# groundcover



## PeanutbuttER (May 22, 2010)

I've done a bit of searching and found only a thread or two about people who have used live groundcovers in their tort tables. Does anybody have any experience with anything like spanish moss or irish moss or any similar groundcover indoors in their enclosures? How well do they do? Any suggestions for tort-friendly, hardy, and relatively easy groundcovers?

Seems to me like the UVA/UVB heat bulbs most of us are using + ambient light would provide enough for some partial to full/shade plants. Plus it seems like that would be a way of creating a more healthy/naturalistic environment. It could also keep things looking "tidier".

An example of what I mean is
http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-10815.html?highlight=groundcover
but I don't necessarily mean covering the entire enclosure like kadaan did.


----------



## terryo (May 22, 2010)

I have used Irish Moss and Scottish moss in my Cherry Head's enclosure when he was small to hold humidity and keep the water dish clean. I also use it in my boxie's enclosures.


----------



## Candy (May 23, 2010)

I have never used anything like that in Dale's enclosure, but I think it would be a good idea. Terry's looks good.


----------



## PeanutbuttER (May 23, 2010)

Thanks Terry. That's what I'm looking for. Do you have any pictures of your box turtle enclosure? 

Was it fairly easy to get the irish moss established? Did you grow it from seed or buy it from a nursery? From what I've been able to find Irish or Scottish moss would be best for this because bot are really short, evergreens, and grow well in partial shade. 

Anyone else have any experiences?


----------



## terryo (May 23, 2010)

I love these moss's. They are good inside if you have a decent light, but can't take a heat light right on them. I use a heat emitter for both my inside boxies and my Cherry Head, and just a long tube UVB 5.0. I put the moss under the tube light not the heat emitter, which is over the hide. The moss is mostly around the water dishes. I also use it for outside along the stream, because it spreads and comes back every Spring and has little white flowers. Really nice looking. Here's a few pictures. I get it in a nursery, in small pots and it just spreads in one season.
this is outside along the stream. It really spread in the last year.





Little Three Toed...too small to go out





around the water dish as my Cherry H got bigger





this has some terrarium moss near the hide and the Scottish moss in the back of that





As long as you mist it and don't put it under direct light it will be fine. Another one I like is creeping Jenny. That's a great ground cover and also spreads.


----------



## dmmj (May 23, 2010)

Question: do they eat the moss?


----------



## Broda805 (May 24, 2010)

Would also like to know if they will try to eat it, is it safe? Any type to stay away from?


----------



## terryo (May 24, 2010)

I've been using it for years, and no one ever ate it or even tried to.....not saying they won't. It is very low to the ground, and they just walk on it, but it never got flatened out or trashed like some other plants that I've used. It needs to be watered well or it will dry out. Right now mine is flowering ...outside.

I took some pictures so you could see the little flowers. This is outside and it's always wet from the stream, so it really stays nice.
That's the creeping jenny next to it.





the dark green is the Scottish moss and hasn't flowered yet.


----------



## PeanutbuttER (May 24, 2010)

Thanks for the responses Terry. Is there really much of a difference between the Scottish and the Irish Moss other than color? Like did one do better in your terrarium than the other? I think I like the darker green Scottish moss and it'd be an extra plus if I were to see some blooms indoors.


----------



## terryo (May 24, 2010)

Sorry..my mistake. The dark green one is the Irish moss and the light green is the Scotch moss. Some sites say they are the same only different names. 
I have mostly the Scotch moss, but the Irish moss flowers the same. They both flowered inside, and did well. But remember don't put them under a harsh light. I only had them under the long tube 5.0 that gives off NO heat. That's where I had the water dish. The hide was under the heat emitter on the other side. They both like to be misted. I keep my vivarium very humid...80 degrees most of the time.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/irish-moss.htm

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002VZ56HE/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

If you don't have good drainage in your enclosure, be careful not to make it too wet, like mud. Hope this helps.


----------

