14-12-2015, 09:34 PM | #11 |
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When it comes to weeds I give them loads, so that if they want them they can. Anything else are very small amounts as a treat ie grated carrot. As an emergency back up I did keep a tub of dried food but found my husband liked this easy option and so did the torts, so that was stopped. I have no problem with weeds all year round. I could blame the mild weather in Hampshire, but more about my gardening if I am honest. I tell everyone I have so many weeds as I need them for the tortoises. I don't use weed killer.
As you may have read before though, my tortoises are not underweight! I can't believe you have managed to keep the secret Xmas present so far. Looking forward to the reaction. Jan |
14-12-2015, 10:47 PM | #12 |
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Yup, still a secret!!
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15-12-2015, 09:49 AM | #13 |
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Wild rocket grows very easily from seeds. You can get them from the shops or Ebay or lots of places. It grows in a clump but like dandelion you shouldn't feed a lot of it.
Harvesting Harvest from four weeks after sowing. Regular picking keeps growth young, tender and tasty. Treat plants as a ‘cut-and-come-again’ crop or pick a few leaves from plants over the whole row. Picking lots of leaves from one or two plants, weakens the growth. As flower buds appear, pinch them out to prolong cropping, unless you want the plants to set seed – they can be used as a garnish for salads, too. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-y...etables/rocket 4 weeks and it's ready, not this time of year though maybe unless it grows indoors under a lamp maybe. Last edited by Alan1; 15-12-2015 at 09:52 AM. |
15-12-2015, 03:36 PM | #14 | |
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Quote:
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15-12-2015, 09:44 PM | #15 |
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Someone gave me organic wild rocket and it was much more peppery than the other stuff I had. I like it on a smoked ham sandwich
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16-12-2015, 05:21 PM | #16 |
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I wonder where they got the seeds from and I can feel a boxing day treat coming up !
And there is watercress that is a lot more peppery cause I worry sometime when fed as a treat. I did find I needed a lot more rocket seeds within 2 packets next time as it just didn't spread far enough.
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16-12-2015, 07:16 PM | #17 |
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Not sure but I went and bought some seeds after that I think at a garden centre but maybe a supermarket and I read the packet which said it was a stronger flavour (not sure the stuff I bought was organic or not as I can't remember). On second thoughts I think it was the garden centre because I remember reading several different packets before choosing the hot one
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16-12-2015, 10:06 PM | #18 | |
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17-12-2015, 07:46 PM | #19 |
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I think they are just the plain ones Jan, not so peppery. I will try again...if they grow in Scotland they will grow here. Maybe we have bigger slugs. I will try harder next year. Let us know how you get on wont you, CB
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18-12-2015, 11:37 AM | #20 |
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I think you need to aim to feed t least 5 different leaves a day and then not the same ones, apart from them all being different in nutritional value it also helps stop your tort becoming fussy. I used to feed as much as they would eat then remove the uneaten at bedtime, I also found that if allowed to eat when they want they didn't become piggy as they seemed to know the food wasn't limited or taken away, I'd find they have a nibble after their morning bath then go for a wander, then come back occasionally for another nibble, if you limit them they will eat everything in one sitting and I'm sure they know that it until the next day. You can buy the living salad leaves and actually plant them in the table, they will live for a few days if watered and its a more natural way for a tort to eat if it pulls leaves from a plant, this can also be done with pansies etc but don't plant them in the 'path' the tort normally walks and they won't be so likely to be trodden on or all together as it gives them something to do when wandering around. You'll also find that the torts might sit under the leaves where its wet/damp from watering, mine had a big spider plant in one corner and were often found under the leaves, the plant was so big they could only reach the ends of the leaves so couldn't damage the plant much. All these ideas just make life a bit more interesting for something with limited space in the wild they'd wander a long way.
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