Reptile store bought plants

[No1much]

Hi everyone.
I like to keep my russians enclosures looking nice so I like to buy plants from reptile specific pet shops (irl or online) I always specifically ask "are these tortoise safe". I also check the tortoise table website etc. However I'm always concerned about the soil they're kept in. Specifically the little white dots and shiny flakes in the soil that I presume are plant feed. Are these safe for tortoises? I tell myself if they are brought from reputable reptile vendors then they surely wouldn't put anything dangerous in there but I'm just wondering if any of you guys have experience in this dept. My tortoises get curious about everything and will nip at things to see what it is.

Sorry if this is in the wrong place ?

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings.

Even though the plant itself is “tortoise safe”, those little pesky soil additives really arent meant for tortoises to nibble, chew on or eat/digest. A few bits here & there, ok, but overtime, probably not so much.

The white bits are most probably perlite & the shiny flaky bits are vermiculite. Both products are highly used in the horticultural dept to promote good aerated root growth, easily watered, not even like garden soil. Round little colored balls are time release fertilizers…..not good for your tort to nibble either.

Its really best to get the new “good” plant, remove from the pot, totally was all or most of the dirt/soil/growing medium off. Repot, then wait some time til u plant in your enclosure. Many folks use hanging plants & let the green dangly bits hang down in - no soil issues.

Hope that helps. ?

 

[No1much]

Greetings.

Even though the plant itself is “tortoise safe”, those little pesky soil additives really arent meant for tortoises to nibble, chew on or eat/digest. A few bits here & there, ok, but overtime, probably not so much.

The white bits are most probably perlite & the shiny flaky bits are vermiculite. Both products are highly used in the horticultural dept to promote good aerated root growth, easily watered, not even like garden soil. Round little colored balls are time release fertilizers…..not good for your tort to nibble either.

Its really best to get the new “good” plant, remove from the pot, totally was all or most of the dirt/soil/growing medium off. Repot, then wait some time til u plant in your enclosure. Many folks use hanging plants & let the green dangly bits hang down in - no soil issues.

Hope that helps. ?

Hey thank you!
Ahh yeah it's as I suspected. You'd think these reptile companies wouldn't put these things in plants they advertise as suitable for reptile enclosures ?. I guess the polka dot plant I brought today will be spared cadwells jaws and live on my window sill ??

 

[TisMary]

Hi @No1much. Glad you're checking to make sure the plants are OK for tortoises to eat. The little white dots and shiny flakes are probably perlite and mica, respectively and NO, they are not OK for your little one. From what I've gathered, tortoises see little white and/or shiny things and thing "ooo - calcium! Gotta eat it!" So you need to get rid of it.

Here's what I do. I re-pot them in new soil: 3 parts sterilized topsoil (dug out of my yard, sifted multiple times, and baked in my little ol' oven): 1 part peat moss: 1 part coconut coir: 1/4 part sterilized play sand. If you're not comfortable with the sand, just leave it out. This is the same mixture I use as substrate. After I re-pot, I wait for substantial new growth of the plant in the new soil before introducing it into the enclosure. Hard to say if reptile places use fertilizers and insecticides like most garden stores do. Better to be safe and give the plant a chance to work that stuff "out of its system".

One other thing I've learned is to use either plastic pots or terra cotta pots (sterilized - either one) set into a tight-fitting, but slightly larger ceramic pot (I call them "planty-liners" - sorry!) Some salts were accumulating on the terra cotta pots and he started nibbling at it. Now he can't get to the terra cotta and the ceramic doesn't accumulate the salts.

Good luck. Let us know how you make out.

 

[wellington]

Hey thank you!
Ahh yeah it's as I suspected. You'd think these reptile companies wouldn't put these things in plants they advertise as suitable for reptile enclosures ?. I guess the polka dot plant I brought today will be spared cadwells jaws and live on my window sill ??

Sadely most things sold for reptiles is not good for them.
You could try to seperate the plants so you can give half to the torts and keep the other half to keep growing for cuttings. Then you never have to buy them again.

 

[No1much]

Hi @No1much. Glad you're checking to make sure the plants are OK for tortoises to eat. The little white dots and shiny flakes are probably perlite and mica, respectively and NO, they are not OK for your little one. From what I've gathered, tortoises see little white and/or shiny things and thing "ooo - calcium! Gotta eat it!" So you need to get rid of it.

Here's what I do. I re-pot them in new soil: 3 parts sterilized topsoil (dug out of my yard, sifted multiple times, and baked in my little ol' oven): 1 part peat moss: 1 part coconut coir: 1/4 part sterilized play sand. If you're not comfortable with the sand, just leave it out. This is the same mixture I use as substrate. After I re-pot, I wait for substantial new growth of the plant in the new soil before introducing it into the enclosure. Hard to say if reptile places use fertilizers and insecticides like most garden stores do. Better to be safe and give the plant a chance to work that stuff "out of its system".

One other thing I've learned is to use either plastic pots or terra cotta pots (sterilized - either one) set into a tight-fitting, but slightly larger ceramic pot (I call them "planty-liners" - sorry!) Some salts were accumulating on the terra cotta pots and he started nibbling at it. Now he can't get to the terra cotta and the ceramic doesn't accumulate the salts.

Good luck. Let us know how you make out.

Haha planty liners ?? I love it. Yeah cadwell likes to nibble random things. I've actually noticed he's chipped his beak in the last day or so somehow. These animals.. it's like they're determined to harm themselves. This is why I'm ever vigilant and over cautious because if there is some way of hurting themselves, no matter how unlikely or weird .. cadwell will find it ??

 

[Blackdog1714]

Pothos and spider plants. I have a master potjos plant that I take cuttings from and start in water. Later plant in safe dirt and they take off in a tortoise enclosure. Also I plant one large pot in the center and attach a small piece of metal fence to bridge from the pot to the wall. It makes a plant tunnel for tortoise hiding

 

[jsheffield]

Hi everyone.
I like to keep my russians enclosures looking nice so I like to buy plants from reptile specific pet shops (irl or online) I always specifically ask "are these tortoise safe". I also check the tortoise table website etc. However I'm always concerned about the soil they're kept in. Specifically the little white dots and shiny flakes in the soil that I presume are plant feed. Are these safe for tortoises? I tell myself if they are brought from reputable reptile vendors then they surely wouldn't put anything dangerous in there but I'm just wondering if any of you guys have experience in this dept. My tortoises get curious about everything and will nip at things to see what it is.

Sorry if this is in the wrong place ?

I normally take cuttings from plants and let them grow in water until they put out roots, then I rep-pot them for my torts in tupperware containers with holes drilled in the sides (small ones), bottom (small ones), and top (a big one for the stem).

There's no reason to use/trust plants from stores, or their soil additives, because they'll mostly have fertilizers and pesticides in them, as well as soil additives (like vermiculite or perlite)... I feel much better once I've replanted stuff in coconut bedding and tupperware.

Jamie

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Sadely most things sold for reptiles is not good for them.
You could try to seperate the plants so you can give half to the torts and keep the other half to keep growing for cuttings. Then you never have to buy them again.

Pet shops sell what they have. And they usually AREN'T what's best for your pet.
At least one that's not a mammal, a fish or a bird.
Do not assume that anything you see for sale at a pet shop is correct for your tortoise. Because 99 out of 100 times, what is best is sold somewhere else and it's probably less expensive.
In fact, if you own a tortoise, you can easily keep it in perfect health for the rest of its long life without ever stepping foot in a pet store again.

For most store bought plants. Buy them. Remove them from the pot and remove the soil/rinse the roots with water and replant it in fresh plain old potting soil. Then it's best to only feed the new growth. Because most of these plants have been treated with systematic insecticides.