Feeding torts weeds v shop bought greens.

mrscross78 · 09-04-2011, 01:12 PM

Hello, I try to feed my tortoises as many edible weeds as I can by growing them in pots in the window. The problem for me is I can't seem to maintain as much as they need (And apart from Dandilion leaves I really can't identify plants so I can't go out and find them. Anyway they would all be peed on by dogs etc) so I very often use shop bought leaves; which my little guys seem to love and very occaisionally I use Komodo pellets. I dust all the leaves with nutrobal or calcium dust pretty much every day. My Question is why are edible weeds so much more recommended than shop bought greens if they are dusted with vitamins? Also I feel a little bit of a failure feeding them the shop bought greens but as I said I do sprinkle a little pinch of Nutrobal so isnt this OK?

**Alan1** · 09-04-2011, 01:24 PM

shop bought greens from the brassica family are high in oxalates and other stuff that I can't remember. salad greens i.e. lettuce, is about 95% water. hardly any goodness in it at all and no fibre either.

none of us were able to identify weeds other than dandelion to start with. as I keep saying, it doesn't have to be weeds, there are loads of plants that you can buy that have the names on them, particularly from garden centres.

feeding just shop bought greens alone could lead to ill health but some people supplement that with pellets 2 or three days a week

mrscross78 · 09-04-2011, 01:38 PM

Oh i never knew that. I feed them shop bought greens about 3 times a week sometimes more (I never use iceberg lettuce) other than that I use the weeds I grow, pansies and dandilions from the garden, and sometimes Komodo pellets... Is this OK or do i really need to reduce the salad greens further? Is Komodo pellets better to use than salad leaves?
Thanks

mrscross78 · 09-04-2011, 01:44 PM

What edible plants could I buy from a Garden center?

**Alan1** · 09-04-2011, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrscross78

Oh i never knew that. I feed them shop bought greens about 3 times a week sometimes more (I never use iceberg lettuce) other than that I use the weeds I grow, pansies and dandilions from the garden, and sometimes Komodo pellets... Is this OK or do i really need to reduce the salad greens further? Is Komodo pellets better to use than salad leaves?
Thanks

it's a matter of opinion and there are some people who will say you should feed neither of them. it's a bit dodgy to feed pellets every day I think if you don't know what you are doing, in the summer I don't feed any pellets. They have more nutrition than salad since it is a 'complete diet' including D3 and calcium

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrscross78

What edible plants could I buy from a Garden center?

Aubrieta
Petunia
Campanula (I have 7 types)
Nastrurtium
Pansy
Viola
Phlox
Forget-Me-Not
Hollyhock
Calendula
Cornflowers
Cranesbill
Californian Poppy (not ordinary poppy)
Armeria (AKA Thrift)
Lavatera
Honeysuckle (flowers only)
Opuntia cactus
Aloe Vera
Aloe Aristata

Can't think of any others at the moment but there's far more. Not all torts will eat all these

MiShelley · 09-04-2011, 02:26 PM

I got some plants for my flowerbeds from the garden centre the other day; I got phlox, pansies, sempervivum, majoram, lavender and nasturtium, I'm pretty sure all of them are edible for torts

kezia911 · 09-04-2011, 02:28 PM

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/s...ise_home_1.asp

the above website is very good for identifying edible plants

mrscross78 · 09-04-2011, 02:50 PM

[QUOTE] it's a matter of opinion and there are some people who will say you should feed neither of them. it's a bit dodgy to feed pellets every day I think if you don't know what you are doing, in the summer I don't feed any pellets. They have more nutrition than salad since it is a 'complete diet' including D3 and calcium

I didn't mean feeding pellets every day but just as a top up (when I am not using weeds) instead of salad leaves.
That list of palnts will come in handy, I shall take it to the Garden center and see what I can buy. I'll get there in the end. Thanks Alan.

MiShelley · 09-04-2011, 02:54 PM

Oooo, roses, spider plants and hibiscus are nice ones to have around and they're all edible as well!

mrscross78 · 09-04-2011, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MiShelley

Oooo, roses, spider plants and hibiscus are nice ones to have around and they're all edible as well!

Roses..? Well I never would have expected that to be edible, cool. I do actually have a baby spider plant in their enclosure but it's too small yet to be nibbled.

09-04-2011, 01:12 PM	#1
mrscross78 Member Hatchling Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: East Anglia Posts: 555	Feeding torts weeds v shop bought greens. Hello, I try to feed my tortoises as many edible weeds as I can by growing them in pots in the window. The problem for me is I can't seem to maintain as much as they need (And apart from Dandilion leaves I really can't identify plants so I can't go out and find them. Anyway they would all be peed on by dogs etc) so I very often use shop bought leaves; which my little guys seem to love and very occaisionally I use Komodo pellets. I dust all the leaves with nutrobal or calcium dust pretty much every day. My Question is why are edible weeds so much more recommended than shop bought greens if they are dusted with vitamins? Also I feel a little bit of a failure feeding them the shop bought greens but as I said I do sprinkle a little pinch of Nutrobal so isnt this OK? __________________ Testudo Hermanni Hermanni Victor & George Amelia Last edited by mrscross78; 09-04-2011 at 01:24 PM.

09-04-2011, 01:38 PM	#3
mrscross78 Member Hatchling Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: East Anglia Posts: 555	Oh i never knew that. I feed them shop bought greens about 3 times a week sometimes more (I never use iceberg lettuce) other than that I use the weeds I grow, pansies and dandilions from the garden, and sometimes Komodo pellets... Is this OK or do i really need to reduce the salad greens further? Is Komodo pellets better to use than salad leaves? Thanks __________________ Testudo Hermanni Hermanni Victor & George Amelia Last edited by mrscross78; 09-04-2011 at 01:41 PM.

09-04-2011, 01:44 PM	#4
mrscross78 Member Hatchling Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: East Anglia Posts: 555	What edible plants could I buy from a Garden center? __________________ Testudo Hermanni Hermanni Victor & George Amelia

09-04-2011, 02:50 PM	#8
mrscross78 Member Hatchling Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: East Anglia Posts: 555	[QUOTE] it's a matter of opinion and there are some people who will say you should feed neither of them. it's a bit dodgy to feed pellets every day I think if you don't know what you are doing, in the summer I don't feed any pellets. They have more nutrition than salad since it is a 'complete diet' including D3 and calcium I didn't mean feeding pellets every day but just as a top up (when I am not using weeds) instead of salad leaves. That list of palnts will come in handy, I shall take it to the Garden center and see what I can buy. I'll get there in the end. Thanks Alan. __________________ Testudo Hermanni Hermanni Victor & George Amelia Last edited by mrscross78; 09-04-2011 at 02:55 PM.

09-04-2011, 01:24 PM	#2
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	shop bought greens from the brassica family are high in oxalates and other stuff that I can't remember. salad greens i.e. lettuce, is about 95% water. hardly any goodness in it at all and no fibre either. none of us were able to identify weeds other than dandelion to start with. as I keep saying, it doesn't have to be weeds, there are loads of plants that you can buy that have the names on them, particularly from garden centres. feeding just shop bought greens alone could lead to ill health but some people supplement that with pellets 2 or three days a week

09-04-2011, 02:26 PM	#6
MiShelley Member Hatchling Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Lancaster, UK Posts: 647	I got some plants for my flowerbeds from the garden centre the other day; I got phlox, pansies, sempervivum, majoram, lavender and nasturtium, I'm pretty sure all of them are edible for torts

09-04-2011, 02:28 PM	#7
kezia911 Member Hatched Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: chichester, west sussex Posts: 330	http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/s...ise_home_1.asp the above website is very good for identifying edible plants

09-04-2011, 02:54 PM	#9
MiShelley Member Hatchling Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Lancaster, UK Posts: 647	Oooo, roses, spider plants and hibiscus are nice ones to have around and they're all edible as well!

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