Hi!
 

My name's Paul, and my wife Lin and I introduced our 13 year old testudo graeca to our home in Gloucester last September. His name is Dr Cooper (the breeder thought that Sheldon was too common).

He's currently hibernating. When he wakes up he's bound to be hungry.

I bought a "Luxury Tortoise Seed Pack" from Shelled Warriors as we'd like to grow as much of Dr Cooper's food as possible. We've cleared a raised veg patch in readiness.

This initial buy is an experiment to see how we get on. Our plan is to start seeds off in a propagator and them plant them out to the veg bed when they're strong enough. The seeds will be planted at weekly intervals to ensure a steady supply.

As I'm new to growing weeds - on purpose anyway - what's the earliest I can plant the seeds in a propagator? We're working on an assumption that Dr Cooper will wake up in March, so it'd be nice to have some fresh, home grown weeds for him by then.

Thanks in advance
Paul

Hi Paul and a big welcome to you and Dr Cooper.

Sorry I can't help with the propagator question - I did buy one but never got round to doing anything with it!

I have raised plants from seeds though and it seems to take for ever to get them to a decent size. I switched to buying little plants and growing them on which worked better for me.

It's going to depend where you grow on your plants once they have germinated. My weeds grow on well in an unheated greenhouse from about March onwards but it depends on the temperature and they also need longer periods of daylight to do well also.

Hi Paul and welcome, I love the name Dr Cooper ( it took me a few seconds to get that ) but very good. Seeds need cold to get started and very poor soil, so in March you could just chuck them into a flower bed out side. Autumn is a good time to sow them out side, then they come up in the spring.

Big welcome Dr C and Paul, Lin. I would be interested to see how you go in a propagator as I was thinking of getting one. What I have found is that seeds are great little survivors and their little heads get bigger and bigger and then the parasites, damp, cold or bugs knaw away at them...! soooo I think this is an excellent experiment to see how they all fair. the other thing I notice to is that any weedy sort of plant grow so fast as soon as they are grown they outgrow the unit. I chuck packets of seeds collected from year before or sell off ones round the garden. The only ones I haven't had success with is clover but then someone said not to feed clover as it can make the tortoise a bit loopy...who knows. mine are pretty loopy as they but loveable all the same. Keep us posted and pickies always go down well, CB

Well I'm really slow as I don't understand Dr Cooper.

I grew some weeds in a tray over the winter and placed them in the utility room. These were from Shelled Warriors. They grew, but were rather spindly. I gave them to a neighbour as his tortoise has not been hibernating. Apparently he ate the whole tray in one go!

So, definitely worth starting off, but make sure cool, not too cold and not too warm.

On my experience wondering if a propagator would be too warm.

Be interested to see how you get on.

Once you have some weeds outside you can of course put a clotch over them as many of them are quite hardy if sheltered and not really cold. In spite of this weather I can still find weeds in sheltered spots.

Big Bang Theory - Dr Sheldon Cooper!

Hi Paul. Welcome to you, Lin and Dr Cooper. Not sure you'll get many coming up before March, but you can try. They like to go through a cold spell and then come up nicely in The spring. So I tend to sow mine in the autumn too.
You could always go for a nice walk with a trowel and see if you can find some plantain, cat's ear or sowthistle and transplant them in your garden in a nice pot, roots and all.
I sometimes go for a stroll with a trowel........;-)

is that legal in Devon ! :D I think you can pick but not the roots, who on earth made that rule.....! or is that just in the Eden Project...I jest , CB

Well - we are all a bit bonkers. Who ever thought we would be going out and about digging up weeds to transplant in our gardens. My husband still laughs at the days I would be in my dressing gown looking for weeds before I went to work so he won't give them rubbish. So much easier not they have their garden when they are awake.

Those torts are so spoilt!

Amazing what weeds there are in NT properties!! ;-)
I just see it as doing my bit - helping to weed and taking the whole plant so it doesn't come back. That's dedication for you!! :lol: ;-)

Thank you. Bit slow!

Oh I might do this, when I'm out on a weed walk, you know just happen to have a trowel on me , so why not dig up the odd one , coz it's too hard to pick ;)
Thanks for the tip Emma.

Quite right too :-D

No problems. Us ladies carry everything but the kitchen sink in our handbags of course. ;-)
Comes in handy. :lol:

Yup - like to do my bit for the environment by recycling. :-)

It reminds me of midsomer murders for some reason....I must be missing The Vikings. CB

Oh don't!! I need my next instalment soon too. I think they're filming season 5 and we've only seen up to 3.
I have heard there's another death eagle to come though!! :shock:
The next series of the Last Kingdom is supposed to be aired this year too so I can't wait for that either. It's been about 15 months since it was last on. I've read the books up to date and there's so much more they can dramatise. :-)

I'm not one for Midsomer Murders or Whodunnits. At least with Vikings you see who did it straight away!!

I don't live too far from midsomer :wink:

Ha Suze don't go to any pets shows then. I don't watch it tbh and believe they should consider an episode where ragnar meets midsommer. The acting in that series is atrocious they would all be up for an eagle.

Series 4 part 1 is out I had a sneeky look. Seems Canada get it all first !
watch out for trowel carrying women too in this series ! CB