Top soil for large sulcata den

[Debbie e]

Can someone tell me a good top soil to use. Will need alot for outside enclosure

 

[Tom]

Can someone tell me a good top soil to use. Will need alot for outside enclosure

Hello and welcome. Soil should not be used for tortoise enclosures. There is no way to know what is in it. They make it from composted yard waste and lots of other weird stuff. The manufactures do not intend for animals to live on or in it.

Best and easiest to just use the native dirt for an outside enclosure.

Do you have a suitable night shelter yet? Here are a couple of examples, if not:

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

tortoiseforum.org

Double Door Night Box

As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Levi the Leopard]

The best thing to use as the base of your outdoor tortoise pen is the natural ground. The current dirt, grass, etc. However, if you need to create a substrate on your own, then I would advise against purchasing bags sold as top soil. Like mentioned above, top soil is cheaply made by grinding a bunch of "who knows what" into pieces. It's possible that your tortoise might be just fine on purchased top soil. It's also possible that your tortoise might be injured by or killed by something in the purchased top soil. I've seen all kinds of weird things in the top soil I add to planter boxes. Chunks of rubber, pieces of glass and rusty nails are things I've personally come across in my top soil bags. Instead, make your substrate blend by purchasing specific materials that will not have the same unknown and potentially harmful contents.
Coco coir, orchid bark, ground peat moss, to name a few, can all be mixed together and make the dirt-like blend you are looking for. Perhaps if you gave us a few more details to the enclosure you are planning, we can help you more specifically.

 

[Debbie e]

The best thing to use as the base of your outdoor tortoise pen is the natural ground. The current dirt, grass, etc. However, if you need to create a substrate on your own, then I would advise against purchasing bags sold as top soil. Like mentioned above, top soil is cheaply made by grinding a bunch of "who knows what" into pieces. It's possible that your tortoise might be just fine on purchased top soil. It's also possible that your tortoise might be injured by or killed by something in the purchased top soil. I've seen all kinds of weird things in the top soil I add to planter boxes. Chunks of rubber, pieces of glass and rusty nails are things I've personally come across in my top soil bags. Instead, make your substrate blend by purchasing specific materials that will not have the same unknown and potentially harmful contents.
Coco coir, orchid bark, ground peat moss, to name a few, can all be mixed together and make the dirt-like blend you are looking for. Perhaps if you gave us a few more details to the enclosure you are planning, we can help you more specifically.

Thank you for reply and I totally agree no topsoil from store. Will just use our soil.