Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

First: -I have no idea about gardening-. I'm trying to figure out how
to put down some 3' by 3' squares of turf for wildlife (small animals)
that we rescue. I figure that will make them feel a little less
homesick during their stay.

I want to keep this as simple as possible, as the sod will just be
used as a 'floor' in enclosures. I suppose I'll have to get some kind
of a large pan, and possibly punch holes in the bottom to make sure it
doesn't get too wet (that was the mistake made on the first smaller
scale test).

Again, absolutely no experience with this, so please post any ideas,
however elementary. Need for how much soil underneath? Design of
containing pan? How much water? Fertilizer? Light? (If possible,
I'd like to bring these inside in the winter, so maybe UV lights will
be required then)

Any ideas appreciated.

Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

In article ,
Bob wrote:

First: -I have no idea about gardening-. I'm trying to figure out how
to put down some 3' by 3' squares of turf for wildlife (small animals)
that we rescue. I figure that will make them feel a little less
homesick during their stay.

I want to keep this as simple as possible, as the sod will just be
used as a 'floor' in enclosures. I suppose I'll have to get some kind
of a large pan, and possibly punch holes in the bottom to make sure it
doesn't get too wet (that was the mistake made on the first smaller
scale test).

Again, absolutely no experience with this, so please post any ideas,
however elementary. Need for how much soil underneath? Design of
containing pan? How much water? Fertilizer? Light? (If possible,
I'd like to bring these inside in the winter, so maybe UV lights will
be required then)

Any ideas appreciated.

Put them down. Yea heartless. Then adopt a child or try to get us
out of foreign interventions.

Bill who thinks that chickens that have access to 3'X3 ' can be
labeled free range. Ya right.

--
Garden in shade zone 5 S Jersey USA

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."
-Philo of Alexandria

Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:22:54 -0400, Bob wrote:

First: -I have no idea about gardening-. I'm trying to figure out how
to put down some 3' by 3' squares of turf for wildlife (small animals)
that we rescue. I figure that will make them feel a little less
homesick during their stay.

I want to keep this as simple as possible, as the sod will just be
used as a 'floor' in enclosures. I suppose I'll have to get some kind
of a large pan, and possibly punch holes in the bottom to make sure it
doesn't get too wet (that was the mistake made on the first smaller
scale test).

Again, absolutely no experience with this, so please post any ideas,
however elementary. Need for how much soil underneath? Design of
containing pan? How much water? Fertilizer? Light? (If possible,
I'd like to bring these inside in the winter, so maybe UV lights will
be required then)

Any ideas appreciated.


Move the cage over a new grassy area? Most grasses need full sun.
Grown or taken indoors you will be faced with multiple issues. What
about pots of clover?

Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

Phisherman wrote:
On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:22:54 -0400, Bob wrote:

First: -I have no idea about gardening-. I'm trying to figure out how
to put down some 3' by 3' squares of turf for wildlife (small animals)
that we rescue. I figure that will make them feel a little less
homesick during their stay.

I want to keep this as simple as possible, as the sod will just be
used as a 'floor' in enclosures. I suppose I'll have to get some kind
of a large pan, and possibly punch holes in the bottom to make sure it
doesn't get too wet (that was the mistake made on the first smaller
scale test).

Again, absolutely no experience with this, so please post any ideas,
however elementary. Need for how much soil underneath? Design of
containing pan? How much water? Fertilizer? Light? (If possible,
I'd like to bring these inside in the winter, so maybe UV lights will
be required then)

Any ideas appreciated.


Move the cage over a new grassy area?

Look up Chicken Tractor. As a city boy, a term that struck me out of
left field!

Grass takes a lot of light. And I might add, what we know as lawn
grass is not native to wildlife. I would think some other bedding would
be superior.

Jeff


Most grasses need full sun.
Grown or taken indoors you will be faced with multiple issues. What
about pots of clover?

Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

Bob wrote:
First: -I have no idea about gardening-. I'm trying to figure out how
to put down some 3' by 3' squares of turf for wildlife (small animals)
that we rescue. I figure that will make them feel a little less
homesick during their stay.

I want to keep this as simple as possible, as the sod will just be
used as a 'floor' in enclosures. I suppose I'll have to get some kind
of a large pan, and possibly punch holes in the bottom to make sure it
doesn't get too wet (that was the mistake made on the first smaller
scale test).

Again, absolutely no experience with this, so please post any ideas,
however elementary. Need for how much soil underneath? Design of
containing pan? How much water? Fertilizer? Light? (If possible,
I'd like to bring these inside in the winter, so maybe UV lights will
be required then)

Any ideas appreciated.

As others have said there are going to be real difficulties with keeping the
grass growing and preventing it from turning into a churned up smelly bog.
What seems to be kind for the animal isn't necessarily right. There is no
need to reinvent the wheel, why not consult with people who know how to
support the animals that you rescue? I don't know where you are but here
there are networks set up for doing just that who have great experience.

David

Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

On Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:19:14 +1000, "David Hare-Scott"
wrote:

Bob wrote:
First: -I have no idea about gardening-. I'm trying to figure out how
to put down some 3' by 3' squares of turf for wildlife (small animals)
that we rescue. I figure that will make them feel a little less
homesick during their stay.

I want to keep this as simple as possible, as the sod will just be
used as a 'floor' in enclosures. I suppose I'll have to get some kind
of a large pan, and possibly punch holes in the bottom to make sure it
doesn't get too wet (that was the mistake made on the first smaller
scale test).

Again, absolutely no experience with this, so please post any ideas,
however elementary. Need for how much soil underneath? Design of
containing pan? How much water? Fertilizer? Light? (If possible,
I'd like to bring these inside in the winter, so maybe UV lights will
be required then)

Any ideas appreciated.

As others have said there are going to be real difficulties with keeping the
grass growing and preventing it from turning into a churned up smelly bog.
What seems to be kind for the animal isn't necessarily right. There is no
need to reinvent the wheel, why not consult with people who know how to
support the animals that you rescue? I don't know where you are but here
there are networks set up for doing just that who have great experience.

David

I appreciate the suggestion, David, but I'm in a big city, and there
aren't many resources, especially for seriously injured animals. Their
main requirement is veterinary care, medication and monitoring, and
that's my job. The 'gardening' thing is an aside. I felt that it
would help their recovery and hopefully relieve some stress.

These particular critters are from parks where they have lived on
regular manicured grass for many generations. Obviously I couldn't
monitor them if they were running loose in a field (not that most of
'em would be up for that), so the small patches of grass seem to be
the closest I could get. And keep in mind that the alternative is the
floor of a cage, which is not exactly natural.

Anyway, the suggestions for more hearty vegetation (clover?) seem to
be the most productive suggestion so far. The cages are arranged so
that they get natural sunlight, but of course there has to be enough
shade, so whatever kind of turf may not be uniformly exposed to sun.
Sounds like I'd have to give up on trying to keep grass alive over the
winter. So be it.

So...clover or...any others?

The cages have flat plastic flooring. I could perforate it easily if
there's a requirement for ventillation from below, or for more
drainage. Or maybe set up pan-shaped bases with sand or pebbles
underneath for drainage? That's the kind of advise that would be
helpful.

PS: Your comment about 'smelly bog' made me laugh, cause that's where
the first small-scale test was headed.

Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:57:18 -0400, Bill who putters
wrote:

In article ,
Bob wrote:

First: -I have no idea about gardening-. I'm trying to figure out how
to put down some 3' by 3' squares of turf for wildlife (small animals)
that we rescue. I figure that will make them feel a little less
homesick during their stay.

I want to keep this as simple as possible, as the sod will just be
used as a 'floor' in enclosures. I suppose I'll have to get some kind
of a large pan, and possibly punch holes in the bottom to make sure it
doesn't get too wet (that was the mistake made on the first smaller
scale test).

Again, absolutely no experience with this, so please post any ideas,
however elementary. Need for how much soil underneath? Design of
containing pan? How much water? Fertilizer? Light? (If possible,
I'd like to bring these inside in the winter, so maybe UV lights will
be required then)

Any ideas appreciated.

Put them down. Yea heartless. Then adopt a child or try to get us
out of foreign interventions.

Bill who thinks that chickens that have access to 3'X3 ' can be
labeled free range. Ya right.

I guess I've just heard from the resident loon. Thanks to everyone
else though. g

Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:53:54 -0400, Jeff wrote:

Phisherman wrote:
On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:22:54 -0400, Bob wrote:

First: -I have no idea about gardening-. I'm trying to figure out how
to put down some 3' by 3' squares of turf for wildlife (small animals)
that we rescue. I figure that will make them feel a little less
homesick during their stay.
....

Move the cage over a new grassy area?

That's a good idea for more rural rescue people. Unfortunately, I'm
in a big city and the closest field is blocks away. We have concrete
and fire escapes. g

Look up Chicken Tractor. As a city boy, a term that struck me out of
left field!

Grass takes a lot of light. And I might add, what we know as lawn
grass is not native to wildlife. I would think some other bedding would
be superior.

As mentioned in another post, these guys are from parks where they
lived on manicured lawn grass for many generations. They seem
adapted. In fact, one park has no oak trees, and the squirrels in
that park usually turn up their noses at acorns! Strange to see.
They'd more likely identify discarded Hostess HoHo's as a major food
group.

Most grasses need full sun.

Grown or taken indoors you will be faced with multiple issues. What
about pots of clover?

OK, that's the type of suggestion that I was looking for. I'll look
into that. Are there other types of vegetation that would be easier
to deal with?

The sod that I've seen (Home Depot) is about 1 inch+ thick. I guess
that will require more soil, and perhaps some kind of other substrate
to facilitate drainage (pebbles? sand?). Not sure about details, and
this is probably not even a mainstream question for those into
gardening. But any guesses are better than nothing.

Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

On Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:53:38 -0400, Bob wrote:

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:53:54 -0400, Jeff wrote:

Phisherman wrote:
On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:22:54 -0400, Bob wrote:

First: -I have no idea about gardening-. I'm trying to figure out how
to put down some 3' by 3' squares of turf for wildlife (small animals)
that we rescue. I figure that will make them feel a little less
homesick during their stay.
...

Move the cage over a new grassy area?

That's a good idea for more rural rescue people. Unfortunately, I'm
in a big city and the closest field is blocks away. We have concrete
and fire escapes. g

Look up Chicken Tractor. As a city boy, a term that struck me out of
left field!

Grass takes a lot of light. And I might add, what we know as lawn
grass is not native to wildlife. I would think some other bedding would
be superior.

As mentioned in another post, these guys are from parks where they
lived on manicured lawn grass for many generations. They seem
adapted. In fact, one park has no oak trees, and the squirrels in
that park usually turn up their noses at acorns! Strange to see.
They'd more likely identify discarded Hostess HoHo's as a major food
group.

Most grasses need full sun.

Grown or taken indoors you will be faced with multiple issues. What
about pots of clover?

OK, that's the type of suggestion that I was looking for. I'll look
into that. Are there other types of vegetation that would be easier
to deal with?

The sod that I've seen (Home Depot) is about 1 inch+ thick. I guess
that will require more soil, and perhaps some kind of other substrate
to facilitate drainage (pebbles? sand?). Not sure about details, and
this is probably not even a mainstream question for those into
gardening. But any guesses are better than nothing.


I am wondering about plants normally thought of as weeds. burr clover
and oxalis seem quite hardy in my lawn.

Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

Bob wrote in
:

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:53:54 -0400, Jeff
wrote:

Phisherman wrote:
On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:22:54 -0400, Bob
wrote:

First: -I have no idea about gardening-. I'm trying to figure
out how to put down some 3' by 3' squares of turf for
wildlife (small animals) that we rescue. I figure that will
make them feel a little less homesick during their stay.
...

Move the cage over a new grassy area?

That's a good idea for more rural rescue people. Unfortunately,
I'm in a big city and the closest field is blocks away. We have
concrete and fire escapes. g

if you are treating sick or injured wildlife, you need a substrate
that is easily cleaned & disinfected. grass doesn't fit either
criteria.
"homesick" is a human emotion, it doesn't pertain to sick or
injured wildlife. if you insist on anthromorphizing animals, you
aren't helping them. what exactly are you trying to do and what
veterinarian are you working with? do you have your rehabilitation
permits from your state Fish & Wildlife division? are you up-to-
date on your tetunus & rabies vaccines?
lee wildlife rehab isn't a walk in the park

Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

On Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:38:30 -0400, Bob wrote:

On Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:19:14 +1000, "David Hare-Scott"
wrote:

Bob wrote:
First: -I have no idea about gardening-. I'm trying to figure out how
to put down some 3' by 3' squares of turf for wildlife (small animals)
that we rescue. I figure that will make them feel a little less
homesick during their stay.

I want to keep this as simple as possible, as the sod will just be
used as a 'floor' in enclosures. I suppose I'll have to get some kind
of a large pan, and possibly punch holes in the bottom to make sure it
doesn't get too wet (that was the mistake made on the first smaller
scale test).

Again, absolutely no experience with this, so please post any ideas,
however elementary. Need for how much soil underneath? Design of
containing pan? How much water? Fertilizer? Light? (If possible,
I'd like to bring these inside in the winter, so maybe UV lights will
be required then)

Any ideas appreciated.

As others have said there are going to be real difficulties with keeping the
grass growing and preventing it from turning into a churned up smelly bog.
What seems to be kind for the animal isn't necessarily right. There is no
need to reinvent the wheel, why not consult with people who know how to
support the animals that you rescue? I don't know where you are but here
there are networks set up for doing just that who have great experience.

David

I appreciate the suggestion, David, but I'm in a big city, and there
aren't many resources, especially for seriously injured animals. Their
main requirement is veterinary care, medication and monitoring, and
that's my job. The 'gardening' thing is an aside. I felt that it
would help their recovery and hopefully relieve some stress.

These particular critters are from parks where they have lived on
regular manicured grass for many generations. Obviously I couldn't
monitor them if they were running loose in a field (not that most of
'em would be up for that), so the small patches of grass seem to be
the closest I could get. And keep in mind that the alternative is the
floor of a cage, which is not exactly natural.

Anyway, the suggestions for more hearty vegetation (clover?) seem to
be the most productive suggestion so far. The cages are arranged so
that they get natural sunlight, but of course there has to be enough
shade, so whatever kind of turf may not be uniformly exposed to sun.
Sounds like I'd have to give up on trying to keep grass alive over the
winter. So be it.

So...clover or...any others?

The cages have flat plastic flooring. I could perforate it easily if
there's a requirement for ventillation from below, or for more
drainage. Or maybe set up pan-shaped bases with sand or pebbles
underneath for drainage? That's the kind of advise that would be
helpful.

PS: Your comment about 'smelly bog' made me laugh, cause that's where
the first small-scale test was headed.

Squirrels will appreciate sticks. They need to chew to keep their
teeth from growing too much. If you're indoors, perhaps leaves and
straw which could be cleaned out daily.

For grass and such, you can buy wheat grass at many supermarkets. Or
buy grass seed and sow it in pots.

Kate

Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

In article ,
Bob wrote:

As mentioned in another post, these guys are from parks where they
lived on manicured lawn grass for many generations. They seem
adapted. In fact, one park has no oak trees, and the squirrels in
that park usually turn up their noses at acorns! Strange to see.
They'd more likely identify discarded Hostess HoHo's as a major food
group.

Funny punch-line but unnerving to those who care about wild animals.
Especially, injured animals need good nutrition and a place to hide.
Hostess HoHos aren't food for anyone or anything, calories?, yes, food?,
no. If you care for these animals, make sure that they have a vet's
care, otherwise what you are engaged in is just some narcissistic,
Disneyesque (unrelated to reality), cruel, ego-trip. If you are doing
free-lance rescue work, the animals you collect are at a disadvantage
for survival vis-a-vis those at a Wildlife Rescue Center. Call your
local SPCA, to find the nearest Wildlife Rescue Center, and ask their
advice. Yes, some of them will be jerks, but they know what they are
doing. It isn't all about you.
--

- Billy

There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who
learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and
find out for themselves.
Will Rogers

http://green-house.tv/video/the-spring-garden-tour
http://www.tomdispatch.com/p/zinn

Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

In article ,
Bob wrote:

Again, absolutely no experience with this

WTF?
--

- Billy

There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who
learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and
find out for themselves.
Will Rogers

http://green-house.tv/video/the-spring-garden-tour
http://www.tomdispatch.com/p/zinn

Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

On Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:10:34 +0000 (UTC), enigma
wrote:

Bob wrote in
:

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:53:54 -0400, Jeff
wrote:

Phisherman wrote:
On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:22:54 -0400, Bob
wrote:

First: -I have no idea about gardening-. I'm trying to figure
out how to put down some 3' by 3' squares of turf for
wildlife (small animals) that we rescue. I figure that will
make them feel a little less homesick during their stay.
...

Move the cage over a new grassy area?

That's a good idea for more rural rescue people. Unfortunately,
I'm in a big city and the closest field is blocks away. We have
concrete and fire escapes. g

if you are treating sick or injured wildlife, you need a substrate
that is easily cleaned & disinfected. grass doesn't fit either
criteria.
"homesick" is a human emotion, it doesn't pertain to sick or
injured wildlife. if you insist on anthromorphizing animals, you
aren't helping them. what exactly are you trying to do and what
veterinarian are you working with? do you have your rehabilitation
permits from your state Fish & Wildlife division? are you up-to-
date on your tetunus & rabies vaccines?
lee wildlife rehab isn't a walk in the park

Nice to know that people are concerned for the animals. While I
appreciate that advice, I have to wonder how this got off track. Let
me emphasize: I do have licensing, I've been doing this for years, and
any animal in my care gets the best veterinary care available, etc. I
do have a background in microbiology, so I know about rabies and other
zoonotics. And 'homesick' was a convenient term...animals do get
stressed when in foreign environments. I hope that clarifies things.

What I don't know is gardening. So again, I appreciate those who have
provided practical advice, and hope this hasn't run too far off track.

Keeping a 3' by 3' square of grass turf alive
 

On Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:11:45 -0700, Billy
wrote:

In article ,
Bob wrote:

As mentioned in another post, these guys are from parks where they
lived on manicured lawn grass for many generations. They seem
adapted. In fact, one park has no oak trees, and the squirrels in
that park usually turn up their noses at acorns! Strange to see.
They'd more likely identify discarded Hostess HoHo's as a major food
group.

Funny punch-line but unnerving to those who care about wild animals.
Especially, injured animals need good nutrition and a place to hide.
Hostess HoHos aren't food for anyone or anything, calories?, yes, food?,
no.

Are you quite serious, Billy? That was a joke, and I really doubt
that any wildlife rehabber will read that and go buy Hoho's. The
point was in regard to animals' adaptation to a given environment, and
I thought the point about acorns may be interesting to some. And yes,
they will get junk food out of trash cans in parks. I don't provide
Hoho's. (Geez)

If you care for these animals, make sure that they have a vet's
care, otherwise what you are engaged in is just some narcissistic,
Disneyesque (unrelated to reality), cruel, ego-trip.

Yep, this has definitely run off into strange territory. I've already
explained this: I fund all veterinary care, housing, and rescue out of
pocket. I have veterinary specialists that I deal with for specific
animals. I've been doing this for years.

If you are doing
free-lance rescue work, the animals you collect are at a disadvantage
for survival vis-a-vis those at a Wildlife Rescue Center. Call your
local SPCA, to find the nearest Wildlife Rescue Center, and ask their
advice. Yes, some of them will be jerks, but they know what they are
doing. It isn't all about you.

Or you, eh? "Wildlife Rescue"... that would be me or about 3 or 4
others in the city. When one of the more mainstream organizations
gets an injured animal, they either call one of us, or they put the
animal down, even if it's healthy. Usually that happens within a day
or two.

But hey, thanks for your advice on this! g