Live Plants

[taquito23]

I’ve seen several post about live plants for the boxies.

We have an indoor enclosure.

What will be ok in a mix of topsoil/ecoearth?

I assume it needs to be a plant that can handle moist soil?

Or do you just keep it in the plastic pots and just burry it in the dirt?

Wanting to help keep the humidity up.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hello!
Soil is not generally recommended as a substrate.

I use plastic pots both buried in substrate and fixed to the enclosure wall. Plants require different soils and some "regular maintenance" - fertilizing, repotting, periods of recovery to grow back and get some really bright light. With potted plants it's much easier to swap them with healthy ones.

You can go with a "bioactive enclosure" - with multiple substrate layers, live isopods and so on. But it's too much hassle to me. Also, I'm a bit scared of mold/mushrooms outbreaks - this would mean a full substrate replacement, probably

 

[taquito23]

Hello!
Soil is not generally recommended as a substrate.

I use plastic pots both buried in substrate and fixed to the enclosure wall. Plants require different soils and some "regular maintenance" - fertilizing, repotting, periods of recovery to grow back and get some really bright light. With potted plants it's much easier to swap them with healthy ones.

You can go with a "bioactive enclosure" - with multiple substrate layers, live isopods and so on. But it's too much hassle to me. Also, I'm a bit scared of mold/mushrooms outbreaks - this would mean a full substrate replacement, probably

Organic topsoil and eco earth? I feel like that’s pretty close to what they have in the wild.

I also added chunks of coco husk last night.

What substrate do you recommend for a TTBT?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Organic topsoil and eco earth? I feel like that’s pretty close to what they have in the wild.

I also added chunks of coco husk last night.

What substrate do you recommend for a TTBT?

Eco Earth is a coco coir (coco peat) and is fine to use. Topsoils, unless you are 100% sure about origin and contents - are not recommended (the main reason is because it may contain dangerous components - e.g. oleander mulch is 100% organic and toxic at the same time). Topsoil is fine for growing plants but usually no one suppose that pet animals would be living on it.

You are right, that this is close to their wild habitat, though. I think a mix of coco coir and cypress mulch would work. But I'm not experienced with box turtles, so can't give a valuable advice.

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm afraid when it comes to box turtles and substrate I'm a non conformist. .. that is, I don't conform to the Forum's idea of recommended box turtle substrate. I use potting soil for box turtles that are set up in my house. Box turtles like to bury themselves. The recommended fir bark isn't conducive to burying. Since I also have a plant hobby I have ready access to the kind of potting soil that is just plain dirt with no additives. I feed them on a ceramic tile that is set on pebbles to help keep them from tracking the dirt onto the food.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

. Since I also have a plant hobby I have ready access to the kind of potting soil that is just plain dirt with no additives.

I think the problem is, that for most people it is hard to find soil with no additives.

 

[Ink]

I rinse the dirt off of the plant roots, the best I can. Then I make a coco coir pile and plant the plant directly in it. The I put forest floor by zoo med on top. Works great. However my box turtle eats the flowers and tramples it (I don't care). I just replace them