Jade Plants

[tortoisemonger889]

I just purchased a jade plant from Home Depot and I wasn't sure if it would be safe to feed to my tort. I was planning on growing the plant in his cage but with his substrate on top of the soil so he wouldn't be able to get into it. Is this all safe??

 

[Maggie Cummings]

The plant itself is safe to eat...EXCEPT...HD loads their plants with fertilizer and that is not good for your tort. You can flood it regularly over a couple of months. But let it dry out in between as Jade plants don't like too much water. Or find a friend who has one and is not a fertilizer freak and you might cut a piece without fertilizer in it. They root really easy....

 

[tortoisemonger889]

The plant itself is safe to eat...EXCEPT...HD loads their plants with fertilizer and that is not good for your tort. You can flood it regularly over a couple of months. But let it dry out in between as Jade plants don't like too much water. Or find a friend who has one and is not a fertilizer freak and you might cut a piece without fertilizer in it. They root really easy....

So will he be ok if I cover the soil with plenty of substrate?

 

[tortoisemonger889]

Hello???

 

[keepergale]

The common opinion is that it isn't safe for months after purchase. Not just the soil is a issue. The leaves and stalk are a risk too.

 

[turtlemanfla88]

I would wait a couple of months. Also, check the soil a lot of places use potting soil which contains little white sty form balls which are not good if your tortoise eats them that is why I use top soil.

 

[Pearly]

I have tons of plants from HD, Lowes, Walmart nurseries. I shake the soil off the roots as much as possible and put them in my own soil. And yes, all that stuff needs to be washed out of the plant before you put it in. My torts love to eat plants that grow in their enclosure and I don't want them exposed to mutagenic chemicals. I repot newly bought plants and leave them outside for 2-3 months watering liberally when needed. I'm still not sure if that's enough to "wash" the chemicals out but it's definitely better then not doing any of that. I love live plants in the enclosure, so to my torts

 

[Yvonne G]

When a plant takes up the systemic bug killer it stays inside the plant for a while. That's the nature of the beast. you want the plant to grow a while in clean dirt so all that pesticide gets used up or dissipates. I don't know how long it takes, but I'd wait at least 3 months. This is why I buy plants and plant them in my garden. Then when I'm ready to decorate a habitat, I pull plants from my garden that have been there a while and I'm sure they're clean.

 

[turtlemanfla88]

A good natural fertilizer to use is rabbit manure my kids have three rabbits. I also raise African night crawler worms under them in a box for my turtles. If you guys find someone who has rabbits just ask the worst they can say is no. You do not have to age rabbit manure like you do other manures because it will not burn your plants.

 

[Kori5]

I bought two lovely aloe veras and hate waiting 3 months. But I know I have to.

 

[Tom]

I just purchased a jade plant from Home Depot and I wasn't sure if it would be safe to feed to my tort. I was planning on growing the plant in his cage but with his substrate on top of the soil so he wouldn't be able to get into it. Is this all safe??

I bought two lovely aloe veras and hate waiting 3 months. But I know I have to.

The systemic pesticides used by commercial nurseries, which supply places like HD, are taken up into the plants tissues and do not go away after a few months. They stay in there. It doesn't matter if you replace the soil and wash the roots. This means we should only be feeding new growth that occurs at least one year after we bought the plant.

And yes, perlite in the soil is very bad too if tortoises gain access to it.

This is why most people opt to grow from seed, even though it takes a long time. One alternative is to take cuttings from friends, family and neighbors plants that are long established, and grow them in suitable soil for our purposes. Another alternative is to use plants intended to grow food for human consumption. Grape vines come to mind. A person might also be able to find a smaller local nursery that they trust and find items not grown with systemic pesticides, but beware, a lot of places will tell you what they think you want to hear to make a sale.

 

[turtlemanfla88]

Be careful doing this ,but if I am driving down the road and I see opuntia prickly pear cactus or something edible for my animals in someone's yard I stop and knock on the door and most people are very nice and say you can take some help yourself. I always carry small and large prunning sheers. I always thank them before I leave. We have a lot of people in FLA that grow them . I would think they are native out west and grow everywhere?.

 

[Kori5]

The systemic pesticides used by commercial nurseries, which supply places like HD, are taken up into the plants tissues and do not go away after a few months. They stay in there. It doesn't matter if you replace the soil and wash the roots. This means we should only be feeding new growth that occurs at least one year after we bought the plant.

And yes, perlite in the soil is very bad too if tortoises gain access to it.

This is why most people opt to grow from seed, even though it takes a long time. One alternative is to take cuttings from friends, family and neighbors plants that are long established, and grow them in suitable soil for our purposes. Another alternative is to use plants intended to grow food for human consumption. Grape vines come to mind. A person might also be able to find a smaller local nursery that they trust and find items not grown with systemic pesticides, but beware, a lot of places will tell you what they think you want to hear to make a sale.

I didn't know it takes so long . Thanks Tom. Although the Aloe was for decoration only, I wont risk it.