Soil!

[philipgreece]

Hello all! I want to collect soil from nature! I have find some Fields to collect! I contacted with an expert guy to give me information how to sterilize the soil! He told me The best way is to collect soil and to put it in a large bag like the ones we use for trash and leave it under the sun for 3 days! But these days have to be very hot! Is this true?

 

[COmtnLady]

What does collection and sterilizing soil have to do with tortoise keeping?


To answer the question though -
Putting soil in black plastic trash bags (especially only half full and spread as thin as the bag will allow, so that the mass of the soil isn't as thick) and leaving it in the sun (in the summer) would cook any bugs and bacteria, but I'm not sure three days is long enough. It would be a good idea to turn it over for a couple days, too. (I wonder what chemicals will cook into the soil as the plastic starts to break down from the UV and heat. ) The point is to get it so hot that it kills of biological life inside. Then once its cooled down it could be used for potting plants. Not for tortoises though. You don't really know what is in it or what would off-gas into the tort's enclosure.

 

[philipgreece]

What does collection and sterilizing soil have to do with tortoise keeping?


To answer the question though -
Putting soil in black plastic trash bags (especially only half full and spread as thin as the bag will allow, so that the mass of the soil isn't as thick) and leaving it in the sun (in the summer) would cook any bugs and bacteria, but I'm not sure three days is long enough. It would be a good idea to turn it over for a couple days, too. (I wonder what chemicals will cook into the soil as the plastic starts to break down from the UV and heat. ) The point is to get it so hot that it kills of biological life inside. Then once its cooled down it could be used for potting plants. Not for tortoises though. You don't really know what is in it or what would off-gas into the tort's enclosure.

Ohh thank you so much! Yes i had a doubt about chemicals! I use coco coir for substrate!!i hope its good for them!

 

[COmtnLady]

Coco Coir for Substrate is the best choice available. It will hold enough moisture to keep the humidity constant (provided you have started with the lower half or third, basically the bottom two to three inches, wet,) Then have another couple inches of fir/orchid bark or cypress chips on top of that so that the surface is relatively dry to walk on, but not as dusty as only using coco coir would be.

In case you haven't seen a discussion of how to deal with the coir, here's a thumbnail:

Buy the bricks of coco coir not the loose bags (loose is too expensive and difficult to soak before putting into the enclosure). Its usually cheaper in general at plant places rather than at pet stores. (Get the orchid bark/fir bark/cypress mulch there, too. Check that it doesn't have anything in or on it that could be harmful - go for "organic" if you can find it.) If you are having difficulty finding it, just get it where you can and worry about getting it for a better price next time, once you have a feel for what you need.

Use a clean, never used for anything soapy or oily, bucket, about half full of warm water. Soak one of the bricks until it falls apart, with no lumps left, Squeeze out as much of the moisture as you can by hand and then hand-pack it into the bottom of your enclosure. It shouldn't be drippy-wet, but does need to be more than moist. Wring it out as best you can. For a good base, it needs to be two to four inches thick, packed down, depending on the size of your enclosure. Add your layer of bark/chips on top, about the same thickness, and patted down.

That will start you off with good humidity in a closed chamber. Check the humidity two or three times per week. If the humidity is lowering, add cups of warm water to the corners of your enclosure, let it stabilize for a couple hours and check it again, add more as needed until it comes up to where it should be.

 

[philipgreece]

Coco Coir for Substrate is the best choice available. It will hold enough moisture to keep the humidity constant (provided you have started with the lower half or third, basically the bottom two to three inches, wet,) Then have another couple inches of fir/orchid bark or cypress chips on top of that so that the surface is relatively dry to walk on, but not as dusty as only using coco coir would be.

In case you haven't seen a discussion of how to deal with the coir, here's a thumbnail:

Buy the bricks of coco coir not the loose bags (loose is too expensive and difficult to soak before putting into the enclosure). Its usually cheaper in general at plant places rather than at pet stores. (Get the orchid bark/fir bark/cypress mulch there, too. Check that it doesn't have anything in or on it that could be harmful - go for "organic" if you can find it.) If you are having difficulty finding it, just get it where you can and worry about getting it for a better price next time, once you have a feel for what you need.

Use a clean, never used for anything soapy or oily, bucket, about half full of warm water. Soak one of the bricks until it falls apart, with no lumps left, Squeeze out as much of the moisture as you can by hand and then hand-pack it into the bottom of your enclosure. It shouldn't be drippy-wet, but does need to be more than moist. Wring it out as best you can. For a good base, it needs to be two to four inches thick, packed down, depending on the size of your enclosure. Add your layer of bark/chips on top, about the same thickness, and patted down.

That will start you off with good humidity in a closed chamber. Check the humidity two or three times per week. If the humidity is lowering, add cups of warm water to the corners of your enclosure, let it stabilize for a couple hours and check it again, add more as needed until it comes up to where it should be.

I have openings enclosure! when I see that is a little bit dry i put water again!!i don't do it so much moist! My humidity is about 60% and i soak my babies about 30 minutes 2 times per week! I tried some substrates but i use only coc coir because both of them are weird and I saw that they sometimes they were eating Coco coir in blocks and i was so afraid to put repribark or other substrate! Especially my Danny i know he will eat orchid bark!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I have openings enclosure! when I see that is a little bit dry i put water again!!i don't do it so much moist! My humidity is about 60% and i soak my babies about 30 minutes 2 times per week! I tried some substrates but i use only coc coir because both of them are weird and I saw that they sometimes they were eating Coco coir in blocks and i was so afraid to put repribark or other substrate! Especially my Danny i know he will eat orchid bark!

When you say babies, do you mean under a year? Because ideally they need higher humidity than 60 in a closed chamber, what kind of tortoises are they? How many? They housed together?

 

[philipgreece]

I

When you say babies, do you mean under a year? Because ideally they need higher humidity than 60 in a closed chamber, what kind of tortoises are they? How many? They housed together?

I have 2 russians! 4 years old! I have them saperated! Do i need closed chamber? Sometimes the humidity goes 70%! They pee and poop Normally! Is the open enclosure bad?

 

[Yvonne G]

I
I have 2 russians! 4 years old! I have them saperated! Do i need closed chamber? Sometimes the humidity goes 70%! They pee and poop Normally! Is the open enclosure bad?

I'd like to say this for EVERY tortoise keeper, not just you - a closed chamber is only needed for BABY tortoises (with the exception of tortoises who come from jungle-type geography.

 

[philipgreece]

I'd like to say this for EVERY tortoise keeper, not just you - a closed chamber is only needed for BABY tortoises (with the exception of tortoises who come from jungle-type geography.

Ok thank you!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I
I have 2 russians! 4 years old! I have them saperated! Do i need closed chamber? Sometimes the humidity goes 70%! They pee and poop Normally! Is the open enclosure bad?

no definitely not needed! Got thrown when you said babies lol, no worriesadults are fine in open set ups

 

[philipgreece]

no definitely not needed! Got thrown when you said babies lol, no worriesadults are fine in open set ups

Thank you so much!

 

[jaizei]

Hello all! I want to collect soil from nature! I have find some Fields to collect! I contacted with an expert guy to give me information how to sterilize the soil! He told me The best way is to collect soil and to put it in a large bag like the ones we use for trash and leave it under the sun for 3 days! But these days have to be very hot! Is this true?

The black bag method is ok for gardening where you might be concerned with bugs or weed seeds, but I wouldn't rely on it for actual sterilization if there was a concern about pathogens. For "real" sterilization with heat/dry air, you typically need to be 300*F+.

 

[philipgreece]

The black bag method is ok for gardening where you might be concerned with bugs or weed seeds, but I wouldn't rely on it for actual sterilization if there was a concern about pathogens. For "real" sterilization with heat/dry air, you typically need to be 300*F+.

Is there any other method?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Is there any other method?

Some bake the soil in a oven to reach the 300F temperatures.

 

[jaizei]

Is there any other method?

For soil or substrates? Not really.

 

[COmtnLady]

My grandparents were organic gardeners in the 1940s-50's and had a 55 gallon drum with no paint or other funky chemicals on it. There was also smallish metal A-frame prop that they used to lean the barrel on about a 45 degree angle. They would build a fire under it, shovel in some soil they wanted to sterilize, and for the whole afternoon stir it and rotate the barrel, so that the soil got to the temperatures Jaizei was talking about. They'd process a couple cubic yards of the soil like that in March or April so they had nice clean stuff to use in the cold and hot frames.