new enclosure plants

[baldegale]

so i just built 2 6’x3’ enclosures, 1 for a baby sulcata, the other for a smallish redfoot, but theyre sooooo bare and empty. what are some good lookin plants that i could put in to liven it up? im already gonna have a separate thing for growing some renewable food sources (grasses and such) i want stuff thats more ornamental that they can also eat and will fill up some space.

 

[Blackdog1714]

Spider plants are very hardy and edible.

 

[Yvonne G]

I use a lot of pothos. I've been looking for a nice big boston fern that I can separate into smaller plants. They won't last long, but you can use violas and vegetable plants. Jade is ok. The thing is many plants require a lot more light than our enclosures give off.

 

[baldegale]

I use a lot of pothos. I've been looking for a nice big boston fern that I can separate into smaller plants. They won't last long, but you can use violas and vegetable plants. Jade is ok. The thing is many plants require a lot more light than our enclosures give off.

i wasnt sure if pothos was safe as i know its not for like lizards and such. i have a local nursery here so i might try and find the ferns, i love how the ferns look.

also i may eventually buy a plant light, i havent decided yet!

 

[jsheffield]

I've used pothos in my Redfoot's enclosure.

Jamie

 

[enchilada]

sweet potato. grow it outside the enclosure and let the vines clime into the fence. the leaves are great food source for tortoise and the sweet potatoes are great food source for you

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

These are good, and many shapes and color schemes to consider - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maranta_(plant)

Also recall that it's a good idea to 'age' plants from nurseries as there is no knowing what pesticides or herbicides may have been used. There are herbicides that are selective enough they can be used on nursery stock.

I think a default untested aging period is six months.

 

[baldegale]

These are good, and many shapes and color schemes to consider - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maranta_(plant)

Also recall that it's a good idea to 'age' plants from nurseries as there is no knowing what pesticides or herbicides may have been used. There are herbicides that are selective enough they can be used on nursery stock.

I think a default untested aging period is six months.

what if im able to talk to the nursery and get confirmation?

 

[Blackdog1714]

what if im able to talk to the nursery and get confirmation?

If you do then good for you. Most nurseries don't grow there own and just order in stock from big grow nurseries. The bigger you get the more CONVENIENCE and COST SAVINGS come into play. If they grow their own and say they use the least necessary and back it up count yourself lucky!

 

[2turtletom]

If you do then good for you. Most nurseries don't grow there own and just order in stock from big grow nurseries. The bigger you get the more CONVENIENCE and COST SAVINGS come into play. If they grow their own and say they use the least necessary and back it up count yourself lucky!

A good source of plants for your tortoises is Josh's Frogs.... They sell plants for keeping with amphibians, which are more sensitive than reptiles, and even they recommend removing plants from the soil, rinsing, and repotting. Anything that I buy from a normal nursery I remove all soil, rinse, repot with organic soil without any synthetic fertilizers, perlite, vermiculatie, etc., and then grow them outside for six months before I add them to my tortoise enclosures.

As good practice, Josh's Frogs recommends washing all plants thoroughly removing as much soil as possible with dechlorinated water before placing them in their final home. Plants from Josh’s Frogs are specifically grown to be safe for use with animals. Live plants may vary in color, size and appearance.

*Note- not everything they sell is Tortoise safe...Use the Tortoise Table website to determine what is safe.
https://www.joshsfrogs.com/plants-for-pets/plants-a-z.html

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

what if im able to talk to the nursery and get confirmation?

What if? I can't attest to the knowledge or honesty of some random person working in a nursery.