The T-Lady’s Mediterranean Tortoise Mix

A mixture of 20 wild plants to grow for your tortoise

 

Sow this grass-free seed mixture in saucers or seed trays on a window ledge at any time of year, or in a paddock outside in spring. It produces a varied mixture of nutritious plants to keep your tortoise healthy, stimulated and happy. These plants have all been observed to be commonly eaten by Mediterranean tortoises in the wild. Popularly known as The Tortoise Lady’s Mix after Lin King, its originator.

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Growing method:
The methods are the same for both the grass-free Mediterranean tortoise mixture and the added grasses mixture for tropical tortoises. One method is to grow the mixture outside in an enclosed paddock and let your tortoise roam in the paddock during the summer. The second method is to sow several seed trays, supermarket punnets or old plates with the mixture every few weeks. Keep these in a warm sunny place and feed them sequentially to your tortoise when the plants are 4-10 cm. high. The paddock on a plate method can supply natural green food throughout the winter for non-hibernating tortoises, and an energising first feed for newly awakened hibernators.

Sowing Rate: 20 grams per square metre outside or 50g/square metre to get quick results indoors.

Typical Composition:
5Creeping Bell FlowerCampanula rapunculoides
5Shepherd's purseCapsella bursa-pastoris
5Wavy BittercressCardamine flexuosa
5Hairy BittercressCardamine hirsuta
5ChicoryCichorium intybus
5Field BindweedConvolvulus arvensis
5Smooth Hawk's-beard Crepis capilallaris
5NipplewortLapsana communis
5Musk MallowMalva moschata
5Dwarf MallowMalva neglecta
5Common MallowMalva sylvestris
5SainfoinOnobrychis sativa
5Ribwort PlantainPlantago lanceolata
5Great PlantainPlantago major
5Hoary PlantainPlantago media
5Hedge MustardSisymbrium officinale
5Smooth Sow thistleSonchus oleraceus
5DandelionTaraxacum officinale
2.5Red cloverTrifolium pratense
2.5White/Dutch cloverTrifolium repens
5Common VetchVicia sativa