Winter is coming

[Nephelle]

Oh cool thanks I'll look around for it.

Also, @Prairie Mom has an awesome gardening thread that I've found really helpful for ideas and pictures of plants, etc.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/garden-chat-photos-for-torts-and-people-♫-♫.104546/

 

[Prairie Mom]

Thanks, Nephelle

Hey guys,

So I live in Salt Lake City Utah and it's getting cold, soon all the plants will be gone from the garden. I was wondering where I could get weeds like dandelion and clover for my Greek tortoise. Do grocery stores even sell stuff like that? Maybe I should grow some? Can you freeze them and use them throughout the winter? Also what would be a good list of different weeds and flowers I could feed her? I know the basics I just wanna know what some other people with Greek tortoises feed their torts. Any feedback is welcome and appreciated! Thanks

Hello and welcome to the forum! I lived in Salt Lake for a while and still go to Utah often (Primary Children's and I love hiking in Southern Utah!!!). You can definitely get all kinds of weed seeds as members suggested. I've even bought plenty from Amazon. If I were you, I would go take a drive to a natural place or just head up one of the canyons and DIG UP AND POT some good weeds. Try to keep the roots as intact as possible and water even if it looks like the plant is dying ---it will probably rebound. Weeds like Dandelion and Mallow live in pots for quite a while.

Thanks,@Nephelle for mentioning the garden chat thread. I also made another thread recently where I showed some flowers and weeds that I tested freezing and thawing. You would be surprised how many can survive this process and still be good tortoise food.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...etain-good-texture.128563/page-2#post-1201151 Maybe this will give you some ideas food ideas too.

 

[Prairie Mom]

In regards to the cut flower discussion, there is a thread that was started by a really fun forum member...http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/roses.106337/ She was wondering whether she could feed her tortoise rose petals form a bouquet. She got some really good responses (people had a little fun and teased with her too). A member named "Iochroma" gives a short message on it. He was a practicing horticulturist for something like 40years, so definitely some good advice to be had there

 

[Pebbles&Petunias]

Thanks, Nephelle

Hello and welcome to the forum! I lived in Salt Lake for a while and still go to Utah often (Primary Children's and I love hiking in Southern Utah!!!). You can definitely get all kinds of weed seeds as members suggested. I've even bought plenty from Amazon. If I were you, I would go take a drive to a natural place or just head up one of the canyons and DIG UP AND POT some good weeds. Try to keep the roots as intact as possible and water even if it looks like the plant is dying ---it will probably rebound. Weeds like Dandelion and Mallow live in pots for quite a while.

Thanks,@Nephelle for mentioning the garden chat thread. I also made another thread recently where I showed some flowers and weeds that I tested freezing and thawing. You would be surprised how many can survive this process and still be good tortoise food.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...etain-good-texture.128563/page-2#post-1201151 Maybe this will give you some ideas food ideas too.

I was actually thinking about doing that! I'm taking a drive up Parelys Canyon this weekend and I can look around and pot some weeds. There's plenty of pots I can buy at the dollar store. I could have a good variety of plants going.

 

[Pebbles&Petunias]

I buy collard greens, kale, and dandelion at giant eagle grocery store for my sulcata

I used to have her on a staple of Collard, mustard, and Kale last winter, but I read those aren't great staples for Greeks. She gets fed really well in the summer, because I have a garden and if there's one thing that grows really well in Utah... it's weeds hahaha. I was just trying to get some suggestions on a little better of staples for Greeks and a bigger variety I can still give her in the winter. But that's cool I didn't know they sell dandelion at grocery stores haha a new A+ (Utah whole foods) just opened down the street Ill have to check their gardening/veggie section, cause smiths doesn't seem to have much haha.

 

[Prairie Mom]

I was actually thinking about doing that! I'm taking a drive up Parelys Canyon this weekend and I can look around and pot some weeds. There's plenty of pots I can buy at the dollar store. I could have a good variety of plants going.

Do it! Do it! And share what all you're able to get

 

[Pebbles&Petunias]

Haha alright I will. I'm going up there as a surprise though so I'm not sure what we're doing. I know we're going on a picnic though so I should be able to look around then.

 

[SGT Fish]

yep. the dandelion leaves are usually right next to the other greens all bundled up with a water mist on them. However I did notice that they seem to turn black a lot faster than the other greens. But they still last a couple weeks in the fridge

 

[Aunt Caffy]

Did anyone else think of Game of Thrones when they saw the subject line for this thread?

 

[waretrop]

I found this wholesale produce market. I have to drive a good distance to get there. I buy some things by the case. I have a fridge just for Alice. It last about 10 days. I buy something different each time so I am able to have more of a variety. collard greens, dandilions leaves, cactus pads, kale, and mustard greens. As it get old I feed the leftover to my chickens. Not much goes to waste. It is really cheaper do to this rather than buying small amounts from the local store. There are other things that I buy from them in smaller amounts as they don't last long enough for me to buy a case... like prickly pears and aloe leaves for Alice only eats a little in a day.

I also have a greenhouse that I grow hibiscus and other things that she can eat the flowers and leaves. I can only afford to give her a flower and a few leaves a day. Thai adds to her variety.