Couple of week ago planted some new hibiscus and grapevines from the local nursery. How long should I wait before feeding leaves to my 4 mos. old Leo? I have read that it takes awhile for any pesticides/fertilizer to leach out.
New Plants - Wait How Long to Feed?
- Thread starter DesertGrandma
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I used to wait about 60 days. This would include lots of rinsing and then I'd only feed new growth. However, one of our members who knows a whole lot, but doesn't post a lot, runs a nursery and he told us that a lot of places are now using "systemic" pesticides that last up to a year. Its pellets that they put in the base of the plant with the roots. The plant then absorbs the pesticide and integrates it into its cells. This makes for healthy plants that are not chewed on by any bugs and can fetch top dollar. Unfortunately, the poisons that keep the plants healthy and looking good are not so good for our torts.
It helps if you first off change out as much of the soil around the root ball as possible and then flush the plant as much as you can without keeping the plant too wet.
First off you have youngsters, so I am more cautious then I would be with bigger tortoises. Next are these leaves your actually removing and then feeding or just plants they can free graze on? More time to have them sit, if your doing actual feeding of the plants. Free graze can shorten the time, but then the question goes is this a plant that will be given maybe one nibble and then left or a tortoise who is a piglet on this tye of plant so will sit and eat heavily on it?
The bigger the tortoise X how much of the plant will be eaten X how fast will it be eaten = how long I wait for a new plant to be fed. I am going to guess your looking a couple of months.
First off you have youngsters, so I am more cautious then I would be with bigger tortoises. Next are these leaves your actually removing and then feeding or just plants they can free graze on? More time to have them sit, if your doing actual feeding of the plants. Free graze can shorten the time, but then the question goes is this a plant that will be given maybe one nibble and then left or a tortoise who is a piglet on this tye of plant so will sit and eat heavily on it?
The bigger the tortoise X how much of the plant will be eaten X how fast will it be eaten = how long I wait for a new plant to be fed. I am going to guess your looking a couple of months.
Tom, that makes me really worry. I am going to go talk to the nursery and ask for some details specifically about that...One thing that might be a good sign is that today I noticed some grapevine leaves had been munched on by some kind of insects or caterpillers (haven't found them yet) so maybe that's a good sign??
Jacqui, it's too late to change out the soil around the root ball. They are fairly good size plants and were planted by the nursery. At this time I would be picking the leaves for the tort, and eventually used for free grazing. They aren't in the enclosure currently being used but in the area that will be a permanent enclosure when larger.
Thanks for the info and suggestions.
Jacqui, it's too late to change out the soil around the root ball. They are fairly good size plants and were planted by the nursery. At this time I would be picking the leaves for the tort, and eventually used for free grazing. They aren't in the enclosure currently being used but in the area that will be a permanent enclosure when larger.
Thanks for the info and suggestions.
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