of it, so I had to share. I know in the picture it's a little wet, but I just put down grass seed and wanted to water it really well before the birds found it. Let me know what you think, and if you have any ideas on how I could improve it. By the way, it's 1 foot underground and 2 feet above.

 

[egyptian and proud "mayar"]

i really like it , it is simple and beautiful and cozy
i wish i had the space to make a similar one to my tortoises

 

[Utah Lynn]

That looks really nice.

 

[Yvonne G]

Too bad you didn't have someplace else to keep your tortoise while the grass grows. Nice. You've done a good job.

 

[MistyChee']

I don't think she's going to mind a little "rain" in the mornings and afternoon until the grass grows. She seemed to enjoy it really. She also thought the water puddles were amazing. It was quite funny.

 

[wellington]

I think emysemys was thinking more about how she is going to destroyed it before it has a chance to come up really good. Looks nice. My only suggestion is maybe a few more plants for some coverage and hiding.

 

[MistyChee']

I'm sure that's what they meant also. I just figure it's growing for her to eat anyways so I'll throw seeds out there once a week or so... Something's got to grow right? Well maybe not. (We will be out of town with her for about two weeks in about two weeks. I'm going to seed it extremely well and have a neighbor water it everyday. Hopefully that will do it.)
Also about the plants and shading. I did plant two strawberry plants for her today. I also have a grape vine but it is dying ever since I transplanted it into organic soil. I didn't want her to eat the root system on it so I planted it in a large and deep pot on side of the pen. Any ideas on how to save it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Jacqui]

I am always amazed at how much, especially the sulcatas, just trash with their constant walking on the plants rather then eating them. Was the grape plant heavily root bound? Do you have it sitting in full sun?

 

[Momof4]

I really like your enclosure! It's so simple yet looks so great!

 

[MistyChee']

The grape is in full sun, that's what the tag said. I potted it in organic soil in a bigger pot. It was kinda root bound. I washed all the old soil away and put it in the new pot. The tortoise can't walk on it so thats not the issue. It's pretty much dead now. I'm going to try to return it and maybe try again.

 

[Jacqui]

What you might try next time, is to leave the pot in the shade. I know it's a sun plant, but two things, first washing those roots and repotting puts major stress onto the plant. Then you put it in the full sun, even plants who do well in full sun, can get stressed by it. Another factor is depending how hot it was there, what size and type of pot, and if it was on something like cement, the roots could even have gotten too hot. So try leaving the next one in atleast partial shade for awhile after potting it.

 

[MistyChee']

Thank you for the advice! I'm going to do exactly that. The good thing was the plant has a 1 year warranty so I'm bringing it back and getting another today.

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Oh, one more question. How long do plants need to grow in organic soil before my tortoise can eat the leaves? I am mostly using plants for shade right now, but would love to be able to put them in the tortoise pen for enrichment eventually. Thanks again!

 

[Tom]

If your grape vine is in a pot and the tortoise doesn't have access to the soil, you can just leave it in the soil it came in, when putting it into a bigger pot. Hard to say how long you need to wait to feed off of it. The safe bet would be one year, but you'll probably be okay with new growth after a few months. Of course, that would make it Fall and the leaves will be dropping off at that point.

I love the pen, but I recommend you start planning for some sort of visual barrier all the way around the bottom 12" or so. I have seen sulcatas rub themselves raw on enclosures that they could see out of. You know, the grass is always greener... If yours does not do this, then hey, luck is on your side.

 

[MistyChee']

Thanks Tom !