Live Plants in Enclosure

[jacegeiger]

Hi everybody, I was wondering about live plants. I would really like to have some in my enclosure, but it is indoor. Would the plants work, is it worth trying? If so what plants would be good? Is there a type of plant that's easier to maintain? etc. I would like my tortoise to have the luxury of eating it as well. His name is Cecil, he is a Russian and about 1 1/2 years old. Thanks in advanced and any input is welcome.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Jace the light you are giving your tort is the same light people use on indoor plants ( UV rays ). How deep is your substrait 3-4 in that's deep enough for sml plants . Is your humidity high great plants love high humidity . Now the bad news torts are sml bull dozers .


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[pfara]

http://m.thetortoisetable.org.uk/m/tortoise_home_1.asp

The link I provided is a decent site to check for tort friendly plants. Some of the best indoor enclosure plants are house plants (because they can tolerate lower light levels). However, many require higher humidity which is great for more tropical species but I dunno for Russians. My suggestion (until others with testudo chime in) is to use spider plants, wandering jew, coleus, tortoise seed mixes, aloe, wax begonias for starters. Usually you need to wait a while before introducing store bought plants into your enclosure; they're usually sprayed or given systemic pesticides to keep them looking pretty and bug-free. Try growing from seed or get cuttings from a friend so you know it's definitely safe. And like @Grandpa Turtle 144 says, I'd wait until the plants are well established because torts can mow, trample, squish, eat, destroy plants so very easily.. and do

 

[jacegeiger]

OK thanks. I was thinking that i would use some sort of tray, rather than plant them in the substrate. I use the zoo-med bark/ mulch stuff available in petsmart.( the stuff in the profile pic) I think what I'll do is plant the seeds, then grow them a bit outside of the tank, then put it in when its fuller. I would say the humidity in the terrarium is good, might get worse as it gets colder, but I don't know how well the plant will do. I'll try a durable, but edible, plant and if that doesn't work it was worth the try. Any recommendations on what to keep the plant in?

 

[leigti]

In my Russian tortoise indoor enclosure I planted spider plants and Jade plants. I put them in pots otherwise they would just get trampled she only nibbles on the jade plant occasionally and doesn't really bother the other one at all.

 

[pfara]

OK thanks. I was thinking that i would use some sort of tray, rather than plant them in the substrate. I use the zoo-med bark/ mulch stuff available in petsmart.( the stuff in the profile pic) I think what I'll do is plant the seeds, then grow them a bit outside of the tank, then put it in when its fuller. I would say the humidity in the terrarium is good, might get worse as it gets colder, but I don't know how well the plant will do. I'll try a durable, but edible, plant and if that doesn't work it was worth the try. Any recommendations on what to keep the plant in?

What do you mean by "what to keep the plant in"? As in types of pots or the medium? Any container will do as long as you have the right amount of drainage holes in it. The medium can be plain top soil (no additives), compost, coco coir, a soilless mix (without perlite) or any combination thereof.

 

[ditzyangeluk]

My favs are spider plants, garden mint and basil .. they happily grow and, although edible, my torts don't eat them (and the mint smells gorgeous!) so good for enclosure for humidity and decor

 

[jacegeiger]

Pfara, the plant will be potted. Or at least in some kind of tray. I have home- grown mint in my backyard! If you think that would work that would be awesome, love the smell. One more question, would the plant need to be on the side with the UV-B lamp? The plant would still get the waves from the other side in my opinion, but im not sure. It would also get some real sunlight for about 2-3 hours everyday through my window.

 

[pfara]

Pfara, the plant will be potted. Or at least in some kind of tray. I have home- grown mint in my backyard! If you think that would work that would be awesome, love the smell. One more question, would the plant need to be on the side with the UV-B lamp? The plant would still get the waves from the other side in my opinion, but im not sure. It would also get some real sunlight for about 2-3 hours everyday through my window.

If you check out that link I posted, mint is fine as long as it is "garden mint". Apparently some parts of the mint family (peppermint, pennyroyal) are on the "do not feed" list. I'd take it easy with the mint, though. I've noticed that my torts have an *extremely* great sense of smell. Your tort might not like the pungent aroma from herbs.

Your plants will need a light source directly above it. However, it does not need to be a uvb bulb. Indoor lighting isn't very strong whatsoever compared to the sun, so try using low-light plants or you'll notice your enclosure plants getting a bit leggy.

 

[jacegeiger]

I think I might got with your suggestion, pfara, and use either a spider or wandering jew. Both easy to maintain and low light required. I might just try the garden mint, but maybe. I could do multiple plants right?

 

[pfara]

I think I might got with your suggestion, pfara, and use either a spider or wandering jew. Both easy to maintain and low light required. I might just try the garden mint, but maybe. I could do multiple plants right?

Of course! Feel free to diversify your plant collection. I know I did. I like trying a variety of plants to see what "survives" with the level of care I provide. I also like seeing what plants do well with tortoise abuse and those that can easily be cloned for future enclosure plants. Creating a little of the outside world in your indoor enclosure is a great way to keep your tortoise mentally stimulated and fed, keep humidity levels a little higher, and just looks more beautiful. Good luck and post pictures!

 

[jacegeiger]

I did confirm that the garden mint was healthy and usable. Hopefully I'll have some pictures in a bit. I have been seeing how he reacts the mint and so far nothing unusual. He walks through it, nibbles a bit, normal tort stuff. Just gotta figure out what to put it in. Looking forward to it!

 

[jacegeiger]

Well, after a couple days searching for a tray I had no luck. I reconsidered some things and came up with this!!! I did use the mint and am thinking about some herbs possibly. I really like it a lot and so does my tort! Thanks for all your help. Love this site!

 

[Prairie Mom]

Pretty!