Jacqui's Captive Bred Tortoises

I have in the past bought weed seeds to grow for my own tortoises and some have been succcessful and some not so, I have found that growing plantain from seed has been about the easiest. However, if you can let a patch of garden just run wild, and do not use weed killers on your grass, you can easily find enough weeds to feed your tortoise. (See tortoise friendly weeds page). However, if like me, you would like to feed natural food over the winter months too, one of the options is to grow your own succulents. It is not as difficult as it may seem, providing you buy your baby plants for a good source, if i can do it, anyone can!

If you would like to grow your own wonderful plants/succulents for your tortoises then please read on below.

They are easy to grow and as they have not come from a garden centre, are not grown with fertilizer or pesticides they are safe to feed your tortoise. I grow mine in the house in plastic window boxes, positioned against my French doors to give them good light but draught protection. They can go outside in the summer too.

The email address you need is:

jsc_gec@tiscali.co.uk

This is what Steve says about the plants:

I’m sure that we all know how good Opuntia cactus are as tortoise food and I’ve seen lots of people on tortoise sites asking where they can buy them from. I grow large amounts for my tortoises and now have an abundance of rooted and established cuttings available for you to buy if you want to.

Not all Opuntias are really suitable for feeding to tortoises. I’ve trialled lots of different ones over the years and the ones I’m offering are the best that I’ve come across.

Here is my list of desirable traits in an Opuntia to be used as tortoise food.

• High yielding – each plant produces a good weight of food each year

• Freely offsetting – lots of new pads are produced each year

• Fast growing – not much time needed before a new offset matures and has offsets of its own

• Easy to propagate – pads form roots easily to give new plants

• Easy to cultivate – not needing any specialised care, conditions or soil type

• Cold tolerant – will survive in an unheated greenhouse in the UK

• Free from spines – the large spines that protrude from the areoles

• Free from glochids – the fine hair like spines that stick in your fingers and annoy you for days

The ones I’m offering tick most, if not all of these boxes. Any Opuntia can throw a spine or two, but they are always protruding from the arioles and are easily removed. Pass the pads through a gas flame prior to feeding and any remnants of spines and/or glochids will be singed away.

These plants are ideal for a greenhouse or conservatory, even a sunny window ledge will be okay. Plant them in your favourite houseplant compost and let them dry out in between waterings. These plants are currently in 5.5 cms pots and will need potting in pots or approx. 8 cms round or square. Give them a good root run and watch them grow.

I have found my tortoises, Hermans, Leopards and Horsfields all love Prickly Pear (with the spikes singed off first), Opuntia subulata and perekiopsis velutina (flat).