Leaves and sticks

[Jtdlmc]

Until I found this site I had not heard of feeding these things. I have lots of maple trees in my yard. How do you prepare the leaves and sticks? Do they need to be washed and dried out or just feed straight from the tree?

[Beckanai]

I knew where and what was done with the trees in our yard, no pesticides and what not, so I just put some broken up limbs in, but I checked to make sure they were on the safe list first. They love climbing up them and sleeping up high. My one even likes playing, he climbs and hangs upside down and loves it.

[CrabbyLover77]

I don't use any pesticides in my yard either. I gather maple and oak leaves from the trees or ground, give them a quick wash and dry, just to make sure there's no obvious bugs on them. I also like to dehydrate some of my leaves and crunch them up in baggies to save for later.

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[Jtdlmc]

How do you dehydrate leaves? Just bake in oven? How long and at what temperature?

[CrabbyLover77]

How do you dehydrate leaves? Just bake in oven? How long and at what temperature?

Make sure the leaves are as dry as you can get them before you put them in the oven. Use parchment paper to line baking sheets so the leaves don't stick. Remove the stems or large veins from the leaves when possible. They don't dry very well. Spread out the leaves as much as possible on the sheet, and keep them from overlapping too much if you can. Then I bake them at 225-250°F for 25-30 mins. If your leaves are still green (not falling off the tree and turning colors), you may have to crack the oven door for 5 mins somewhere in between to let the accumulating moisture out.

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[Jtdlmc]

Make sure the leaves are as dry as you can get them before you put them in the oven. Use parchment paper to line baking sheets so the leaves don't stick. Remove the stems or large veins from the leaves when possible. They don't dry very well. Spread out the leaves as much as possible on the sheet, and keep them from overlapping too much if you can. Then I bake them at 225-250°F for 25-30 mins. If your leaves are still green (not falling off the tree and turning colors), you may have to crack the oven door for 5 mins somewhere in between to let the accumulating moisture out.

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Thank you!

[CrabbyLover77]

Thank you!

You're welcome!

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[curlysister]

If you collect the leaves in summer, you can do what I do - put flowers and leaves on a cardboard on the dash of your car! I dry the veins and stems and all, and just crunch them up. In fall when it wasn't as hot, I put some on parchment paper in the oven after I had cooked supper and turned the oven off - I just checked them every ten or fifteen minuntes until they were dry enough. I am not very scientific about my methods, LOL.

[CrabbyLover77]

If you collect the leaves in summer, you can do what I do - put flowers and leaves on a cardboard on the dash of your car! I dry the veins and stems and all, and just crunch them up. In fall when it wasn't as hot, I put some on parchment paper in the oven after I had cooked supper and turned the oven off - I just checked them every ten or fifteen minuntes until they were dry enough. I am not very scientific about my methods, LOL.

I like your methods too!
My tortoise does not like to eat fresh greens, but for some reason she will eat dehydrated greens on her pellets. So I've spent a lot of time (way too much time lol) figuring out drying times and methods for her foods. I def spend more time on her dinner than I ever do on my own LOL.

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