daniellenc
Well-Known Member
I am so beyond jealous of their awesome enclosure!! Can't wait until is old enough to really spend long periods outdoors!! Gorgeous red foot ranch you have there!!
RedFoot Enclosure Update
- Thread starter theguy67
- Start date
Thanks. If you have the room and resources, you can make an enclosure just as good!
daniellenc
Well-Known Member
Well I have the room and the financial resources......I don't have the human resources I don't think lol
It may take longer but isn’t impossible. Fences aren’t the most complicated structure to build.
Some more pics....
There's some trimming that needs to be done, but it is all shaping up nicely.
Giant fig tree in the corner. Since adding more dirt, I've started seeding this area. Hopefully it will all be green soon.
What's this???......
A new pen! For a sulcata, not redfoots, so the landscaping is essentially done. Trying to promote as much grass as possible.
There's some trimming that needs to be done, but it is all shaping up nicely.
Giant fig tree in the corner. Since adding more dirt, I've started seeding this area. Hopefully it will all be green soon.
What's this???......
A new pen! For a sulcata, not redfoots, so the landscaping is essentially done. Trying to promote as much grass as possible.
The plants look great!! I'm glad all the torts will be well fed!
The plants look great!! I'm glad all the torts will be well fed!
Thanks! Hopefully they continue to leave my grass seedlings alone! I added more dirt in the beginning of spring (as it has all settled over the years), so I lost a lot of grass. This is the first year I've tried seeding, and it seems to be going well.
I'm trying some too, just cat grass, in a pot outside. I'm hoping to bring it indoors at some point to give Steve something to browse on when I'm not home.
Spring 2019
So the tortoises are out, and have been since March (with exception to that pesky week in the middle). I have decided to give up on trying to grow grass under the trees and have since switched my plans to making it more of a tropical forest floor with low light/medium plants under the canopy.
So far I have added some bromeliads, fountain grass, and raspberries. I have also added some elephant ears behind a wall.
Raspberries. I hope these will be successful this time. I have tried to grow them before in here, but I used a flimsy barrier and the tortoises ate them back several times. I think they just didn't have time to recover before the heat of the summer.
Only two pics today, but there is more to come!
So the tortoises are out, and have been since March (with exception to that pesky week in the middle). I have decided to give up on trying to grow grass under the trees and have since switched my plans to making it more of a tropical forest floor with low light/medium plants under the canopy.
So far I have added some bromeliads, fountain grass, and raspberries. I have also added some elephant ears behind a wall.
Raspberries. I hope these will be successful this time. I have tried to grow them before in here, but I used a flimsy barrier and the tortoises ate them back several times. I think they just didn't have time to recover before the heat of the summer.
Only two pics today, but there is more to come!
Nice! Are your raspberry stalks covered in thorns? Mine are, and they're never fun to trim in the spring!
Nice! Are your raspberry stalks covered in thorns? Mine are, and they're never fun to trim in the spring!
They are, but they aren't very sharp/big.
More pics!
The blueberries are full of leafs and fruit!
Here is one of the bromeliads. I’m trying to find some logs to make natural planters.
First attempt. Not deep enough for planting yet.
Here is the entrance area which I often neglect to show. As previously mentioned I’m aiming for more of a forest floor look, due to the low light. I added fountain grass and a box for low/med light tropicals.
The blueberries are full of leafs and fruit!
Here is one of the bromeliads. I’m trying to find some logs to make natural planters.
First attempt. Not deep enough for planting yet.
Here is the entrance area which I often neglect to show. As previously mentioned I’m aiming for more of a forest floor look, due to the low light. I added fountain grass and a box for low/med light tropicals.
Today was quite productive!
I pulled the giant banana (and pups) out of the winter room, and put it in a new location. I’m trying to keep the middle open for grass to regrow. Last year I lost a lot, so now I have condensed my canopy.
More blooms today!
I added some small palms. I think I’m just about done in this corner.
I pulled the giant banana (and pups) out of the winter room, and put it in a new location. I’m trying to keep the middle open for grass to regrow. Last year I lost a lot, so now I have condensed my canopy.
More blooms today!
I added some small palms. I think I’m just about done in this corner.
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It’s been a little while. Here is a shot from today by the gate. Everything is coming together. Grass seed is really taking this year.
I finished the corner near the entrance. You can see the bromeliads, and the stump holding two.
I finished the corner near the entrance. You can see the bromeliads, and the stump holding two.
Glad to hear the grass is coming in. Did you plant a species native to your area?
No, I used a mixture of shade tolerant grasses for under the trees, and a full sun mixture for the other areas. The surrounding land is dominated by Bermuda and Bahia (which I believe neither are native). I tried planting Bermuda, but it would not take, especially in the low light areas. It grows very well in the Sulcata pen and other portions of the yard. I think I planted it too late last year, so it didn't have time to establish before the heat of the summer.
Look at all of that grass!!! It may seem silly, but I am excited about this progress! It has been mostly dirt in there for a year and it was hard to look at. More importantly, the demands of the tortoises were starting to outweigh the production of what little remained.
The wind has not been very forgiving on this bromeliad and I was ready to give up on it, but it is starting to come back and looks great!
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