My hands are cut up but it is DONE. Now, what soil is best for a raised bed oasis...?

[DawnH]

I've finished building Tuleo's raised bed oasis (recap - we are moving in a year or so and due to yard size/layout we figured this would be the best upgrade till our move to a larger property. The next owners will have a lovely raised bed as it is 5 feet x 12 feet x 26" tall.) My plan is to fill it not quite halfway with a ton of wondrous things, hiding hole or two, two large water dishes and build a cover and let him out in it weather permitting.
He will be 2 in July (you can see how big it is compared to him currently - I just completed it so it isn't where it will be (not in full sun) and he will not be in it as is, so please don't freak out...lol) I just placed him in as a photo comparison.

Anyways - I was looking at getting a yard of soil delivered since his enclosure is so large but now I am wondering if I should get bagged soil instead. Out here we have topsoil you can get delivered by the yard. It doesn't really say what is in it. Thoughts? Should I just go to the hardware store and buy soil and maybe peat moss to mix in, keep it moist? What would the best/safest mix for him be in this type of enclosure ?

I appreciate the help (as always!)

 

[tortadise]

I'd go with peat(60%), topsoil(20%), and mix in some mulch(20%).

 

[DawnH]

Thank you Kelly! I was thinking of making a rocky area out of landscaping rocks (maybe like a path.) Is this a good idea or bad one? I worry he might try and eat them (?) but wanted to give a different texture/way to wear down his nails

 

[Lyn W]

I wish I was handy and could make my own. Will you be lining the inside? Only I was just wondering if the metal could get too hot in your temps and burn your little chap. Hopefully not it looks great.

 

[Jodie]

That looks great! Now the fun part, planting and decorating. I like the rock path idea. It makes a nice basking area. Use larger rocks or even some kind of paver blocks.

 

[Tom]

I would use the local "native" dirt to fill it. If that is not an option then trucking in the yard of dirt should work. I'd keep the walls at least 16" tall above the substrate.

Pavers, slate or sandstone could be used to make your path. I wouldn't use small rocks.

I suspect that your enclosure will overheat in the full Texas summer sun. Watch those temps very carefully and have a back up plan ready. Many tortoises die from over heating in sunny enclosure like that. Use great caution and when in doubt just bring him back inside.

 

[DawnH]

Thank you so much! I am curious as to the how hot it will get and have it in full sun to "test" it. Right now it is 84 out and it is VERY cool, I am surprised. Of course that doesn't count for summer brutal heat though. I plant to make it VERY dense and spoke to some folks on a Texas gardening forum on how hot these get (worried about burned tortoise) and with the soil and plants no one has had an issue, even here in Texas. Of course it will be in 95% full shade just to be safe and if it is too brutal outside, he will be in. I am SO OCD and worry about him flipping himself when it is hot out (he never has, but this is where my mind goes at 2am...) Jodie - that is going to be my favorite part. I cannot wait!

 

[Robertchrisroph]

Hello. Nice idea. You think drilling some holes in it will get more air flow for the heat that will build up inside. Just a idea. Gratis job

 

[Yvonne G]

I think being in the shade will be good enough. Then with lots of plants, and the watering you'll have to do to keep the plants alive, it should be quite ok for your tortoise. You've done a nice building job. (Sorry about your hands! don't you wear gloves?)

 

[DawnH]

Hello. Nice idea. You think drilling some holes in it will get more air flow for the heat that will build up inside. Just a idea. Gratis job

Given the fact that the oasis will be shaded, watered deeply every morning and will be planted dense, I think adding any holes to the structure will dry it out faster. I will definitely keep that in mind though but actually think it could make everything warmer. My aim is for a wet/humid oasis during the really hot months...

 

[DawnH]

I think being in the shade will be good enough. Then with lots of plants, and the watering you'll have to do to keep the plants alive, it should be quite ok for your tortoise. You've done a nice building job. (Sorry about your hands! don't you wear gloves?)

That is my hope. I love to garden so I am outside giving everything a deep water all the time. I hope that if I plan this right it will be just perfect for him. And my hands are just fine (thick gloves saved my bacon) I was just trying to think of a catchy title so people would respond.

 

[jaizei]

I apologize if I'm beating a dead horse.

How much of it will be in the shade?

It might be an idea to wrap the outside with something; it would keep the sun from shining directly on the metal and there will be an airspace that will provide a thermal break of sorts.

 

[DawnH]

I apologize if I'm beating a dead horse.

How much of it will be in the shade?

It might be an idea to wrap the outside with something; it would keep the sun from shining directly on the metal and there will be an airspace that will provide a thermal break of sorts.

No worries. As stated above it will be in 95% shade. I had it outside in 87 degree temps today and it was not even warm.

 

[DawnH]

Also, as far as a cover... my plan was to build one made of hardware cloth. Since he will only be out during the day while we are home, is this necessary? He will be 2 in July and (if I measured correctly) is 7" long, 2.2lbs. I was looking at some photos of folks oasis's and some are covered, some are not. I wanted to double check before I bought the supplies.

Thanks for the help!

No worries. As stated above it will be in 95% shade. I had it outside in 87 degree temps today and it was not even warm.

*full sun. As a tester because I was curious.

 

[Yvonne G]

I think he's probably a bit big for a bird to carry off, and as he's coming in at night, I think that may be the only predator you should worry about. If it were me, I wouldn't cover it.

 

[Tom]

I agree with Yvonne. Once they hit 5-6" I really only worry about human predators or dogs. My enclosure for that size sulcata are typically 30x30' or larger, so a cover really would not work.

On the other hand, I will hurt nothing to build a cover and be extra safe.

 

[wellington]

I can't wait to see it finished. Sounds like he/she will love it.

 

[DawnH]

Wonderful. That was my hope. Hardware cloth is not cheap and I am going to have to sell a child to fill this as is... Our backyard is fully fenced (8 foot) and the only dogs are our German Shepherd and Great Dane (inside dogs) who don't bother Tuleo one bit and will sound the alarm if so much as a squirrel walks by. We do have two outdoor cats and my biggest fear is them trying to use it like a litter box, but they haven't done that will his current outdoor oasis. Yet. I hope dense plantings will keep detering that. I guess I can start without one and build if needed

Thanks for all the help. I am sure my photo (full sun/Sulcata with nothing in this metal enclosure) looks like I am off my rocker but I have been thinking about this for a year. I think with some common sense and my totally OCD mentality I can make it work really well for him. I will post once I have it all done, it is going to be a few weeks because I have since decided I must paint the back of the house before I can set this up near it (don't even ask... my husband does not understand either...lol)

Thank you again everyone!

 

[Tom]

Dawn, YOUR dogs are the ones you should worry about most. Not one person (and there are many...) whose loving gentle family dog chewed up their tortoise ever though it would happen. Most of the time the dogs ignore the tortoises and pay no attention to them... until the day they do pay attention to them. The damage is catastrophic and irreversible. Please let me help you avoid this tragedy.

Now that I have this info, I STRONGLY recommend you spend the time and effort to put a cover over the top of you new enclosure.

Read this thread. Not just the initial post that I wrote, but read some of the horror stories that were shared later on in the thread:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-dog-story.45850/

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

I would put a 2-3 inch layer of compost in it , and then turn the soil to mix in the soil . And then put another 2-3 inch of compost over the soil . Compost holds moisture and a raised bed drys out fast . Compost is a good natural furtalizer . It is a loose soul if the tort wants to dig . And I believe it's Evan cheaper then top soil . Have a great tort day !