Tips on getting grass to grow

[goReptiles]

My tortoises eat the grass in .02 seconds as soon as spring starts. They eat the hostas and other plants I've planted as soon as they start to grow. Tips on adding grass mid-year or getting it to grow

Right now their area is barren and just dirt.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Can you have two areas? Or more? That way one can be growing or regrowing while the other is being grazed. Also grow things in pots or flats.

 

[Tom]

Yep. johnsonnboswell nailed it.

Block off some growing areas and let them graze only one area at a time, or grow stuff in large trays that can be rotated in and out of correctly sized sunken holes so they are level with the surface.

If the tortoise has access to sprouting greens, they are going to eat it all up.

 

[goReptiles]

I ended up using two concrete mxing tubs that I used to use for housing the tortoises inside (when they were babies). I stuck that in an area where the tortoises can't get to. I used leaf litter and pinestraw from the yard to create a drainage area, added a few jumbo worms I found while cleaning the yard and topped it with topsoil. I had a few packs of dandelion seeds and lettuce seeds. I'm looking to find the best deal on weeds and grasses.

I found this stuff, but I'm not sure if you get seeds or that bundle, just like pictured. Do you know?
http://www.groworganic.com/premium-horse-pasture-mix-irrigation.html
http://www.groworganic.com/o-livestock-pasture-mix-irrigtd-lb.html

 

[goReptiles]

I ended up going to Carolina Pet Supply. I normally prefer Tortoise Supply, but after shipping for 1 pound of the broadleaf mix, it was more than the below.

1 lb of their Grazing tortoise mix includes: Crimson Clover, Red Clover, Creeping Red, Fescue, Turnip Greens, Fescue, Kentucy Blue Grass, Orchard Grass, Wheat Grass, Oat Grass, Rye Grass, Barley Grass, Chia, Chicory, Timothy Grass

1/4 pound of their broadleaf mix includes: Crimson Clover, Red Clover, New Zealand White Clover, Chicory, Plaintain, Turnip Greens, Chia, Mache, Radicchio, Itallian Dandelion, Purslane

 

[Yvonne G]

Good pasture management is what's called for in outdoor tortoise yards. This means pick up the poop, keep it watered and rotate the animals. You need to fence it in half, keeping the tortoises on one half while you water the other half. Then after a week (or how long you need for the other half to grow) move the tortoises to the other side and start watering where they used to be. Once the grass is established (a year or more) you might be able to remove the fence.