Guidance on Hermanns
 

Hello, thanks to everyone who has already helped. I have recently (last summer) got 2 female hermanns. They are about 4 years old. They went in the garden last summer but only while we were around. I am trying to set them up this year to spend most of the summer out. I am going to buy a cold frame but am aware that this will be placed on a patio area as following landscaping I only have lawn and patio and there are no weeds in the lawn. I have been looking at people's outdoor enclosures and am thinking.... a cold frame with a floor and soil leading to their enclosure with house and weeds in a pot. What do you all think? They would be out from about 8am to 5pm and we live in Lancashire so a bit chilly. Also, any other general guidance would be appreciated. Also, does anyone know how many posts are needed to attach photos, I have been looking at everyone's tortoises and they are soooo cute! J x

Hello ����
Five posts then photos & your posts will appear immediately.

So are you having a coldframe on slabs? You can get some big low sided trays from amazon, garden centre etc to hold growbags. Could you utilise a few of these to give your torts soil to walk on, dig in?

You can get tubular heaters with thermostats on to keep their house warm :)
Have you found the tortoise table.org to find out all about feeding them?

No weeds on your lawn - lucky you!

I have plenty of weeds, but I did buy weed seeds and they worked really well as I sowed them in trays. They don't last long though. I did this so that I could be better at identifying weeds. I bought them from shelled warriors.

Hiya,

I was thinking of asking my better half to put a bottom in the cold frame so I could put in some soil so they could bury themselves a bit, what do you think?

I have already posted five times but at the bottom it says you may not post attachments?? Thanks. J x

Just been reading and I think I must need to buy some more seeds for this year! I have been struggling with their diet a bit, especially over winter when they have mainly been living on some mixed salad bags. I have just ordered some marigolds and campanula as I read that they like these, they showed no interest in the pansy's I bought for them last year! J x

Hi Janie - I'm not very lucky with seeds - well not very good with them! I like to buy small plants from naturescape and grow them on. Some of them work so well that they seed themselves around the garden.

http://www.naturescape.co.uk/acatalog/

A cold frame is great. I am also in a bad weather area (the west of scotland) and a coldframe makes a huge difference. When the sun hits the coldframe the temperature shoots up. Be sure to always have some shade inside the coldframe as it can get dangerously hot.

I find the best way to rear weed seeds is, to collect them from exsiting plants around your area. Then wait until the early Autumn and sow them then. As some seeds need a really cold spell to help the germinate. And I have had great success doing it this way. Also if you put some in pots, and leave them to go to seed, you have more seeds for the next year:0)

This is great advice..the tortoise should always be able to dig down in a coldframe, if it needs to. Placing a coldframe or enclosure directly on slabs is a recipe for disaster, in my opinion.

Indeed, straight onto the garden soil is best, in my opinion.