Who grows their own plants and vegetables?

Pearly

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ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1492093786.011824.jpg my Tortoise Garden is taking off. ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1492093846.778445.jpg most of the last years plantings got established, except for the hibiscus. I just haven't had much luck with it in my location. I think I'm just gonna have to stop wasting money on it. Only 1 out of the 5 bushes I had planted is coming back so far! I am pretty disgusted with it. ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1492094039.456059.jpgplanted 4 types of grapes but so far can see 2 making a come backImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1492094093.080946.jpg and some good weeds like a chicory (yes! i bought a plant and paid for it at herb nursery!), mallow, lambs quartersImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1492094207.511477.jpg and many many moreImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1492094249.179146.jpg and there are some transplants from my front garden as wellImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1492094305.091231.jpglike this rock rose, and couple of floribunda rosesImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1492094350.548782.jpg like this one and ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1492094374.316548.jpg there are also other things planted, lots of succulents, opuntia (cactus), ice plant, some ground covers... I still use grocery store bought greens but now it's about 50/50 mix with their own native tort garden plants. Fruits and veggies also coming from the farmers market. As we extend the Tortoise Garden there will be more plants there. For now the enclosure is getting pretty overgrown and will need to be thinned out along with landscaping (making some hills and few caves, water holes) That's a project for this spring/summer/fall. You can tell, I'm having some fun with it:)
 

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Levi the Leopard

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I love weeds, don't get me wrong. Well my tortoise loves weeds....I only like dandelion. mmmm
But that's different than weeds growing in the human garden where he can't access them. When I do pull the weeds,I toss them over the fence for him.
What's neat is when I pull the weeds with just my fingers, the entire weed comes out, roots and all! And did I mention it's easy??

I'll take some pictures and share them later. I've just started my planting for the season.

I'll send the documentary link to anyone that PMs me but you can look it up too. "Back to Eden organic gardening" on YouTube.

Just like Paul:

I keep all the rocks in my soil. They provide minerals.

I don't till the ground, that exposes all the nutrients to dry out and is like an open wound on the ground.

I cover the soil with 6-8" of wood chips. That layer provides my soil with a covering that keeps it healthy, naturally balanced and damp. I get the wood chips from a tree service for free! But don't mix them into the ground, I let them sit on top. The various size chips decompose at different rates which you want. Think about in nature, during fall the tree leaves cover the ground. ;)

I don't have bug problems and don't need pesticide. Bugs don't eat water rich, healthy plants. They eat stressed out, dry or dying plants. I have bugs all over but they don't want the good stuff. My covered soil keeps the plants water rich and healthy therefore unappetizing to the bugs!

Weeds pull out so easily because the ground isn't compacted. It's loose and oxygen rich.

There are enzymes that don't develop in the fruits and veggies until they ripen naturally. These enzymes are not only good for you and help break down the food it's in but also help the taste. When you eat a store bought veggie it was likely harvested before it was ripe. It's missing the very things that make it good for you and tasty. When you eat a veggie grown in a covered garden, they are well hydrated (we tort keepers know how important hydration is) and full of health benefits.

If you want a garden that needs almost no work, AND produces food that is actually good for you, this is the way to go. Hands down. I'm only on my second year. Boy I wish I'd started sooner.
 

Greta16

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The small one on the left. I have two. But only a photo of one of them.
There are several types of Jade
Thanks, that's what I have, a different variation I believe..I have 3 or 4 succulents. How do I know if my tort can eat them? No longer have the tags so I have no idea of their scientific names?
 

Greta16

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Beautiful gardens!! I only wish I had luck with Roses. Although, I do have climbing roses (maybe tea roses), the flowers themselves are small. Can my tort eat those and the leaves? Don't think I have a pic right now of them in bloom.
 

Neal

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Blakem

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Holy smokes! Either my perception of the scale in your picture is completely inaccurate or that cactus pad is ginormous.

How big is that pad? From your own plant?
That IS a GINORMOUS pad. That's part of the reason why I cut it, it was too heavy. My Sulcata is 18 inches long too. It's hilarious that you're the only one who noticed, I even post it on my instagram page and no one really noticed. It is from my own plant. In almost 5 years it's gone from a freshly planted 3 pads to this ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1492123689.941978.jpg
 

BILBO-03

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That IS a GINORMOUS pad. That's part of the reason why I cut it, it was too heavy. My Sulcata is 18 inches long too. It's hilarious that you're the only one who noticed, I even post it on my instagram page and no one really noticed. It is from my own plant. In almost 5 years it's gone from a freshly planted 3 pads to this View attachment 204793
That's awesome! Would those do well outside in Ohio, during the summer?
 

Neal

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That IS a GINORMOUS pad. That's part of the reason why I cut it, it was too heavy. My Sulcata is 18 inches long too. It's hilarious that you're the only one who noticed, I even post it on my instagram page and no one really noticed. It is from my own plant. In almost 5 years it's gone from a freshly planted 3 pads to this View attachment 204793

Very cool. Smart barrier around the plant too. I am pretty sure I have that same variety. It produces big pads but none yet like the one in your first photo.
 

Blakem

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That's awesome! Would those do well outside in Ohio, during the summer?
What is the weather like in Ohio over the summer? I'd be more concerned for the winter; don't you get snow? Here in California, During the summer, it gets around 110 sometimes. They go a little limp and I just give it a little water and they're good. Those don't even die back here in the winter at all. Super easy to grow.
 

BILBO-03

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What is the weather like in Ohio over the summer? I'd be more concerned for the winter; don't you get snow? Here in California, During the summer, it gets around 110 sometimes. They go a little limp and I just give it a little water and they're good. Those don't even die back here in the winter at all. Super easy to grow.
Yes it does snow for awhile so I would probably have to bring it inside or something?
 

Loohan

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Bugs don't eat water rich, healthy plants. They eat stressed out, dry or dying plants.

I can think of exceptions to that. Like fire ants drilling into cantaloupes. Happened to me in TX decades ago.
And in a prolonged drought, all sorts of critters will zoom in on any water-rich plants, at least the fruit. Even birds will peck holes in tomatoes.
And even in nice weather, no matter how well i take care of tomato plants, they will get hornworms, stinkbugs, and others.
 

Loohan

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My reason for not doing this BTE thing is the "Get the covering" part. When you live in a rural area up a real rough dirt road in a county that only has 1 traffic light for the whole county, it is hard to get truckloads of chips delivered. I wish i could.

Yeah, i bought a little chipper a year ago, and have chipped many, many yards of brush, and it has helped enormously, but i lack the QUANTITIES i would like.

Many years ago i paid to have truckloads of old sawdust brought in, but that is far from ideal.
 

Pearly

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Beautiful gardens!! I only wish I had luck with Roses. Although, I do have climbing roses (maybe tea roses), the flowers themselves are small. Can my tort eat those and the leaves? Don't think I have a pic right now of them in bloom.
As long as the rose is clear of any chemicals is can be added to your tort menu
 

Levi the Leopard

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Access to free wood chips by the truck load does make it easier for me, that's for sure!
I've got a load coming on Tuesday for my neighbor. She's going to try it.

Paul has mentioned using rocks as a covering. If I ever lost my ability to get chips, and lived in a rocky/rural area, I'd probably try that.

But hey, there is no one way. There are many ways!

The OP seems to have a few different options to try :)
 

Pearly

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That's awesome! Would those do well outside in Ohio, during the summer?
Opuntia is VERY EASY to grow. Look around and perhaps there is cold hardy variety there. Mine don't mind the freeze at all. There are many different kinds that grow around here that will get kinda wilted looking and fall over after couple days of freezing temps, sometimes if the cold lasts longer those fallen over pads never recover but plant still grows underneath . I think in Ohio weather you can very successfully grow any kind of opuntia in pot as long as you are willing to bring it in to protect from the freeze which to me is a lot more work than I'm willing/able to do
 

Becca267

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We've been trying to find a spineless opuntia plant, but haven't located in any of the DFW nurseries we've tried so far. I'm not sure it would live through an Ohio winter. I remember a neighbor having some type of cactus growing when I was a child in upstate NY, so there are some that are very cold hardy. Our old house in Fort Worth had some really big, really old ones that survived pretty cold temperatures (down into the teens). So you might want to research their root hardiness (the top may die back, but it may come back from the roots).
 

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