What soil to use

[Celiagg]

Hi everyone,
I bought some seed mix, African hibiscus and burgundy hibiscus for my sulcata hatchling. I want to pot them but I only have ocean farm potting soil. I read not to use soil with perlite or fertilizer which this one has perlite and worm castings. I would say my answer to this is NO! But I want to make sure before I pot. If I can’t use this what soil is recommended for me to pot them?
Thanks 😊

 

[Tom]

You will need to grow those items somewhere where the tortoise can't reach them if you want any of it to survive past sprouting. This being the case, just about any soil works as long as it has no pesticides or other toxic chemicals. Worm castings, bat guano, cow manure, perlite, vermiculite, and regular fertilizers are all fine as long as the tortoise doesn't have direct access to the fertilizer product or perlite. I grow tortoise food in raised garden beds, plots, and pots, and then cut and feed it out as needed.

All plants need fertilizer of some sort to grow. If the tortoise eats the fertilizer, it can kill them. If the tortoise eats plants grown in fertilized soil, the tortoise will grow too.

 

[wellington]

You will need to grow those items somewhere where the tortoise can't reach them if you want any of it to survive past sprouting. This being the case, just about any soil works as long as it has no pesticides or other toxic chemicals. Worm castings, bat guano, cow manure, perlite, vermiculite, and regular fertilizers are all fine as long as the tortoise doesn't have direct access to the fertilizer product or perlite. I grow tortoise food in raised garden beds, plots, and pots, and then cut and feed it out as needed.

All plants need fertilizer of some sort to grow. If the tortoise eats the fertilizer, it can kill them. If the tortoise eats plants grown in fertilized soil, the tortoise will grow too.

So it's okay now to feed tortoises plants cut right out of fertilized plants? Which would also mean, anyone buying plants from a garden center that doesn't use pesticides, can feed them right away?

 

[Tom]

So it's okay now to feed tortoises plants cut right out of fertilized plants? Which would also mean, anyone buying plants from a garden center that doesn't use pesticides, can feed them right away?

Yes, as long as it is plain fertilizer and not a "weed 'n feed" or "pest control" fertilizer. Its always been this way.

Plants intended for human consumption should be safe to eat for our tortoises. Most plants from garden centers are intended as "decorative" or "landscaping" plants and all of those are grown with systemic pesticides. This is done to protect the agriculture industries, or so I'm told.

 

[Celiagg]

You will need to grow those items somewhere where the tortoise can't reach them if you want any of it to survive past sprouting. This being the case, just about any soil works as long as it has no pesticides or other toxic chemicals. Worm castings, bat guano, cow manure, perlite, vermiculite, and regular fertilizers are all fine as long as the tortoise doesn't have direct access to the fertilizer product or perlite. I grow tortoise food in raised garden beds, plots, and pots, and then cut and feed it out as needed.

All plants need fertilizer of some sort to grow. If the tortoise eats the fertilizer, it can kill them. If the tortoise eats plants grown in fertilized soil, the tortoise will grow too.

I see. So, I can use the soil I have and just cut what I need. My plan was to use a large seedling tray and just have him graze on it since he is small and as he gets bigger; I would make adjustments based on his size/etc. I'm sorry if I repeat myself what would be the best soil option if this is something that is feasible.

 

[Tom]

I see. So, I can use the soil I have and just cut what I need. My plan was to use a large seedling tray and just have him graze on it since he is small and as he gets bigger; I would make adjustments based on his size/etc. I'm sorry if I repeat myself what would be the best soil option if this is something that is feasible.

Here in CA I have used the Kellogg brand before, but be careful There are so many types and so many brands. You don't want anything with additives like granulated fertilizers or perlite. You will have to spend some time flipping bags over and doing some reading there in the garden center. I don't mind guano, cow dung, or worm castings. Those things are all natural and quickly dissipate into the soil when you water and grow your food trays before offering them to the tortoises. By the time you put the trays into the enclosure, weeks will have gone by and there shouldn't be anything harmful at the surface of that soil, except whatever the soil is made of. I've taken to making my own soil so I know what is in it, but that isn't practical for some people.

 

[Celiagg]

May i ask what you use to make your soil? Maybe it’s something
i can do as I don’t making things specially if it will be beneficial to my Sheldon. And thank you for always providing so much information.

 

[Tom]

May i ask what you use to make your soil? Maybe it’s something
i can do as I don’t making things specially if it will be beneficial to my Sheldon. And thank you for always providing so much information.

I compost darn near everything organic. I bought a mulcher and now I mulch up my used mulberry branches after the tortoises eat all the leaves, uneaten cactus pad leftovers, weeds, leaves, etc... I wet it and mix it with the native dirt and turn it over with my tractor.

 

[Celiagg]

Well I can definitely look into doing this. I will research this and see if it can work for my home. May i also ask if it is normal for sulcata’s to be picky eaters. I try to feed him different foods and he goes only for the spring mix I give him. I wanna say I want to try ”you need to eat what’s in your plate” before I feed you again. I feel like that’s not the right way to get him to eat other foods.

 

[Tom]

Well I can definitely look into doing this. I will research this and see if it can work for my home. May i also ask if it is normal for sulcata’s to be picky eaters. I try to feed him different foods and he goes only for the spring mix I give him. I wanna say I want to try ”you need to eat what’s in your plate” before I feed you again. I feel like that’s not the right way to get him to eat other foods.

Most breeders don't stat them correctly. One of the many things that they do wrong is fail to introduce a wide variety of the right foods when that baby first hatches. instead they simply throw down some romaine or spring mix and call it good. Its not good, and it makes life difficult for new owners like you. You have to go to great lengths now to slowly introduce the right foods over weeks and months.

Chop up the old favorite super fine and wet it with a sprayer. Mince up a tiny amount of the new stuff and mix it in with the old favorite. Start with hardly any and mix it thoroughly. Gradually over time, add more and more of the new stuff. Repeat for each new food. Remember: A hungry tortoise is not a picky tortoise.

 

[Celiagg]

Thank you so much. I will get on this right away. Can you tell me if this sheet I got from a local
Reptile store is pretty accurate on some foods to feed my sulcata..

 

[RobertFlak]

Thank you so much. I will get on this right away. Can you tell me if this sheet I got from a local
Reptile store is pretty accurate on some foods to feed my sulcata..

Surprised Artichoke is on that list.
Artichoke is a type of thistle weed which I always thought was good as dandelions for tortoises

 

[Tom]

Thank you so much. I will get on this right away. Can you tell me if this sheet I got from a local
Reptile store is pretty accurate on some foods to feed my sulcata..

Much of this list is all wrong.
-There should be no fruit fed to sulcatas.
-Grass hay is great for adult sulcatas, but totally inappropriate for babies.
-There is nothing wrong with spinach, mushrooms or broccoli as long as its used infrequently in small amounts. All of these foods have some value, but none of these foods should be fed every day or exclusively.
-I would add escarole to this list.
-There is nothing wrong with romaine, or any other lettuce, if amendments are added.
-My main problem with this list is that it is all grocery store foods, and grocery store foods should only be fed to tortoises as a last resort if nothing better is available. The main diet for sulcatas should be grass. A wide variety of weeds, leaves, flowers and succulents should round out the grass. Where is the mention of mulberry leaves, grape leaves, mallow, sow thistle, thistle, clover, spineless opuntia, etc...? Here is a food thread I made years ago that spells this all out:

For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata...

Over and over I type up and answer diet questions and try to get people feeding the right stuff, but I find that the "norm" is grocery store food. Grocery store food is expensive, a hassle to obtain, and very low on the list of what is best for sulcatas. These tortoises are GRASS eaters. From...

tortoiseforum.org

In addition to that thread, here is the current care sheet. The food thing is explained better here. There is nothing wrong with grocery store greens IF the proper amendments are added. Adding amendments is SOOOOOO easy for sulcatas and other grass eating species.

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Celiagg]

Most breeders don't stat them correctly. One of the many things that they do wrong is fail to introduce a wide variety of the right foods when that baby first hatches. instead they simply throw down some romaine or spring mix and call it good. Its not good, and it makes life difficult for new owners like you. You have to go to great lengths now to slowly introduce the right foods over weeks and months.

Chop up the old favorite super fine and wet it with a sprayer. Mince up a tiny amount of the new stuff and mix it in with the old favorite. Start with hardly any and mix it thoroughly. Gradually over time, add more and more of the new stuff. Repeat for each new food. Remember: A hungry tortoise is not a picky tortoise.

Thank You again for all this great info. I've actually printed your posting and will make notes on it and create a spread sheet with your suggested foods.