feeding hermann's with local greens

[Noelluene]

So I mainly give my 7 year old Eastern Hermann's a type of local vegetable called "You Mai Cai" as well as Zoomed and Mazuri tortoise pellets. (Tomatoes are very rarely given as an occasional treat) Unfortunately, I do not have access to a lot of vegetables that are normally shown on feeding guides, as most of them are just not found here or sold at ridiculous prices. Wild grown plants such as dandelion and hibiscus flowers do occasionally grow here but they use so many pesticides I don't feel comfortable picking them. Therefore I want to ask about you all's opinion on this type of vegetable for feeding tortoises.

 

[ZenHerper]

Photos of whole plants are helpful. Is the plant Lactuca Indica? If so, it is quite nutritious, but may contain a sedative (white) sap that is more concentrated just before flowering.

You might recognize some regional plant types in this thread:

A trip to a Korean market--picture heavy

I drove by a Korean market (H Mart) on an errand so of course poked my head in. It was very different than the other Asian market I visited--less fish, more beef; and a wider variety of leafy greens. While you might find a single Korean grocery in quite a few places, H Mart is a chain; here is...

www.tortoiseforum.org

@RosemaryDW

 

[Noelluene]

Photos of whole plants are helpful. Is the plant Lactuca Indica? If so, it is quite nutritious, but may contain a sedative (white) sap that is more concentrated just before flowering.

You might recognize some regional plant types in this thread:

A trip to a Korean market--picture heavy

I drove by a Korean market (H Mart) on an errand so of course poked my head in. It was very different than the other Asian market I visited--less fish, more beef; and a wider variety of leafy greens. While you might find a single Korean grocery in quite a few places, H Mart is a chain; here is...

www.tortoiseforum.org

@RosemaryDW

I think it looks more like lactuca sativa var augustana. Is that ok to feed my tortoise with?

 

[ZenHerper]

L. sativa is used to refer to cultivated lettuces...grown for human consumption. They generally have minimal amounts of the sedative sap in them.

Augustana is the stem version...like an asparagus stalk with dark green leaves at the top. It contains a good nutritional complement.

That being said, variety is needed since no greens contain all vital nutrients.

Celtuce or Stem Lettuce - The Permaculture Research Institute

Celtuce goes by many different names including Stem Lettuce, Chinese Lettuce, and Asparagus Lettuce.

www.permaculturenews.org

 

[Noelluene]

L. sativa is used to refer to cultivated lettuces...grown for human consumption. They generally have minimal amounts of the sedative sap in them.

Augustana is the stem version...like an asparagus stalk with dark green leaves at the top. It contains a good nutritional complement.

That being said, variety is needed since no greens contain all vital nutrients.

Celtuce or Stem Lettuce - The Permaculture Research Institute

Celtuce goes by many different names including Stem Lettuce, Chinese Lettuce, and Asparagus Lettuce.

www.permaculturenews.org

Would salad vegetables such as romaine lettuce and wild rocket be good as well?

 

[RosemaryDW]

You mai cai is a good food; I offer it to my Russian fairly often. There is nothing wrong with romaine but it is just another cultivated lettuce so won't add that much variety to the diet. You mai cai has more fiber in the stem so I would prefer that. I normally buy this plant younger and feed the whole thing; the whole/big stem is expensive here.

Arugula is in the brassica plant family and fine to feed. You will likely have access to several bok choy; same plant family and good to feed. Any Chinese broccoli (gai lan) relative is in this family as well; choy sum is one of these. Shepard's purse is another (I never get the Chinese name for this right). Mustard greens, watercress, there are tons. Just rotate them in and out. I don't own a Hermann's but would probably would feed maybe 25% of these in the diet.

Ong choy or water spinach is a good food and another plant family so definitely something to try.

Pea shoots sometimes. Edible clover (Cao tou?) also. I've only seen the clover once where I live (California, U.S.) so I don't know how common it is.

Tong ho on occasion if your tortoise will eat it.

Young bitter melon, all kinds of squash and melon actually. A good chunk once a week.

If there is another vegetable you want to ask about I'll give it a try.

 

[Lyn W]

Would salad vegetables such as romaine lettuce and wild rocket be good as well?

www.thetortoisetable.og.uk may help you.
It's based on UK plants but as you mentioned salad veg that are available to you and in the UK you may find others.

Fruit & Vegetables

Fruit & Vegetables

www.thetortoisetable.org.uk

(Fruits aren't good for most species though)

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I could sure use your help here.
We have a very large Chinese and Asian market nearby and they have many dozens of different very interesting greens there. But much of it, I have no idea what it is.
I've never seen it before.