food ideas
 

Hello just wanted some suggestions on food I can buy for my tortoise in the supermarket. So far he has had leaves e.g lambs lettuce but I'd like to try more any suggestions?

Also what about any plants I can buy? I'm growing things at the moment but with this bad weather nothing much yet

Theres a fab site Tortoise lady for weeds and flowers. Someone will probably post a hyperlink. Florette Cripsy is good as it has a variety, rocket, chard, lambs lettuce all good, CB

Thank you for your reply he is already eating florette crispy but I'd like to give him other things I can go and buy

Hi. The Tortoise Table website is really good. If you have a garden, outside space or even a window box there are many things you can plant but they do take time to grow. I'm not good with seeds so what I do is to buy very small plants from Naturescape and grow them on in the garden.
Some that do well for me and can be bought from Naturescape include Cat's Ear, Hawkbit, Hawkweed and Yellow Welsh Poppy.

It has taken me years to do it but I've now got thriving clumps of plants that are good for tortoises and a lot of them started off as a few small plants from Naturescape.

Another idea is to dig up suitable weeds from other peoples gardens or waste ground etc and plant them in your garden. Not rare wildflowers obviously but things like Plantain that people usually don't want.

And don't forget about dandellions!

Salad bags are not great really but if that's what you need to use at the moment try to vary it but avoid spinach. Rocket is ok, also watercress.

If possible learn to recognise suitable weeds and find local places where they grow. Just watch out for weedkiller.

Good luck with it and try not to rely on shop foods.

The reason for not recommending food you can buy at the supermarket, is most foods bought are junk food for tortoises. They have to be fed by some in the early Spring and late Autumn before they go into hibernation, as weeds can be scarce. Supermarket foods have no real benefits for tortoises apart from water content:0(
This time of the year there are plenty of weeds around, even if they are not in your garden. Most of us before we grew enough plants ( and still do if they have a few tortoises) had to go out foraging for weeds. With all this rain we are having weeds and suitable plants are thriving:0)
www.tortoises.net thetortoisehouse.com and the tortoise table have all got pictures of suitable plants and weeds to grow and find:0)

I go by this website: http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp

At this time of year you can easily find young plantain plants which can easily be pulled up by the roots and set in your garden. Cut off the tops to feed your tort and plant the root base......
I love Naturescape, the postal service is excellent and you can often find stuff that you can't find in the wild. Send for a plug of blue sow thistle and it will run rampant in your garden like mint. I usually check out the 'green' plants on the tortoisetable site and then buy from Naturescape. I am growing wild chicory at the moment to see how that goes down. And to be truthful it is cheaper to buy these plants than buy mixed salad leaves x x x hugs x x x

ooh good site naturescape. Hadnt heard of it before so thank-you muchly. My red clover has eventually sprouted...seemed to take two years. Hoppysara is there a reason why you only asked about supermarkets? Can you windowsill grow if its difficult re the garden? CB

CB, Naturescape is a great day out if you can get to Nottingham..... Nature walks and a dab pond, tea room and they actually do a booklet to help with buying plants for torts.... When I first went, many years ago I could not believe they were selling dandilion plants.....x x x hugs x x x