Who grows their own tortoise food?

[swatsx]

When i kept my fish I used to breed my own feeders so I knew what went in their diet same I want to do for my tortoise I have a rose bush, hibiscus, hostas, but I want to grow more! I have or will have two russian torts so I'm looking for plants that are good indoors that can be a staple food, I know aloe Vera so I'm looking for seeds but should I do a Boston fern or maybe just some weeds?

What do you do?

 

[mike taylor]

Grass and weeds . You get them off line. You can also stop by tractor supply and buy deer seed mix . Comes with weeds and greens

 

[lismar79]

Weeds are best. Plantain, mallow, thistle, dandelion. Here a site to give you ideas
http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/plants_19.asp
When mine can't go outside, I go out with a bag and sissors and cut the weeds out of my yard.

 

[Tom]

I grow mine outside. I use the "Testudo Seed Mix" from tortoise supply.com, grape leaves, lavatera, mulberry leaves, african hibiscus, lots of grasses, 8 varieties of spineless opuntia, red apple (the succulent ground cover, not the fruit), and a wide variety of squash seeds, collards, turnips, cilantro, arugula, mustard greens, clover, alfalfa, endive, mallow, plantain weeds, etc...

 

[Falcon70]

I've used some various seed mixes bought online and recently ordered some cactus pads to replant as well as the Testudo Mix that Tom mentioned. Hopefully it'll work out good! Other than that I use a lot of stuff that just naturally grows in my yard.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

+1 I use a tortoise garden and also the seed mix from Tortoise supply.
Hibiscus is my staple food. The leaves and flowers are fed every day mixed with garden greens, Mazuri or some type of fruit. I alternate so that they don't get "spoiled".

 

[Yvonne G]

I have a vegetable garden plot that's planted in Spring Mix, escarole, endive, radicchio, red leaf lettuce, turnips, plus I've sown forage seeds in all the tortoise yards.

I have a feeling you're asking this question for a tortoise that is kept in the house. It's so much easier to feed them once they get set up outside in a safe and secure outdoor habitat.

 

[swatsx]

Yea I live in MI so outside is only an option 1/3 of the year. Going to be getting a 12'x12' outdoor pen setup the next couple weeks I get the torts tomorrow male and female russian. The pen will take some work as my yard floods but all that means is I'll be able to put in any plants I want going to go about 6-8 inches above the rest of the yard

But yes I'm looking to grow food inside in a few larger pots that I can just trim and feed then I want to grow some grasses in small pots so I can put them in the tank and once the lil guys eat it I can swap it out with a new one so they always have food to eat as well as the food I cut for them

 

[Yvonne G]

Buy some inexpensive kitty litter pans and sow your grass seed in there. Then you put one tray in the enclosure allowing the tortoise to mow the grass, and exchange it for a new one when he's finished with that one