Can I feed my tortoise plants that I have given plant food or should it be avoided?
Thank you,
Mia.
Thank you,
Mia.
Plant Food
- Thread starter Mia&Felicity
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I would avoid it
Ok. Thank you [emoji846]
Ok. I'm not sure so I will just avoid it. Thanks you [emoji846]
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foliar applied fertilizers even though they are fairly ephemeral, are what purely fertilizer concerns regard. By purely I mean only fertilizer, not some sort of fertilizer and -cide blend There are many in or on the ground fertilizers that make little difference for the plant's consume-ability. A primary concern is that tortoises are curious about tasting eating many things, and ground applied granules or bead fertilizer may be consumed. This type should be incorporated into the soil. After all plants need nutrients as much as the tortoises themselves.
Use balanced complete fertilizers, not just those with NPK. Epsoma is one brand that has balanced organic fertilizers, there are others.
for shrubs, bushes and trees, dig a trench a few inches deep at the drip line of the plants, place the granules there, then cover it and water in. For grassy areas apply much more sparingly than the suggested use rate, and water in, go over the area with a rake and water in some more.
Another concern with fertilizers is that they spike the 'free' nitrogen in the plant, and that can indeed happen, so when the tortoise eats it there is more nitrogen in the food than is easy or best to produce as waste. That's why you should select a balanced fertilizer, having all the macro and micro nutrients, water is in, and use at about 1/3 to 1/2 the rate suggested on the package.
Healthy plants make healthy food for our tortoises. Even if you eat organic produce yourself, you have eaten plants grown with nutrient supplemented 'diets'.
Use balanced complete fertilizers, not just those with NPK. Epsoma is one brand that has balanced organic fertilizers, there are others.
for shrubs, bushes and trees, dig a trench a few inches deep at the drip line of the plants, place the granules there, then cover it and water in. For grassy areas apply much more sparingly than the suggested use rate, and water in, go over the area with a rake and water in some more.
Another concern with fertilizers is that they spike the 'free' nitrogen in the plant, and that can indeed happen, so when the tortoise eats it there is more nitrogen in the food than is easy or best to produce as waste. That's why you should select a balanced fertilizer, having all the macro and micro nutrients, water is in, and use at about 1/3 to 1/2 the rate suggested on the package.
Healthy plants make healthy food for our tortoises. Even if you eat organic produce yourself, you have eaten plants grown with nutrient supplemented 'diets'.
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