Mulch and more mulch...

[jwr0201]

I'm in commercial landscape and have access to several types of mulch substrates. I assume that the more natural and unprocessed, the better. No dyes, fertilizer, milorganite, etc.
Cypress mulch has been discussed and approved here quite a bit. How about other types of mulch, such as Eucalyptus, Pine Bark, Redwood, Melaleuca, and recycled Floramulch (a hardwood mix of everything)? Are there types of wood & wood products to avoid for use around tortoises?
Mulch seems iike a great way to go, as it lasts for months, is not dusty and is really inexpensive. As for an underlay substrate under the mulch - would something like a rich soil compost mix with sand be good? Also, sphagnum moss in areas between mulch and base layer - ? BTW - this is west central FL.

 

[Blackdog1714]

Eucalyptus - Eucalyptol, the chemical in eucalyptus, is a gastrointestinal irritant and a neurotoxin. NO
Pine Bark- saps as well a solid pieces of treated lumber are ground up into mulch. NO
Melaleuca brand name Florimulch- Invavise species tree that was used to help dry up swamps. UNSURE of toxicity so I would wait for tests to confirm. NO

As far a mulch- my russian lives indoors on 6" of Cypress and my leopard lives indoors on 3" of cypress covered with 1" of fin fir bark (Reptibark). This is the cheapest way to get the best results. Fine Fir Bark on the West Coast comes in large mulch bags and goes in the $20-$30 range. In RVA that is like $55 a bag. Fine Fir Bark looks the best and performs the best-holds moisture, does not get soaked, durability from being walked on and safe if eaten. Hope this helps

 

[jwr0201]

Eucalyptus - Eucalyptol, the chemical in eucalyptus, is a gastrointestinal irritant and a neurotoxin. NO
Pine Bark- saps as well a solid pieces of treated lumber are ground up into mulch. NO
Melaleuca brand name Florimulch- Invavise species tree that was used to help dry up swamps. UNSURE of toxicity so I would wait for tests to confirm. NO

As far a mulch- my russian lives indoors on 6" of Cypress and my leopard lives indoors on 3" of cypress covered with 1" of fin fir bark (Reptibark). This is the cheapest way to get the best results. Fine Fir Bark on the West Coast comes in large mulch bags and goes in the $20-$30 range. In RVA that is like $55 a bag. Fine Fir Bark looks the best and performs the best-holds moisture, does not get soaked, durability from being walked on and safe if eaten. Hope this helps

Thank you - great info! Looks like Cypress mulch is the way to go. Fortunately, readily available and reasonable in cost.

 

[Tom]

I'm in commercial landscape and have access to several types of mulch substrates. I assume that the more natural and unprocessed, the better. No dyes, fertilizer, milorganite, etc.
Cypress mulch has been discussed and approved here quite a bit. How about other types of mulch, such as Eucalyptus, Pine Bark, Redwood, Melaleuca, and recycled Floramulch (a hardwood mix of everything)? Are there types of wood & wood products to avoid for use around tortoises?
Mulch seems iike a great way to go, as it lasts for months, is not dusty and is really inexpensive. As for an underlay substrate under the mulch - would something like a rich soil compost mix with sand be good? Also, sphagnum moss in areas between mulch and base layer - ? BTW - this is west central FL.

None of the above. Well... cypress mulch is okay, but none of the others mentioned. Definitely no sand and no soil.

Fine grade fir bark is the best substrate for most species most of the time. Some species do best on coco coir when they are little.

Once we know what species you are going to get we can share the care info and substrate suggestions.

These two care threads cover most of the available species:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org