HELP! Soil, soil, soil. What do I use?

[ellen]

Background:
- I'm starting a tortoise garden for my desert tortoise hatchlings to play in, supervised.
- I only have experience growing peppers using the wrong kind of soil for native plants.
- I'm confined to a large pot (for now) because my dirt contains heavy-duty pesticides.
- I have seeds and am going to a nursery tomorrow to look at plants. (I finally caved and used TurtleStuff instead of my favorite local seed seller.)

The Issue:
My issue is getting tortoise friendly soil. I don't even know where to begin. I feel so silly living in Arizona and having the worst dirt ever. What I do know that it needs to drain well, gravel is right out because it'll burn them... I'm going to ask about it tomorrow, but I don't expect them to have tortoise knowledge.

What do you guys use? Cactus soil? Mixes of clay and sand with river rocks under it for drainage? What about fertilizer or soil stabilizing plants? Even if I make a good mix for the plants, does something else need to go over it for the tortoises' safety?

Am I just out of luck because everyone else with Gopherus morafkai lives in more natural parts of town?

Plants / Seeds:

Turtle Stuff seeds
Dot Seed Plantain
Common Mallow
Wildflower Mix
Desert Tortoise Seed Mix

Plants / Grasses I'm going to find out more about tomorrow
Arizona cottontop
Brittlebush
Buffalograss
Desert poinsettia
Plains Bristlegrass
Desert honeysuckle
Parry Penstemon
Desert Globe Mallow
Desert Marigold

I don't have my heart set on these, but from the research I did about plants for tortoises + the nursery's listing of plants they have, this is what I cross checked yesterday.

 

[Yvonne G]

If you are adding soil to an outside pen or garden, I'd go with plain old top soil from the garden store. BUT...make sure it doesn't have additives. Also, I would put about a 4" layer over the existing native soil, then dig it into the native soil, mixing it up real good. If you have access to horse or cow manure, you can also add some of that before you mix it all up. Smooth it out and tamp it down. Then plant your seeds.

 

[ellen]

If you are adding soil to an outside pen or garden, I'd go with plain old top soil from the garden store. BUT...make sure it doesn't have additives. Also, I would put about a 4" layer over the existing native soil, then dig it into the native soil, mixing it up real good. If you have access to horse or cow manure, you can also add some of that before you mix it all up. Smooth it out and tamp it down. Then plant your seeds.

I can't use the native soil in my yard and am doing the garden in a pot.... My dad sprayed pesticides across the entire yard, so I have no soil to start from.

I'm trying to figure out how to recreate a native soil. Once I do, though, your advice will definitely come in handy. Thanks for the reply.

 

[lynnedit]

Cactus soil comes in pretty small bags, so for a large pot you would need a lot of them.
You could also use regular organic topsoil and mix in some sand and/or gravel (perhaps 1/4 sand/gravel to 3/4 soil). That would drain well. Make sure there are enough drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.

 

[mainey34]

I use alot of organic soil. Home depot or lowes has a variety. I do a garden all year long, it. Works well here. I love living here in arizona for this reason...

 

[Moozillion]

I use Miracle Grow ORGANIC Potting Soil. It comes in big bags at Home Depot.

 

[Tortus]

I use Miracle Grow organic also, but just for growing. I initially bought it to use in my tort enclosure when I was out of coco fiber, but then I saw it had manure in it so I wasn't sure if it would be safe. But I see above that manure is recommended so I guess it's ok. And unfortunately it must have had fly eggs in it, because around a week or two after I planted everything I had giant flies all over the house. Every day I'd kill them and then a new batch would pop up, so that's the only explanation I have. You generally don't see flies this time of year in MD.

I mixed some sand in it and everything grows well. I have some cactus, crimson clover, chia, and dandelion taking off. Growing indoors until spring.

 

[Cheeky monkey]

Background:
- I'm starting a tortoise garden for my desert tortoise hatchlings to play in, supervised.
- I only have experience growing peppers using the wrong kind of soil for native plants.
- I'm confined to a large pot (for now) because my dirt contains heavy-duty pesticides.
- I have seeds and am going to a nursery tomorrow to look at plants. (I finally caved and used TurtleStuff instead of my favorite local seed seller.)

The Issue:
My issue is getting tortoise friendly soil. I don't even know where to begin. I feel so silly living in Arizona and having the worst dirt ever. What I do know that it needs to drain well, gravel is right out because it'll burn them... I'm going to ask about it tomorrow, but I don't expect them to have tortoise knowledge.

What do you guys use? Cactus soil? Mixes of clay and sand with river rocks under it for drainage? What about fertilizer or soil stabilizing plants? Even if I make a good mix for the plants, does something else need to go over it for the tortoises' safety?

Am I just out of luck because everyone else with Gopherus morafkai lives in more natural parts of town?

Plants / Seeds:

Turtle Stuff seeds
Dot Seed Plantain
Common Mallow
Wildflower Mix
Desert Tortoise Seed Mix

Plants / Grasses I'm going to find out more about tomorrow
Arizona cottontop
Brittlebush
Buffalograss
Desert poinsettia
Plains Bristlegrass
Desert honeysuckle
Parry Penstemon
Desert Globe Mallow
Desert Marigold

I don't have my heart set on these, but from the research I did about plants for tortoises + the nursery's listing of plants they have, this is what I cross checked yesterday.

I use a mix provided by the pet store
(sand, earth, tiny rock fragments) seems alright