| A
grass-free seed mixture to produce |
| This
wild plant mixture has been formulated for Herbiseed by Lin King (known to
many as 'the Tlady'), from her observations of the plants eaten by wild
tortoises in Mediterranean areas. It comprises a mixture of edible annual and
perennial plants without grass. It is designed to allow tortoises to graze
naturally and hence avoid the use of unsuitable shop-bought greens, whilst
providing a wide range of nutrients for healthy growth. |
| Illustrations of the plants and further notes can be found in the Diet section of The Tlady's Guide at www.tortoises.net or www.tlady.clara.net/TortGuide/index.htm |
| The
mix can be used in a number of ways, large and small scale, and is equally
suitable for seeding larger paddock areas (where slow growing grass species
may be added), and smaller enclosures, weed patches, containers and seed
trays. The plants can also be used on a 'cut-and-come-again' basis from
containers. |
| Some
of the plants should be allowed to flower in parts of the planting area. This
is important both as tortoises' wild diet includes a lot of flowers, and so
that the annual species in the mix are allowed to seed. One way to achieve
this is to divide the sown area into several sections, grazing each section in
rotation while the resting sections regrow. |
| The
mix can be sown in seed trays to be used in the bases of both indoor and
outdoor units for juvenile tortoises, and a succession of these can be
prepared and replaced as they are eaten down. Only normal unfertilised garden
soil (or sterilised loam) should be used, since some of the plants have the
ability to accumulate excessive quantities of nitrates from artificially
enriched soils, and indeed most of these plants grow naturally on impoverished
soils. |
| Twenty
of the following species are included: |
|
Dandelion |
Taraxacum officinale |
|
Catsear |
Hypochoeris |
|
Hawkbit |
Leontodon |
|
Smooth Hawk's-beard |
Crepis
capillaris |
|
Nipplewort |
Lapsana
communis |
|
Chicory |
Cichorium
intybus |
|
Smooth Sow thistle |
Sonchus
oleraceus |
|
Great Plantain |
Plantago
major |
|
Hoary Plantain |
Plantago
media |
|
Ribwort Plantain |
Plantago
lanceolata |
|
Common Mallow |
Malva
sylvestris |
|
Musk Mallow |
Malva
moschata |
|
Dwarf Mallow |
Malva
neglecta |
|
Shepherd's purse |
Capsella
bursa-pastoris |
|
Hairy Bittercress |
Cardamine
hirsuta |
|
Wavy Bittercress |
Cardamine
flexuosa |
|
White/Dutch clover |
Trifolium
repens |
|
Red clover |
Trifolium
pratense |
|
Common Vetch |
Vicia
sativa |
|
Sainfoin |
Onobrychis
sativa |
|
Creeping Bell-flower |
Campanula
rapunculoides |
|
Field Bindweed |
Convolvulus
arvensis |
|
Hedge Mustard |
Sisymbrium
officinale |
| Growing Notes from Herbiseed | |
| HOW TO ESTABLISH YOUR PADDOCK | |
| TIME OF SOWING: Seeds need warmth and moisture to germinate and establish. Early spring and early autumn are the seasons when these conditions are most likely to occur naturally outside. However, successful sowings can be made throughout the summer if adequate water can be applied to continually maintain moisture at the soil surface. | |
| SOWING RATE:
Sow at 1kg seed mixture per 100 square metres (100kg/hectare) on larger areas.
This relatively low seed rate is inexpensive, but needs time to establish before
being able to withstand being grazed. On smaller areas, sowing up to 50g per
square metre will quickly achieve a thick cover and be able to withstand light
grazing sooner after sowing. |
|
| Procedure: |
|
| 1) | If unwanted perennial
weeds are present, destroy them by frequent hoeing
or cultivating in the growing season
before sowing. |
| 2) | Correct any poor drainage
problems which may exist on the site. |
| 3) | Cultivate the soil to
produce a firm, fine seedbed. |
| 4) | Ideally, leave this for
several weeks to allow any unwanted weed seeds to germinate. Remove the
seedlings by shallow hoeing. |
| 5) | Thoroughly mix the seed
mixture in a bucket and scatter it evenly over the soil surface. |
| 6) | Rake it in lightly. |
| 7) | For sowings made between
March 1 and September 1, roll or tread the soil lightly to firm the soil
around the seeds. This is particularly important for sandy soils or
lumpy tilths. Do not roll the soil when sowing in late autumn or |
| 8) | Do not water prior to seed
germination unless you are able to maintain a moist soil surface for at
least two weeks. If this is not possible, it is better to allow the seed
to germinate in response to natural rainfall. |
| 9) | Grazing with small animals
such as tortoises and guinea pigs can begin when the grass (if added)
has grown 8 to 10cm high and there is no bare ground visible between the
plants (‘grass fully tillered’ in agricultural parlance). This will
occur sooner if the heavier seed sowing rates are used. |
| 10) | Ideally, divide the sown
area into several sections and graze each in succession while the others
are allowed to recover. |
|
MANAGE |
|
| Do
not overgraze. If the animals graze the vegetation down to soil level, remove
some or all of them until the vegetation has recovered. Overgrazing will result
in the loss of the herbs. If there is a tendency to overgrazing in summer,
watering may improve the plant growth. Divide the area into sections and graze
one part while the others are being rested. |
|
|
Seed availability: |
|
|
The mixture can be obtained from: |
|
|
||
|
Herbiseed |
||
|
New Farm |
website: www.herbiseed.com |
|
|
Mire Lane |
telephone: 0118 9349464 |
|
|
Twyford |
fax: +44 (0)118 924 1996 |
|
|
Berkshire |
e-mail: info@herbiseed.com |
|
| RG10 0NJ | ||
|
PRICE: |
||
| £12 per 100 grams | ||
| + VAT & Delivery | ||
| £16.20 | ||
| Order online: http://www.herbiseed.com/pets/home/mix.aspx | ||
|
Email enquiries to Steve Morton: sales@herbiseed.com |
||