Vic, you are always good for a chuckle and usually good tortoise advice. This drainage stuff applies to both of you guys. No, I don't know about the Southern gardening, except to say do what you can to increase drainage. To grow crops, build a wood box (get free wood during one of your floods, hurricanes?), and back fill it with a sandy mix of soil and keep adding organic matter, you can grow a lot! You need to elevate the soil level above the soggy yard... Also you can make little islands with rock or concrete block, backfill it with soil (well drained) and plant hybiscus or other plants. If you make the stacks of rock stout and high, you might be able to get them established before your marauding tortoise trash them. Your tortoises will have something to hope for, waiting for a branch or blossom to droop low enough for eating. Collards are famous in the deep South, they may be worth a try. Spineless cactus too IF you improve drainage, otherwise it will rot in the ground. Call your Ag extension service, and ask the "master gardeners" the same Q, they will know... BTW, it looks awful, but you can grow great plants in old tires stacked two or 3 high and backfilled with soil...Good luck, you will solve this over time if you salvage the wood or concrete block for boxes etc.

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