TIPS Needed for Leopard- How to keep plants fresh in fridge and what to grow

Jenni

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1. I'm having a real hard time not letting all these plants go to waste. Dandelion seems to get nasty after just a couple days in the fridge and my collards are limp and wilting within 3 days. I'm open to some suggestions on how to keep them longer. Romaine and Kale tend to hold up pretty well so I'm not sure it's a temp issue.

2. What are the best edible plants I can plant in Peanut's indoor enclosure? (Leopard Tortoise is 6-12 mos old)
21751339_10154566988146525_4893105732929586814_n.jpg
 

Clamhandsmcgee

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If you have access to grass that hasn't been sprayed with anything, use that. Grass should be pretty high on the list of things to feed your leopard. I also feed mine (sulcata) plantains, dandelions, chicory, hibiscus, grape leaves, mulberry tree leaves, and hostas that I have growing in my backyard. I only feed mine spring mix salad if I'm in a hurry, and I also give mine Mazuri original diet about once a week.

It looks like you are doing a great job researching the proper way to raise a healthy tortoise. Keep it up!
 

Clamhandsmcgee

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Oh, and to answer your 2nd question, I grab a clump of crabgrass from my backyard and plant it in the enclosure. I usually will water it with the water from his water saucer, unless there is poo in it. I've also had success with wandering Jew plants, spider plants, asparagus ferns, and hostas in the enclosure. They may not eat them all that much, but they survive better than most plants.
 

RosemaryDW

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In my experience, store dandelions (chicory) don't keep well, period. The leaves are very soft and break down easily. You'll need to accept they won't all get eaten. Or learn to eat some yourself; they are good in Italian soups! I'm lucky if I can get seven days, and that's with very fresh ones from my farmers market. I'd suggest alternating with frisée; it's related and keeps a long time. Whole Foods stocks it. Also try radicchio and escarole.

Here is what I do with most of the leaves I bring home; it helps if you have a salad spinner.

Let everything soak in cool water for a couple of minutes. Drain and then run a couple of handfuls at a time through the spinner until they are mostly dry. If you don't have a spinner, run around in circles really fast ;) or wrap them briefly in a pillow case.

Store them loosely with a couple of paper towels in a plastic bag with some holes in it (make holes with a knife or a skewer, they don't need to be perfect). This lets them breathe out some of the moisture that's in them, rather than getting damp and limp. With dandelions, I immediately toss any leaves that look off and store the rest with lots of paper towels.

It's not normal for collards to wilt; they are very tough, like kale. Try giving them a soak and see if that improves them. Whole Foods has lots of vegetables to choose from but the downside of stocking everything is that not all of it will be fresh when you buy it. You might try shopping from another source for collards if yours don't hold up.

Other foods they will likely stock:
Turnip greens (still attached to the turnips!)
Mustard greens
Radish leaves, including daikon leaves, again just the leaves
Bok choy
Any cress, like water cress
Arugula

They *may* have these foods as well:

Cactus
Purslane
Methi/fenugreek
Pea sprouts
 

wellington

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Leopards don't eat grass easily, unlike most sulcatas. If you can get them to eat it, along with safe weeds that are naturally growing that is best.
As for keeping store greens longer. I have good luck putting them in the crisper drawer and placing a damp towel over them. Keep the towel damp. Do not wash them until you are ready to use them. As for the dandelion, they won't stay good as long as the others, so I feed them first.
 

Clamhandsmcgee

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Leopards don't eat grass easily, unlike most sulcatas. If you can get them to eat it, along with safe weeds that are naturally growing that is best.
As for keeping store greens longer. I have good luck putting them in the crisper drawer and placing a damp towel over them. Keep the towel damp. Do not wash them until you are ready to use them. As for the dandelion, they won't stay good as long as the others, so I feed them first.

My suggestions were to help you feed him cheaper and easier. Most plants I get I do a quick search to see if it's tortoise food. If yours doesn't eat/ like grass, cut it up and put it on food he does. After a while he'll learn to eat grass.
 

wellington

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My suggestions were to help you feed him cheaper and easier. Most plants I get I do a quick search to see if it's tortoise food. If yours doesn't eat/ like grass, cut it up and put it on food he does. After a while he'll learn to eat grass.
Not helping me, I'm not the one asking for help.
I know what you mean. You just probably shouldn't have quoted my post.
When it comes to grass, there's a big difference in the way most leopards take to it compared to sulcatas. That's why I said what I said, so the op doesn't freak out when their leopard now won't eat grass. My two males wouldn't touch it until around 4-5 years old or so. My almost 2 year old has eaten it for about a year or more with not problem.
 
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Clamhandsmcgee

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Not helping me, I'm not the one asking for help.
I know what you mean. You just probably shouldn't have quoted my post.
When it comes to grass, there's a big difference in the way most leopards take to it compared to sulcatas. That's why I said what I said, so the op doesn't freak out when their leopard now won't eat grass. My two males wouldn't touch it until around 4-5 years old or so. My almost 2 year old has eaten it for about a year or more with not problem.
I understand. I guess I should have just posted my comment, instead of replying to yours. Lol
 

wellington

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Not if you just bought it. It will have chemicals that can't be fed. You could plant it in clean chemical free dirt and wait for 6 months to feed new growth.
Optunia is what we feed. I have no idea if different statins of it matter if not.
 

Jenni

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Not if you just bought it. It will have chemicals that can't be fed. You could plant it in clean chemical free dirt and wait for 6 months to feed new growth.
Optunia is what we feed. I have no idea if different statins of it matter if not.


Okay cool. Can I ask the best way to do this? I'm in the Illinois... it's been sunny, hot and humid lately but 3 weeks from now it could be 40 degrees and then comes snow and ice. Likely no decent weather again til end of May. Can I do this indoors or should I just scrap my $1 cactus? lol
 

Clamhandsmcgee

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Okay cool. Can I ask the best way to do this? I'm in the Illinois... it's been sunny, hot and humid lately but 3 weeks from now it could be 40 degrees and then comes snow and ice. Likely no decent weather again til end of May. Can I do this indoors or should I just scrap my $1 cactus? lol
I'd keep the cactus in the pot until spring the move it outside.
 

wellington

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I'm in Chicago so I get what your saying about the weather. However, keep the warmth in mind and hopefully the winter will take its time getting here lol.
Yes, plant it inside and by next spring it should be good to feed. Just use pesticide and fertilizer free planting soil and if you can put in a south facing window and it should continue to grow over winter. It grows slower, but still should grow.
I had some that I placed in an unheated shed and in the south facing window. It survived last winter.
 

Jenni

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Oh no kidding, where in Chicago? It's nice to see someone here so close! You'll come in handy when it comes to advice on my stir crazy baby come the next few months lol
 
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Jenni

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In my experience, store dandelions (chicory) don't keep well, period. The leaves are very soft and break down easily. You'll need to accept they won't all get eaten. Or learn to eat some yourself; they are good in Italian soups! I'm lucky if I can get seven days, and that's with very fresh ones from my farmers market. I'd suggest alternating with frisée; it's related and keeps a long time. Whole Foods stocks it. Also try radicchio and escarole.

Here is what I do with most of the leaves I bring home; it helps if you have a salad spinner.

Let everything soak in cool water for a couple of minutes. Drain and then run a couple of handfuls at a time through the spinner until they are mostly dry. If you don't have a spinner, run around in circles really fast ;) or wrap them briefly in a pillow case.

Store them loosely with a couple of paper towels in a plastic bag with some holes in it (make holes with a knife or a skewer, they don't need to be perfect). This lets them breathe out some of the moisture that's in them, rather than getting damp and limp. With dandelions, I immediately toss any leaves that look off and store the rest with lots of paper towels.

It's not normal for collards to wilt; they are very tough, like kale. Try giving them a soak and see if that improves them. Whole Foods has lots of vegetables to choose from but the downside of stocking everything is that not all of it will be fresh when you buy it. You might try shopping from another source for collards if yours don't hold up.

Other foods they will likely stock:
Turnip greens (still attached to the turnips!)
Mustard greens
Radish leaves, including daikon leaves, again just the leaves
Bok choy
Any cress, like water cress
Arugula

They *may* have these foods as well:

Cactus
Purslane
Methi/fenugreek
Pea sprouts

I never bought collards.... They're basically garbage now I guess. I just got them! Good to know that's NOT normal. That was me being ignorant in the store and likely buying crappy veggies.****, who knew. Man I have SO much to learn. I can't even buy decent veggies?? LOL
 

Amanda81

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I also live in an area where fall and winter my Tort has to be inside as well and the first winter I had torts I had same problem as you w the produce going bad plus in my area the options are limited. U have prepackaged spring mixes, romaine lettuce, your mustard and collard greens, and sometimes if your lucky the food city might have the ranchero (I always spell this wrong) and this is your options in the summer, during the cold months these options loose quality and some aren't available at all. I hated that he got grasses and weeds and all this natural grown foods for 6 months then was limited to such a small variety of store bought produce for 6 months. So when spring rolled back around and while I had the luxury of my tort being outside grazing I was trying to figure out a way to make his diet better for the next winter and I decided to start dehydrating things. Then oneday as I'm telling my friend about me dehydrating stuff she told me how she freezes items and explained what she did. So I spent all spring and summer and fall picking weeds/grasses, leaves/blooms. Different weeds grow at different times here and I of course wanted to provide as much variety as possible so on my off days I spend at least a few hours a day or if I only could afford to do it one off day I spent the majority of the day picking weeds and leaves and whatever else I come across that was acceptable food for my tort. I attempted to freeze 2/3 and dehydrate 1/3 since I had the equipment to do both. I used my food processor (I bought a little one at dollar store for like $5), I'd stuff it full of whatever I had at that time and add just what water I needed to make it chop up fine. Once I had it chopped up I'd pour it into ice cube trays and freeze and then store the frozen cubes in freezer bags. Like I had bags of just grape leaves cubes, bags of just hibiscus leaves cubes, bags of mixed weed cubes, so I could switch up his meals everyday. I would also dehydrate stuff so I could use it as a salad topper I guess u could call it, I used these things on top is mazuri so he never got mazuri just by itself. I also collected every second new pad off my spineless cactus plant all spring/summer and either cut into stripped or cut into bite size cubes and froze, but I ended up w plenty of food to make it through the winter on and didn't have to buy produce at all which remedied my issue with it not lasting. I'm not sure if freezing or dehydrating stuff removes the nutrition of the item but I'm thinking to myself that a variety of weeds and things they would normally eat would be better for em then no variety of store bought produce plus I like the idea that their diet stays consistent year round and best of all its all free. I find it easy to prep as well, I normally do my tort care in the mornings before work because by the time I get off and home the lights have already went out for the night. I get up and pick out whatever he's having that day and lay it out in a bowl on the counter, I go on and do my morning routine, get woke up, jump in shower, I put my tort in his soak, get the kid up and ready for school and off to bus stop which usually takes 30-45 minutes depending on if she throws a fit, I then spot clean the enclosure, freshen water, and feed him, his food has defrosted while I did my morning and it's ready when I am. This past winter went much better then my first winter and I felt like I was providing him a much better diet then I did the first winter. I am lucky enough.to have a good selection of weeds in my yard and my neighbors allow me to pick in their yards and i of course ensure their isn't any chemicals used anywhere that I happen to collect foods from. Over the last 2 years I've basically grown majority of stuff myself, the hibiscus plants, grape vines, mulberry tree, strawberry plants, spineless cactus plant, roses, banyan trees, I did my landscape the year I got torts and it's completly edible at this point so that really helps out.
 

Dan Ortega

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Aug 3, 2017
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Chicago'Illnois
Hi
I'm also from Chgo.Just got two baby leopard tortoises.Pete's market is a good source
to get veggies they have spineless cactus pads. Check out Kamp Kenan on you tube he
has a lot of esposides on tortoise and reptile care cool channel:)
 

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