What kind of potted plants are good for redfoots?

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raydeon

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I am planning to buy one or two potted plants for my RFs...what would be some good choices ?
 

JustAnja

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If you buy potted plants, be sure they are either organic (always make sure no systemic pesticides were used) or you will need to wash the roots off and re-pot them in organic potting soil, then wait about 6 months to ensure all chemicals leach out of the plant completely before letting your RFs feed on them.

That is a great list of edible plants for Redfoots at that link ;) I need to update my blog posting with those that I didn't include on that list. :) I will go ahead and just include what I have here for quick reference. Hope it helps.


Hosta
Sedum
Mulberry leaves
Hen and Chicks
Ice Plants
Hibiscus (flowers and leaves)
Prickly pear flowers, fruit and pads (burn the spines off)
Dandelion
Cornflowers Plagiobothrys ssp
Forsythia (flowers and leaves)
Dayflower Commelina diffusa (flowers and leaves)
California Poppy
Plantain (not the banana type fruit….the weed plantago major)
Mallow (flowers and leaves)
Henbit
Rose (flowers and leaves)
Chrysanthemum flowers
Grape leaves
hawks bit
mulberry leaves and fruit
thistle
nasturtiums
wild rose flower and hips


You could also plant seeds in trays of the following to feed:

Romaine lettuce (feed occasionally)
Red and green leaf lettuce (feed occasionallyl)
Curly Endive
Escarole
Radicchio
Turnip greens
Mustard greens
Collard greens
Spring Mix (yes you can buy seed mixes for these)
Chicory
 

terryo

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Thanks for that list Anja...I printed it out and put it in my handbag. I am starting to look for plants for my Spring planting. Someone told me to throw birdseed in the enclosure......whatever grows should be OK. I wonder...do you think that's good?
 

Kristina

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Hmmm, that is a good question, and would be very easy and CHEAP to do! I am going to do some nutritional research on the ingredients of bird seed...

Here, you can get it for 28 cents a pound, so that would be an incredibly inexpensive way to go!!!

Kristina
 

cdmay

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Question about the list

Nice list Anja.
Question: You list thistle, is that the wild sort of spiky thing that gets the fuzzy lavender flower in the center of the plant? I see that all over the place but I never even consdiered it tortoise food before
 

Kristina

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Thistle is very edible - But I am not sure of the nutritional content.

The spines can be removed by scraping or searing with a torch, similar to cactus pads. It has nice thick juicy stalks that can be eaten. I have eaten it boiled.

Kristina
 

Yvonne G

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RE: Question about the list

cdmay said:
Nice list Anja.
Question: You list thistle, is that the wild sort of spiky thing that gets the fuzzy lavender flower in the center of the plant? I see that all over the place but I never even consdiered it tortoise food before

I bought some "Mediteranean Tortoise Mix" seeds from either Turtlestuff.com or carolinapetsupply.com. One of the plants that has sprouted from the mix is thistle. It is a bright green leaf with a holly-like shape and white dots all over it. When it blooms, it is a really pretty pink spikey or fuzzy bloom. The tortoises love it and there is no need to remove the spines. Of course, all my tortoises are adults. I imagine it would be different for babies.

Yvonne
 

JustAnja

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I think Kristina and Yvonne have it covered :)
 

Kristina

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RE: Question about the list

emysemys said:
I bought some "Mediteranean Tortoise Mix" seeds from either Turtlestuff.com or carolinapetsupply.com. One of the plants that has sprouted from the mix is thistle. It is a bright green leaf with a holly-like shape and white dots all over it. When it blooms, it is a really pretty pink spikey or fuzzy bloom. The tortoises love it and there is no need to remove the spines. Of course, all my tortoises are adults. I imagine it would be different for babies.

Yvonne

The stuff that we have around here is more tender when the plants are younger, but when they get up to several feet, lol, they can be pretty darn pokey. I take the spines off simply because I am OCD and worried about eyes and noses.

I feed nettle too, and simply drying that takes away the stinging quality. I make my own supplement (probably similar to the same concept as TNT) and use dried nettle in that.

Kristina
 

carrilac

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Does anyone have any suggestions on what type of house plants will not harm redfoots? I would like to put a couple of potted plants in my indoor enclosures to keep the humidity levels up for my hatchlings.
 

terryo

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I put spring mix seeds, baby tears, pothos, wandering Jew, Split-Leaf Philodendron, Spider Plant,and in the Spring I buy some Pansies while the weather is still to cool for him to go outside, but he usually eats those.
 
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