Safe plant food???? Is there such a thing?

[gabby.santana]

I just bought a grape plant, some strawberry plants and some cilantro. On the instructions it says these plants are going to need plant food. I know fertilizers are bad for my tort but is there anything out there that I can maybe give my plants that is also safe for my tort and box turtle?

 

[WithLisa]

Tort poo?

 

[gabby.santana]

That's good idea. Could I use manure? Since I plan on also eating from these plants and am not so thrilled with having my pets poop around the plant

 

[dmmj]

I can't help you sorry I use my own natural mulch that I make an earthworm and Nightcrawler casings.

 

[JoesMum]

It's the chemical fertilisers that everyone avoids. Well rotted manure should be fine.

 

[Rue]

Chemical fertilizers are fine. The plant metabolizes nutrients from them - same as what it does with the nutrients it gets from manure - and incorporates those nutrients into its plant tissue. N, P and K are basic chemicals no matter what the source. N is N.

Just don't get the actual fertilizer ON the tortoise. That's different, because the chemicals are concentrated in solution.

General purpose fertilizers are labelled more or less as 12-12-12. Specialty fertilizers might have a different ratio of NPK, so the numbers may vary.

 

[gabby.santana]

So if chemical fertilizers Are ok to feed than I don't understand why people say we can't feed our torts plants directly from Home Depot, lowes...

 

[Rue]

They are concerned with systemic insecticides.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

The best plant food is compost tea ! Nothing better for the soil or the plants !

 

[gabby.santana]

What do you mean compost tea?

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

What do you mean compost tea?

Compost tea is where you mix compost into water and air ate it . And you get a tea of bacteria and plant food with out chemicals !

 

[Rue]

Yes, you can make a compost tea for your plants if you're inclined to. I tried it once many years ago...but you have to be a more dedicated gardener than I am to do make and use on a regular basis.

Because it's convenient - I do use old aquarium water to water my house plants with (when I do water changes on my aquarium). It acts as a weak nitrogen fertilizer (primarily). So that's not quite the same, but is a similar concept. In this case the nitrogen comes from fish waste.

We might have to redefine 'chemical'. Everything is a chemical.

 

[gabby.santana]

Maybe I can water my plants with the dirty water from my reptiles bowls. I'm sure there is waste in there.


Would u guys by any chance know what these weeds are ?

The daisy like weed has a really strong smell to it

 

[Pearly]

Maybe I can water my plants with the dirty water from my reptiles bowls. I'm sure there is waste in there.


Would u guys by any chance know what these weeds are ? View attachment 173921View attachment 173922

The daisy like weed has a really strong smell to it
View attachment 173923View attachment 173924

The first one is not a weed, it's a flower I pay to buy at the nursery. Plus very few nurseries have them. It's called Dahlberg Daisy. I use it on the edges of my flower pots. It's a gorgeous cascade of abundant blooms all summer. It loves the sun and heat. Not sure what the tortoise table says about them. My babies leave it alone. It does have rather unpleasant odor but I love them and look for them at garden centers every Spring

 

[gabby.santana]

Thanks @Pearly do you by any chance know what the other weed is

 

[Tom]

Maybe I can water my plants with the dirty water from my reptiles bowls. I'm sure there is waste in there.

I would not use water that has had contact with a reptile to grow food to be fed to another reptile. There is a big risk of cross contamination there.

Rue's info about fertilizers and pesticides was well worded and completely accurate. I just wanted to offer one more opinion to agree with what she said.

 

[gabby.santana]

Your right tom thanks for pointing that out.


Has anyone ever used Alaska fish fertilizer ?

 

[Pearly]

Your right tom thanks for pointing that out.


Has anyone ever used Alaska fish fertilizer ?

Fish or any other natural fertilizer. I love my compost (it doesn't cost me a penny). I think though you are onto something with the waste water idea. I've been doing it (miss recycling here!!) watering my terrarium and house plants with it as well as few garden centerbought potted plants that are "airing out" for few months outside before I put them in with the babies. All those plants grow beautifully! I don't have any other reptiles to worry aboutcross contamination

 

[RosemaryDW]

The second picture is yellow sweet clover. Listed as a "do not feed" in the Tortoise Table.

 

[jaizei]

Fish or any other natural fertilizer. I love my compost (it doesn't cost me a penny). I think though you are onto something with the waste water idea. I've been doing it (miss recycling here!!) watering my terrarium and house plants with it as well as few garden centerbought potted plants that are "airing out" for few months outside before I put them in with the babies. All those plants grow beautifully! I don't have any other reptiles to worry aboutcross contamination

Do you just do traditional composting or with worms and bsfl?