Harvesting for Next Winter Feeding

[Len B]

I started early this year getting things ready for next winters feeding for my sulcatas. I harvested and dried some early spring weeds and clovers a few months ago knowing that they won't be back until next spring. I've been drying lawn grasses and weeds when we get a few days in a row without rain and with full sunshine. I use an electric lawn mower with a bag to collect the clippings and then after cleaning off part of the driveway I spread the clippings out and if the conditions are right it doesn't take long for them to dry.this it what I got dryed today Today I also ran the mower over some already dryed items. These are mulberry leaves And this is what they look like after clipping them twice with the mower These are ginkgo leaves and these are dried opuntia blooms Both clipped twice after taking the pics. Going to reduce the blooms down more to be used as a topping. This last pic is a variety of leaves including hosta, bamboo and redbud leaves which will be used as a topping also

 

[Len B]

This is one of my wild violet areas that get cut about every 2 weeks

 

[Yvonne G]

I give you a lot of credit for taking the time to do this.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Man, every time I see your "Getting ready" posts I get completely disoriented by all the green stuff. Here in Southern California we are currently in early tumbleweed season.

A violet patch! I've only read about them in novels, ha. I'm jealous.

 

[Len B]

I give you a lot of credit for taking the time to do this.

Thanks Yvonne. I post threads like this to help people (especially in colder climates) to help them to care for and give their sulcata a better winter (and summer) diet over the months when they get bigger. It doesn't take that long if you think ahead when the sulcata is small knowing it's going to get big pretty quick to start growing plants, weeds and trees for the future and don't wait for them to get big and wish they had started sooner and feal they should rehome their tortoise. Even though some on this forum don't believe in keeping sulcatas in colder climates with the proper setups it is possible to do without great expense and a large heated building. I'll let my sulcatas speak for me. Walker 27 years old. Donald and Squiggy 4 years old and Thomas 3 years old. All doing fine and looking as good as sulcatas raised in a warm climate. Recently it was suggested that I've been lucky to be able to get away with keeping sulcatas in the Northern Neck of Virginia, I totally disagree. It's just like when I first started growing banana plants here I would dig them up each fall and store them in the garage. Over time I discovered that it wasn't necessary to do that so now I don't even cut them back until the next spring. I have killed a lot of different opuntia cactus plants to see if they can survive the winters cold temperatures and moist soil over winter. I've found many that can, and grow them all, spineless and with spines for the tortoises for year round feedings.

 

[vladimir]

Thanks Yvonne. I post threads like this to help people (especially in colder climates) to help them to care for and give their sulcata a better winter (and summer) diet over the months when they get bigger. It doesn't take that long if you think ahead when the sulcata is small knowing it's going to get big pretty quick to start growing plants, weeds and trees for the future and don't wait for them to get big and wish they had started sooner and feal they should rehome their tortoise. Even though some on this forum don't believe in keeping sulcatas in colder climates with the proper setups it is possible to do without great expense and a large heated building. I'll let my sulcatas speak for me. Walker 27 years old. Donald and Squiggy 4 years old and Thomas 3 years old. All doing fine and looking as good as sulcatas raised in a warm climate. Recently it was suggested that I've been lucky to be able to get away with keeping sulcatas in the Northern Neck of Virginia, I totally disagree. It's just like when I first started growing banana plants here I would dig them up each fall and store them in the garage. Over time I discovered that it wasn't necessary to do that so now I don't even cut them back until the next spring. I have killed a lot of different opuntia cactus plants to see if they can survive the winters cold temperatures and moist soil over winter. I've found many that can, and grow them all, spineless and with spines for the tortoises for year round feedings.

@Len B your posts have been incredibly helpful and reassuring, and gave us the confidence to adopt a sulcata up north!