Testudo seed mix

Kapidolo Farms

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If I got a hibiscus at let's say home depot, how long would out take before it grows out the pesticides and is safe for my tort?


This is the rule of thumb I use.

I buy the discounted plants at Lowe's (Home Depot does not do this anymore) and wait for them to grow out all new leaves. Older leaves I pluck to encourage faster turnover. In all about a year. Re-potting or putting them in the ground helps too for the chance there is some residual in the soil.

Many systemic chemicals are applied as a spray and are up-taken directly through the living parts of the plants. It is systemic plant chemicals that are the worry, not fertilizer obtained through the roots. Most systemic compounds have a life in the plants tissue where they are ever less and or degraded. others are applied to the soil and go into the plant through the roots. In this later case is why a soil change helps. Most systemic chemicals would be destroyed by soil microbes pretty quickly if in the ground, but in a pot with relatively sterile soil, that does not happen as fast.

As an example of a systemic fertilizer you can think of the Miracle Grow watering devices with the fertilizer already in a small bottle that you attach to the hose end. What hits the leaves acts systemically, and with another good watering or rain the residue will mostly wash off and that is okay to feed. That is called a foliar application. The exact same fertilizer can be mixed and poured on the soil, and there is no residue on the leaves and what get taken up by the roots has to a great extent been filtered by the roots.

However if some insecticide or weed killer has been applied in a greenhouse setting that is the worry, so waiting a year with plucked leaves and new soil has been my rule of thumb.
 

Toddrickfl1

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This is the rule of thumb I use.

I buy the discounted plants at Lowe's (Home Depot does not do this anymore) and wait for them to grow out all new leaves. Older leaves I pluck to encourage faster turnover. In all about a year. Re-potting or putting them in the ground helps too for the chance there is some residual in the soil.

Many systemic chemicals are applied as a spray and are up-taken directly through the living parts of the plants. It is systemic plant chemicals that are the worry, not fertilizer obtained through the roots. Most systemic compounds have a life in the plants tissue where they are ever less and or degraded. others are applied to the soil and go into the plant through the roots. In this later case is why a soil change helps. Most systemic chemicals would be destroyed by soil microbes pretty quickly if in the ground, but in a pot with relatively sterile soil, that does not happen as fast.

As an example of a systemic fertilizer you can think of the Miracle Grow watering devices with the fertilizer already in a small bottle that you attach to the hose end. What hits the leaves acts systemically, and with another good watering or rain the residue will mostly wash off and that is okay to feed. That is called a foliar application. The exact same fertilizer can be mixed and poured on the soil, and there is no residue on the leaves and what get taken up by the roots has to a great extent been filtered by the roots.

However if some insecticide or weed killer has been applied in a greenhouse setting that is the worry, so waiting a year with plucked leaves and new soil has been my rule of thumb.
Thank you so much for the info, I think I'm going to just plant some seeds then. I used to live in South Florida and hibiscus grows everywhere! It doesn't where I live now though.
 

Jay Bagley

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I got my testudo seed mix delivered Thursday and I just planted it Friday. I ended up using just a plastic kiddie pool that I drilled a bunch of holes in for drainage. I used some garden soil I got from Home Depot they had on sale for 6 bags for $10. I also added just a little bit Miracle Grow vegetable fertilizer to it. The soil had that perlite stuff in it, I know the tortoise cannot eat that but I'm hoping it's okay to grow the mix in. I planted it Friday morning, and after 3 days I already have sprouts everywhere. Very impressed so far.20180522_153602_HDR.jpeg20180522_160159.jpeg20180525_165040.jpeg20180528_170228.jpeg
 

daniellenc

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I can't wait!!! I never did any kind of gardening, but it was pretty enjoyable.

Me either but I didn’t hate it!! I just planted a second one Thursday that is sprouting and am getting a large planter in hopes by the time his cage comes I can replant some in there.
 

Jay Bagley

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Me either but I didn’t hate it!! I just planted a second one Thursday that is sprouting and am getting a large planter in hopes by the time his cage comes I can replant some in there.
That would be really cool to have some planted in there. I had thought about it, but Sheldon seems to like to squish everything in his path. I'm going to try to get out this week and plant some grape vines.
 

daniellenc

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Been considering it but it seems they require maintenance and I’m worried I’ll mess it trying to prune them back every year. I won’t show you my moms rose bush ive ruined lol. It’s 15 feet tall hehe and I killed the rest.
 

Jay Bagley

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Been considering it but it seems they require maintenance and I’m worried I’ll mess it trying to prune them back every year. I won’t show you my moms rose bush ive ruined lol. It’s 15 feet tall hehe and I killed the rest.
Lol, they might not be the best choice for me either then. My parents have a big garden they put in every year and always offer to let me plant stuff over there. When I finally accepted their offer I asked my dad if I could put in a row of grapes. He was pretty excited, when I told him it was for the tortoise... He shook his head and said you and that d** tortoise.
 

daniellenc

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Yeah I get the same lol but hey maybe they’ll know how to prune them. My mom came up from Florida and was like is that my rose bush. I’m like yeah why? Because it’s taller than an effing tree what are you doing to it? My response was nothing lol. Then she was like where are the rest? I’m like dead! She asked how I managed that? Ummmm by trying to do something too them duh! Yep I’m over pushing 40 and did not get her green thumb so grape vines are out of my wheelhouse but considering a mulberry tree.
 

Jay Bagley

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Yeah I get the same lol but hey maybe they’ll know how to prune them. My mom came up from Florida and was like is that my rose bush. I’m like yeah why? Because it’s taller than an effing tree what are you doing to it? My response was nothing lol. Then she was like where are the rest? I’m like dead! She asked how I managed that? Ummmm by trying to do something too them duh! Yep I’m over pushing 40 and did not get her green thumb so grape vines are out of my wheelhouse but considering a mulberry tree.
I like the mulberry tree idea, maybe I'll go that route as well. Happy planting.
 

Toddrickfl1

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How's your weeds coming along? I just bought a kiddie pool and ordered the seed mix today.
 

Jay Bagley

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How's your weeds coming along? I just bought a kiddie pool and ordered the seed mix today.
Hey, just went out and took a picture. This is 11 days after the seeds hit the dirt. It came in really well, I'm pretty guilty of overseeding though. I think I used way too much. It's going to be a lot of tortoise food.20180603_180224_Burst01.jpeg
 

Redfool

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In this thread there were many references to hibiscus plants. I have over 20 bushes and have never bought one. Every one I have has been grown from cuttings from neighbors sometimes with, sometime without their permission. I’ve even gone to yard sales and told the host they will get a lot more flowers from their plant with a little pruning. A little pocket knife work and I volunteer to carry off the trimmings to be stuck in the ground at my house to take root. It’s my RFs daily greens and it’s free. I AM going to order some of that testudo seed. It looks great. Right now I grow shallow trays of millet from bird seed and my torts love it. If you grow in topsoil it doesn’t have the additives of potting soil.
IMG_3511.jpg
 

Toddrickfl1

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In this thread there were many references to hibiscus plants. I have over 20 bushes and have never bought one. Every one I have has been grown from cuttings from neighbors sometimes with, sometime without their permission. I’ve even gone to yard sales and told the host they will get a lot more flowers from their plant with a little pruning. A little pocket knife work and I volunteer to carry off the trimmings to be stuck in the ground at my house to take root. It’s my RFs daily greens and it’s free. I AM going to order some of that testudo seed. It looks great. Right now I grow shallow trays of millet from bird seed and my torts love it. If you grow in topsoil it doesn’t have the additives of potting soil.
View attachment 240857
Do you hand to use any kind of Root-tone or you just cut and plant?
 

Redfool

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Do you hand to use any kind of Root-tone or you just cut and plant?

I have used Root-tone before but don’t anymore. Have had good success either way. Just make sure you have 5 or 6 leaf nodes underground. Keep the soil damp, look for growth sprouts at the above ground nodes and if it flower buds, pinch them off. You want to make leaf and stem growth not flowers at the start.
 

Toddrickfl1

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I have used Root-tone before but don’t anymore. Have had good success either way. Just make sure you have 5 or 6 leaf nodes underground. Keep the soil damp, look for growth sprouts at the above ground nodes and if it flower buds, pinch them off. You want to make leaf and stem growth not flowers at the start.
Gotcha thank you
 

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