Drying weeds

[vikki]

Does anyone on here dry their own weeds?
If so what method do you use? If you use an oven what temperature do you use and how long do you leave them in? Does anybody use a food dehydrator - if so how long do weeds take in one of these? Thanks in advance

[sandy]

Originally Posted by vikki

Does anyone on here dry their own weeds?
If so what method do you use? If you use an oven what temperature do you use and how long do you leave them in? Does anybody use a food dehydrator - if so how long do weeds take in one of these? Thanks in advance

Sorry no:0(

[wigwamman]

i have a bag of dried weeds from last year,i just pick,wash ,then leave in the greenhouse in a potting tray turning them over until dry.they are then hung in a carrier bag to dry further.i add a small quantity of dried weeds onto fresh weeds when feeding.nothing technical here!

[vikki]

thanks- would that work do you think at this time of year or should I put them on the radiator or similar?

[CherryBrandy]

Originally Posted by vikki

Does anyone on here dry their own weeds?
If so what method do you use? If you use an oven what temperature do you use and how long do you leave them in? Does anybody use a food dehydrator - if so how long do weeds take in one of these? Thanks in advance

Vikki I do sometimes wonder why I pick the dried out weeds from the pens but the little ones seems to struggle with them. Be interested to hear views. good thread by the way good to learn from others.

[sandy]

Originally Posted by CherryBrandy

Vikki I do sometimes wonder why I pick the dried out weeds from the pens but the little ones seems to struggle with them. Be interested to hear views. good thread by the way good to learn from others.

But dry weeds are excellent fibre for tortoises. They will eat dried weeds if left to it. But like most of us they will eat lush weeds first:0)

[vikki]

This kind of links with my other thread with regards fast weight gain and it seems some think that providing dried weeds/food can help to slow weight gain as obviously in the wild they would not always have lovely lush weeds but would spend quite a period of the year eating very poor/dry vegetation. One recommendation that I have seen is to feed green weeds one day then dried weeds the next then on third day feed pre alpin or similar. I am considering trying this to see how it goes at least for over the winter and because I still have the glut of lavetera etc and weeds are still fairly easy to find now it would be a good way to preserve them for over the winter period and would help to try and avoid the need for salad stuff so all thoughts etc gratefully received

[sandy]

Originally Posted by vikki

This kind of links with my other thread with regards fast weight gain and it seems some think that providing dried weeds/food can help to slow weight gain as obviously in the wild they would not always have lovely lush weeds but would spend quite a period of the year eating very poor/dry vegetation. One recommendation that I have seen is to feed green weeds one day then dried weeds the next then on third day feed pre alpin or similar. I am considering trying this to see how it goes at least for over the winter and because I still have the glut of lavetera etc and weeds are still fairly easy to find now it would be a good way to preserve them for over the winter period and would help to try and avoid the need for salad stuff so all thoughts etc gratefully received

Exactly Vikki. The real eating period is from getting up from hibernation until around August, then is a slow wind down, when lush weeds are more scarce.

[Stellanne]

And this is the time when weeds are left to dry out naturally and our rots choose to eat them x x x hugs x x x

[CherryBrandy]

Originally Posted by sandy

But dry weeds are excellent fibre for tortoises. They will eat dried weeds if left to it. But like most of us they will eat lush weeds first:0)

I will try harder next year, I know you are right and it seems such a waste, but its the look on their faces when you approach without the lush ones ! CB