okay soo im alresdy going too cut down all oak trees.the next thing i want too do is plant a bunch of different what they call sea grass here.does anyone know about these grasses,i have one kind in front off the house its about 2 foot in diameter an 8 foot tall.it goes brown in winter than comes right back in spring.im looking too use these for both food and hides but don't know much about them except there are a bunch of different types.i alredy have rose bushes and grapes,anything else i can plant that can survive the east coast weather? thanx john
transforming my yard
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squamata said:
Why not keep some trees?
squamata said:
My torts just ignore the leaves/acorns...do your's not?
Hardy hibiscus. It dies down in the winter but comes back in the spring. Rose of Sharon. Mulberry tree.
Cape Cod Honey Suckle. I think that is what it is called. I have had one for nine years and never did anything to take care of it and just found out it is edible tort food.
Grape vine is also a good choice. The leaves are calcium rich and nutrient high. You could also replace the sea grass with carex appalachica...those are real hardy and resemble the clumping grass found in the wild.
squamata said:
Even my sulcata, which would eat pretty much ANYTHING, refused oak leaves and acorns...the tannic acid seems to smell/taste very nasty to every tortoise and box turtle I've ever kept.
They do seem to be OK about burrowing into the leaf mold, beneath the oak trees, in the various enclosures.
watch Where you plant the mulberry.. awsome trees but hell on a septic...
oh and in some places you need permits or permission to cut down the ole mighty oak..
oh and in some places you need permits or permission to cut down the ole mighty oak..
If your sole reason to cut down the oaks is because it's toxic, you might reconsider. Oaks are common in a lot of wild tortoise habitat, and they do grow in southern africa as well, though not as common as in north africa. The toxic tannins in oaks taste very bitter, and its not a pleasurable food. I have many oaks in my tortoise habitat, and while I have observed small bite marks on low leaves occasionally, its always just one bite mark. They don't like it.
I have several types of tall grasses in a few of my enclosures, but I no longer know their names. They don't eat them, but they are great hides. This fall I actually had to cut down one clump, because when I was putting the Malaysian box turtles inside for the winter one was missing. I just knew it had to be in the grass clump, but no matter how hard I tried peering into the clump or feeling around, there was no turtle. Sure enough, as I cut the clump down, there he was.
Most of my favorites have been mentioned the grape vines, Althea/Rose of Sharon, the hardy hibiscus (which comes up so late in the spring you'll think it is dead), and mulberry trees. There would be some cactus, the daylilies, and hostas too. I would suggest taking the list of "good"plants with you to the nurseries and compare what they sell to what the list might suggest. Good to that way also see if some of your personal favorites are on the list. The more you like what you plant, the more time you will spend out there with your tortoise.
Just for the record...I would keep the oaks too.
This fall I actually had to cut down one clump, because when I was putting the Malaysian box turtles inside for the winter one was missing. I just knew it had to be in the grass clump, but no matter how hard I tried peering into the clump or feeling around, there was no turtle. Sure enough, as I cut the clump down, there he was. Most of my favorites have been mentioned the grape vines, Althea/Rose of Sharon, the hardy hibiscus (which comes up so late in the spring you'll think it is dead), and mulberry trees. There would be some cactus, the daylilies, and hostas too. I would suggest taking the list of "good"plants with you to the nurseries and compare what they sell to what the list might suggest. Good to that way also see if some of your personal favorites are on the list. The more you like what you plant, the more time you will spend out there with your tortoise.
Just for the record...I would keep the oaks too.
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