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i started growing opuntia for my tortoises - addicted to opuntias myself now :)
Hi everybody, glad the shelledwarriors is now back :)
I feed my tortoises a complete pellets free diet (nothing against it, but it was my decision), 90% of it its wild plants/weeds, 5% supermarket greens and the final 5% succulents and cacti I plant myself. I started with 1-2 opuntias, but I think I got addicted to them now.. I have +40 opuntias now.. lol. they are really great cacti, grow fast and are a good addition to their diet. Some of them are hardy in the uk, others not so hardy, so i've them in greenhouses. Here're some pics of some of them :) OPUNTIA HUMIFUSA - hardy in the uk. ( I have tons of these outside now) http://s8.postimg.org/4f7tmhm45/IMG_1452.jpg Cilindropuntia - hardy http://s8.postimg.org/mpoja7sxh/IMG_1453.jpg http://s8.postimg.org/x7el5ytrp/IMG_1455.jpg OPUNTIA VULGARIS http://s8.postimg.org/8hu97tqut/IMG_1456.jpg OPUNTIA LINGUIFORMIS http://s8.postimg.org/5rpiodjjp/IMG_1457.jpg OPUNTIA FICUS INDICA http://s8.postimg.org/lh0nol0z9/IMG_1458.jpg OPUNTIA SUBULATA http://s8.postimg.org/yroii3rjp/IMG_1459.jpg OPUNTIA BRAZILIENSIS http://s8.postimg.org/tp2l9ksvp/IMG_1460.jpg OPUNTIA CONSOLEA MACRACANTHA http://s8.postimg.org/sckw7ovg5/IMG_1461.jpg OPUNTIA CONSOLEA RUBESCENS http://s8.postimg.org/sht8v3s51/IMG_1462.jpg http://s8.postimg.org/pp01b2rsl/IMG_1464.jpg http://s8.postimg.org/adq8agugl/IMG_1465.jpg OPUNTIA NOPAL http://s8.postimg.org/hbpr2o379/IMG_1463.jpg OPUNTIA SANGUINOCOLA http://s8.postimg.org/kmipgaiid/IMG_1466.jpg OPUNTIA PRICKLEY PEAR - this one is the one comercially used in america for nopales and for the fruit http://s8.postimg.org/ob8efrsj9/IMG_1467.jpg OPUNTIA ROBUSTA http://s8.postimg.org/ehr72yqet/IMG_1468.jpg OPUNTIA LITORALIS http://s8.postimg.org/93sevf0ol/IMG_1469.jpg OPUNTIA TUNA http://s8.postimg.org/82s66ajp1/IMG_1470.jpg OPUNTIA BASILARIS http://s8.postimg.org/48ypx52d1/IMG_1471.jpg OPUNTIA MICRODASYS http://s8.postimg.org/4kkrnn86t/IMG_1472.jpg OPUNTIA BABY RITA http://s8.postimg.org/3py81m0c5/IMG_1473.jpg OPUNTIA AURIANTRICA http://s8.postimg.org/v9h3zgg1h/IMG_1474.jpg OPUNTIA MONOCANTHA http://s8.postimg.org/hh2p3tp9x/IMG_1475.jpg OPUNTIA ?????? (this one I dont know) http://s8.postimg.org/6rp0bkdh1/IMG_1476.jpg OPUNTIA MACRACENTRA (and behind the leftovers of a spineless opuntia thorntons blue that my tortoises destroyed :) --- trying to regrow it.. ) http://s8.postimg.org/u23678px1/IMG_1477.jpg OPUNTIA TOMENTOSA http://s8.postimg.org/qsor0s1th/IMG_1478.jpg OPUNTIA VIOLACEA SANTA RITA http://s8.postimg.org/to1u7n5th/IMG_1479.jpg OPUNTIA ROBUSTA (another kind different from the other ones) http://s8.postimg.org/n1k8bkugl/IMG_1480.jpg OPUNTIA GRANDIS http://s8.postimg.org/493bavrqt/IMG_1481.jpg OPUNTIA BERGERIANA http://s8.postimg.org/m0jzmgdh1/IMG_1482.jpg OPUNTIA QUITENSIS http://s8.postimg.org/lp2j9ox11/IMG_1483.jpg then I also have aloes, desert sedums, gasterias, echeverias, agaves, etc.. :) I now I'm trying to grow also hottentot fig http://s8.postimg.org/qdij4vm7p/IMG_1489.jpg i think I'm addicted to opuntias indeed.. lol |
Goodness, you are doing so well with them!!
Do you find your torts favour particular ones? |
Have you got any spare I could buy from you - I am in the UK, and only ones I have found are very expensive so my torts haven't tried them yet!
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Hi Emma, long time, finally the forum is back hein? :)
They love all opuntias, ofcourse the spineless varieties are the preferred ones, BUT they eat well the spines ones :) they cope really well, with the spines, usually we get worried, but they are used to it :) in either case to younger torts you can easily lightly flame the cactus and all the glochides (spines) will be burnt off and then you chop everything up and mix with all the other weeds :) |
Hi ditsyangeluk, I'm getting new pads, but they are still little, once they get a bit bigger I dont mind to send you a few (for free, no need to buy).
In the meanwhile you could get some sedums as succulents, they are really easy to find in gardencentres, etc.. just dont forget to re-pot them in new soil and wheather them for a few good months to clean any pesticides, etc.. these 2, are some sedums from 2 years ago, that I'm now giving to my torts. I believe the name is something like sedum dragon blood or so, they are 2 different varieties though. these 2 are by far the preferred food of all my tortoises, they are absolutely crazy about it, all of them, the horsfields, hermans, egyptian. really on top of their preference, but as any succulent dont overfeed or it will cause diarrhea. http://s1.postimg.org/9jlonei3j/IMG_1492.jpg http://s1.postimg.org/pw0bqvlsv/IMG_1493.jpg |
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I keep meaning to get some, hence wondering if there was a particular favourite. I think I'll go for the spineless varieties. I had a bad experience years and years ago when I knocked over a cactus and decided to catch it!! I was pregnant at the time, hence being so stupid (baby brain) and it took about an hour to pull out all the spines from my fingers. Ouch! I'm off to the garden centre next month. I shall see what I can find.....:) |
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I have some sedums as succulents, and trying to grow some - fingers crossed. I found a garden with some overhanging so casually did a 'whip some' as I passed by and, likewise, my torts lkove them too. May have to pass by again soon :-P Thank you again |
Sedums are really easy to propagate. Put the cuttings in a jam jar of water, removing any leaves from the parts of the stalks that are under water, they will soon form new roots then you can plant them up. Some people just put the cuttings straight into soil, but the water method works for me.
Lorna |
Very nice collection i have loads and loads of opuntia prickly pear a few robusta and i have just taken a load of cuttings of opuntia tuna which i got an id from your pics what do you do with them over the winter as last year i put them in my tort room but as i have propagated soo many this year i have no idea where to put them maybe i should have thought about that one before i did it :lol::lol::lol:
I do have a greenhouse would they overwinter in there with no heat |
Hi Gordon, in the winter they stay on the floor of my garage (my tort room) with old basking lights 100-150vw over them. Works great for me
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