Page 1 of 1

Click and Grow Plant Pods

Posted: 22 Oct 2020, 23:39
by Tattlefox
Hi everyone!
I am looking to purchase a click and grow to grow flowers for my tortoise during the winter.
With the click and grow you can buy their pods to grow whatever you'd like. They make it sound very organic but I wanted to know if anyone here has had experience with the product?

https://www.clickandgrow.com/products/g ... ng-indoors

Thank you.

Re: Click and Grow Plant Pods

Posted: 24 Oct 2020, 14:03
by Nina
Hi Tattlefox,

I'm so sorry to be late in responding to your post! I saw it and wanted to do some more research on the product first, and then got distracted. Anyway, welcome to The Tortoise Table.

I tink I got the wrong idea at first, because I thought the plant pods had to be used with the indoor garden kits, which are super expensive, and you can do almost as well using a sunny window sill or the airing cupboard to germinate, but it looks to me now that the pods can be used on their own and you just add seeds, so maybe that is what you are asking about. They seem sort of OK, and it's good that they don't have pesticides, etc. in them, but the only thing that worries me is that it says that each pod contains sufficient food for four month's growth. That means that they contain fertiliser (probably a slow-release fertiliser), and we discourage the use of fertiliser when growing tortoise plants, as it is high in nitrogen and other elements.

I can see the appeal and convenience of these pods, but I'm not convinced. I think that if you just grow the seeds in pots or trays using ordinary topsoil and a bit of sand, that should work fine and would be much cheaper. What sort of substrate do you have for your tortoise? If it's the recommended topsoil and playsand substrate then you could use that, but add more topsoil to the mixture.

I wouldn't say that plants grown in a fertilised medium like these pods would seriously harm your tortoise, if fed in small quantities, but I don't think they are great and personally I wouldn't use them when there are cheaper and still good alternatives available.

What I think works well is to sow seed in small trays (think the size you would buy a chicken breast or two in), in succession (so sowing one every two or three weeks). When the plants are big enough to eat, you can put the tray directly into the tortoise's enclosure and let him eat to his heart's content, and by the time he is finished with that one another one is ready.

Hope that helps, and please don't hesitate to ask any more questions or if you have any problems.

Nina

Re: Click and Grow Plant Pods

Posted: 07 Nov 2020, 20:42
by Tattlefox
I ended up buying just a grow light. The plants I try to grow indoors do not fair well with the window sill lighting.
I manage to find an organic plant feed however if all plant feeds are toxic it might not be best to use.

It's called Gaia Green Organics 4-4-4
https://www.gaiagreen.com/product-page/ ... pose-4-4-4

Re: Click and Grow Plant Pods

Posted: 28 Nov 2020, 10:27
by Nina
Am really sorry to be so late in responding to your post, but we are having problems with not being notified as we should when a new post comes in, and I've only just seen this. How are you doing with your grow light? I hope all is growing well and looking lush and tasty!

Regarding the organic plant fertiliser -- it's really high in nitrogen (which it should be, so nothing wrong with it), but many plants soak up nitrogen from the soil in large quantities, and this isn't great for tortoises. Obviously if you want your own plants to grow and flourish then you do need fertiliser and this would be great, but for tortoises, it is best if they have plants that have not been fertilised, so I would save the Gala Green product and use it on plants that you aren't feeding to a tortoise. Hope that helps.


Nina

Tattlefox wrote:
> I ended up buying just a grow light. The plants I try to grow indoors do
> not fair well with the window sill lighting.
> I manage to find an organic plant feed however if all plant feeds are toxic
> it might not be best to use.
>
> It's called Gaia Green Organics 4-4-4
> https://www.gaiagreen.com/product-page/ ... pose-4-4-4

Re: Click and Grow Plant Pods

Posted: 29 Nov 2020, 21:12
by Tattlefox
Not to worry, I tried sending private messages but it doesn't seem to be working lol.

So far they are growing, not sure about thriving haha.

Re: Click and Grow Plant Pods

Posted: 29 Nov 2020, 21:41
by Nina
Oh dear, I'm so sorry, but I never saw your PMs until just now! We had a time from mid October until early November when we weren't being notified of new posts or new private messages and we missed loads. Actually if you want to contact me off the forum, it's best to send me an email at nina@thetortoisetable.org.uk
Please do, as I'd love to hear how your horticultural endeavours are going :D

Cheers,
Nina

Re: Click and Grow Plant Pods

Posted: 16 May 2021, 19:17
by AndreaAbraham
Hi, I feed my two turtles plants with this fertilizer, but they also eat plants without fertilizer. I have not noticed any deterioration in their health. But of course use more plants without fertilizer for your turtles)) ;)