A handy solution to protect your plants in your tortoise yard

Tortoises are little bulldozers. They will flatten plants by walking across and over them (again and again), or will eat them down to the root, permanently destroying them. In an outdoor tortoise enclosure, it can be really frustrating when your hard work (and money) gets eaten or trampled.

Lady, squishing a cranesbill geranium

I wanted to share the following quick, easy, and cheap solution with you: Dollar Store hanging baskets + landscaping staples!

Dollar Store planting basket, fastened down with landscaping staples

Get a couple of the metal hanging baskets from Dollar Store, and detach the chains. Flip it over, and place it over the plant you desire to protect. Then use 2 or 3 landscaping staples to fasten the basket down to the ground. This way, the tortoise(s) will be able to eat the leaves that grow out of the basket, but won't be able to flatten and destroy the entire plant.

Here is the kind of staple I use (but any kind will work):

Landscape staples example

You may consider adding a bright little piece of tape to each basket, so you can see it more easily - I've stepped on a few of them, squishing them accidentally.

I have about 8 or 9 such planter baskets, in addition to several other similarly shaped plant savers that I got from Goodwill - e.g. fruit baskets, cookie drying racks, etc. that I've installed in a similar matter, to protect the roots and base of a plant, while allowing the tortoises to graze off the leaves that stick out.

Some tall phlox, starting to grow this Spring

One word of caution: when choosing items to use for protecting your plants, be mindful of preventing tortoise feet from getting caught. This is one reason I don't use e.g. chicken wire structures. 

Finally some yummy weeds to feed the tortoises!

Good news! The tortoises that I hibernated are all awake, and are eating and active. I sure missed them while they were sleeping...

Mila, enjoying some good basking heat the day she woke up from hibernation

Now that the weather is warming up a little, I also have access to a whole plethora of weeds. As long as they are collected in an area where you know they have not been sprayed or fertilized, tortoise-safe weeds are exponentially more healthy (and much cheaper!) for a tortoise than any store bought food.

Jill, suspiciously eyeing her miner's lettuce. She did eat about half of the pile

I've found that especially 'picky eater' tortoises will almost always eat mixed weeds. They might not like all of them, but if you feed a wide variety, surely they will find something they like.

Here is what was on today's menu. Keep in mind that the weather is pretty mild here in SW Washington State... these might not grow in your area for a few more months. I harvested these in my own garden, as well as in my friend's very weed-overgrown un-sprayed yard. I didn't tell her that I tried to leave the roots in so I can harvest more in the future.... Shhhhhhh... 

Today's tortoise menu weeds (click on the pic to see a larger version)

If you are unsure of the identity of a plant, I recommend double checking with a local nursery or the botany department of a local college. There is a good plant database on The Tortoise Table that I like to use. You can either search for a plant by name (to find out if it is safe), or if you don't know the name, you can search by flower color, and often visually identify the plant. Make sure that the leaves, flower, and root match the description. And if unsure, always err on the safe side and don't feed it.

The same page also has a printable plant booklet that I have found helpful. It has a shorter list of good edible plants that you are likely to find in your garden or nearby field.

Timmy says "RAWR!" and the weeds were toast. 

In order for a tortoise to get the nutrients it needs, feeding a wide variety of plants is very important. Feeding all weeds is best (and cheapest), but I realize this isn't always practical or possible for every tortoise keeper. I end up having to buy food from November-January each year. I get collard greens, mustard greens, kale, endive, radicchio, spring mix, aloe, and opuntia cactus (called 'nopales' in Hispanic food stores), to name a few.

This handsome guy was one of my last year's foster tortoises for IRR.
He refused to eat until I was able to offer him weeds. He thrived like crazy from this point on.

To help ensure the tortoises receive the necessary nutrients, I sprinkle the washed leaves with TNT powder from Carolina Pet Supply. I also provide each enclosure with several cuttlefish bones for calcium. The tortoises help themselves to this, as needed. In addition, I sprinkle some calcium on the leaves for the baby tortoises a few times per week, as they need more than the adults.

This is a pic I took of little Buttercup last year, chowing down on some
cuttlefish bone just a month after I got her.

'Shot' lettuce = yummy treat for tortoises!

The tortoises got to eat a special treat today: my friend gave me a big bag of lettuce that had gone to seed in her garden, and therefore was too bitter for humans to eat. 

Freshly bathed, and chowing down!

 The tortoises seemed to think this stuff was candy. The scarfed it down like there was no tomorrow!

Look how 'domey' little Jill is getting. She is shiny from her bath.

Even little Jill, who is the smallest of the Russian torts, ate a sizeable portion, and then looked up at me, seemingly asking for more. I think she is actually going to end up growing to be a very large Russian tortoise. Just look at how tall her shell has gotten - now she just needs to catch up in length, too! I am keeping her separate from the other Russian tortoises for the cold season, because she got picked on too much last year, and I don't want to let that happen again.

Buttercup enjoyed a few leaves, too, along with a small aloe leaf.

Buttercup, our marginated tortoise, is growing beautifully, as well. She weighed in at 72g the other day, and her new growth continues to be healthy and smooth.

Breakfast time.... and they are all still a little grumpy.

The outdoor enclosure of my Russian tortoises is planted with a variety of weeds and other edible plants... but at this point in the year, a lot of the weeds have been grazed away. I end up having to collect food in our yard and my friends' yards every few days.

'We're not ready to eat yet. It's still too early'

Today when I fed the tortoises, the Russian torts all came over to the food pile, and then promptly all sat down facing away from each other. I quickly took a picture - they have gotten so used to having all the space of the tortoise garden that I think they were a little grumpy about the sudden proximity to each other!

Clover flower treats for Jill

Jill, the smallest of my Russian tortoises, got to wander the clover patch today for a little while. Clover is not ideal for tortoises to eat, since it is fairly high in protein, but Jill just LOVES the white clover flowers, so I sometimes let her eat them as a treat. She will walk all about the lawn, chomping away at all the flowers. 

Earlier this year, when it was still too cold to send the tortoises outside, I had to separate Jill from the others because she was being bullied. She had stopped eating, and became withdrawn. My friend offered to babysit her for a few weeks for me. Once separated from the others, she started eating again.

Once the weather got warm enough to move the Russian tortoises to our large 5'x30' outdoor tortoise garden, I set her in there with the others, and she has been fine. She eats well, she explores and walks about, and is growing and gaining weight. Her new growth is healthy and smooth.

I was worried about her this Spring, but now I'm so relieved that she is ok!

The tortoise nursery

Keeping a hatchling tortoise involves a little more work than caring for a juvenile or adult tortoise. It helps that our little Marginated tortoise Buttercup had a really good start in life - she is healthy, spunky, active, eats well, and even self-hydrates (aka she drinks on her own!).

Buttercup, our wee Marginated baby

I thought some of you might like to see the 'nursery' I set up for her. She has one that is indoors, where she sleeps and spends her mornings, and one that is outdoors, which I move about a bit to provide both sun and shade.

The tortoise nursery

I purchased this large rubbermaid bin, and used a dremel cutting wheel to cut out most of the plastic lid. Then I zip-tied hardware cloth into that area (hardware cloth is similar to chicken wire, but has much smaller holes). This will help protect Buttercup from hawks, crows, cats, or whatever else might come through our yard during the daytime.

I filled the bin halfway with ACE topsoil. It has no fertilizer and no perlite. I included a little hill, a cave, some rocks, a water dish (which used to be a lid for some container), and a bunch of hens-and-chicks and weeds (dandelion, plantain, violet, thistle) from the yard. Of course Buttercup decided to burrow into the dirt outside of the cave, making her own... and she dug up some of the plants and/or ate them. Tortoises are such little tanks!

Buttercup, exploring

I mist the whole enclosure several times a day - letting the soil surface dry out in between. I also soak Buttercup in shallow, warm water for about 20 minutes daily. As mentioned above, I end up moving the bin a few feet at a time to provide sunshine and shade. Around 4pm it gets hot enough in the side yard where the tortoises live that Buttercup digs down into the soil. Then she comes back out around 6 to snack and explore some more.

Buttercup chomping pieces off of the cuttlefish bone

Baby tortoises have a lot of growing to do, and to grow healthy bones and a healthy shell, tortoises need a lot of calcium. I provide cuttlefish bones in both of Buttercups nursery bins, and am delighted to see that she helps herself to it.

Cuttlefish bones are a good source of calcium!

Look at how big she is opening her mouth to take a bite! She nibbles on the cuttlefish bone almost daily.

The bottom line for a good tortoise nursery: protection from predators, good substrate, humidity, warmth, food, shelter, calcium, water. Keeping baby tortoises hot and humid results in beautiful, smooth shells (along with good food, good natural UVB light, and calcium). I will change the landscape in there periodically to keep it interesting and stimulating. She will likely out-grow this container by next Spring, but for now it is just right!

Lady gets some outdoor time

Our outdoor tortoise enclosure for the Russian tortoises is still not quite finished (soon! Oh so soon!), so the tortoises have to take turns spending time outside in make-shift roaming areas. I leaned boards together, propped up with other boards and rocks and other things, to prevent escaping. 

Lady ate those daisies right after I took the picture

Lady loves to walk around and graze. It is surely no accident that she is this huge! That girl can EAT!

Lady, finding more flowers to eat.

We have had Lady for a little over a month now, and she is doing splendidly. She is SO friendly! Every time she sees me, she runs over to the edge of the enclosure to where I am. She will eat right out of my hand, and is not shy around the kids, either.

Look who found a hot spot in the rocks. 

I am happy that Lady has joined our little tortoise family. She is still in quarantine until September, and then I hope to introduce her to the others.

Sunshine and weeds = tortoise heaven

We have enjoyed a few gorgeous days here in the Pacific Northwest... and so the tortoises have gotten to spend a lot of time outside!

Boo seems to really enjoy the outside enclosure I built him.

I seeded his enclosure with The Tortoise Lady's seed mix, and I am so happy to see how well everything is growing in, now. I also transplanted a variety of tortoise-safe plants, and in spite of Boo grazing on them, there is still plenty left over.

Gotta love that little frowny face!

While I miss watching the tortoises inside, I know that good old 'real' UVB is so important for them, and I know they love having the extra space to roam.

We're busy, but all is well in our little tortoise herd!

It has been a while since I had time to post... we've been busy! (I've been crocheting tortoise cozies instead of taking pics of the tortoises...) Our Russian tortoises as well as our Greek tortoises are doing well. In the picture below, they are freshly bathed, so they look all shiny... 

Feeding frenzy in the tort fort

I am working on converting an oak bookshelf into an enclosure for Lady, by the way. I plan to post instructions with pictures. :)

Boo update

Little Boo, our Greek tortoise, is doing SO well! He has gained quite a bit of weight, he is eating lots of new weeds and greens I pick for him, and he is much more friendly.  

Boo still hides when you first pick him up...

When we first got Boo, he felt alarmingly light when you picked him up. Now he feels nice and heavy, like a healthy tortoise should. If you look in the picture above, you can also see a nice bright new growth ring showing up. I'm happy to see that the new growth is nice and smooth.

...but then he comes back out of his shell, and squirms and sniffs you!

I love Boo's little tortoise face. He has huge eyes, and a funny little nose...

Boo from the side. Such a handsome little dude!

Boo also has a nice new outdoor enclosure now that he spends the daytime in. A few months ago I found a big 6'x4' heavy-duty-plastic koi pond on Craigslist. I excavated a hole, filled the hole with gravel, drilled drainage holes into the bottom of the pod, put more gravel into the pond, covered the gravel with landscape fabric, and put the dirt back in, now mixed with some leaves and a little sand. 

Boo, on top of the little hill I built in there

The outdoor enclosure is on the west side of the house, so it is shady there until about 11am. Because of this, Boo stays indoor during the morning, and then once the sun hits this area, I bring him outside. He'll spend all the sunny days outside, but when it is pouring, he gets to be indoors, since cold, wet weather isn't good for these little guys.

Not much is growing in there right now...
I transplanted a few plants and weeds, and I seeded the whole enclosure
with a tortoise-friendly seed mix my friend gave me. 

Because this side of the house gets direct afternoon sun for several hours, I had to make sure to create multiple micro-climates for Boo. I built him an insulated tortoise hide out of an old recycling bin and a cement mixing tub, filled with organic top soil. He can dig down into there if it gets too hot.

The view of the Koi pond - the tub in the back is 1/2 of the hide house.

The water dish is missing from the picture above - but you can get a general idea of the enclosure. There is a hill, some rocks, some plants, a hide house (in the pic above the roof is missing from it).

Boo likes the thistle and the rosemary plant.

 I only have pictures of Boo hiding while he's in the enclosure, but he actually really enjoyed walking all around and exploring. He sunned himself for a little while, and finally dug down into the dirt.

The outdoor enclosure with the lid down.

The above picture shows the enclosure with the lid on. This is to help protect Boo from any hawks, crows, or cats that might happen by during the daytime. The odd green grassy stuff came with the lid (used to be part of an iguana cage), and still needs to be trimmed. It will provide some nice dappled shade when I finish trimming and attaching it better.

Variety, variety, variety!

When you ask a tortoise expert what to feed your tortoise, the first thing you will be told: VARIETY! There is no ONE plant that is perfect for tortoises. In the wild, they graze, and they get all the nutrients they need by eating a wide variety of foods.

Shelton, our foster tortoise, refuses to eat store-bought foods. He won't even touch romaine, which is normally a treat for my other tortoises! Weeds, on the other hand, he will tear into like there is no tomorrow. He ate the entire pile you see below.

Shelton chowing down - no more hunger strike!
On today's menu: dead nettle, miner's lettuce, dandelion flowers and leaves, thistle,
and broad-leaf plantain.
 .

Different tortoises prefer different plants - even within a species. Some of my Russians are little piggies that will eat anything, others are very picky. I try to offer a wide variety, so that everyone will eat and thrive.

Timmy enjoying some strawberry leaves, sedum, raspberry leaves, and violet leaves and flowers

As the seasons change, different plants grow in my garden, in my friends' gardens, and near our home. Of course I make sure none of the plants I harvest have been sprayed or are too close to roads. I enjoy collecting food for my tortoises - it is part of my weekly routine. Except for December and January, I don't purchase food for my torts.

Boo enjoying some sedum, violet, and strawberry leaves

I know that for new tortoise owners, the prospect of memorizing edible plants might feel daunting. I recommend printing off this (good but incomplete) list of edible plants HERE. There is also a good list HERE. Maybe you can memorize just one or two at a time. It is best to err on the side of safety, never feed your tortoise something you aren't sure about.

IMPORTANT: please make sure the plants have not been treated with chemicals.