Bromeliad/orchid in enclosure

[Pippin]

sorry its been a while, but I am curious. My local kroger has some "mini" bromeliads and orchids that are the right size for my terrarium for my white's tree frog. I was wondering if I could buy them, pull them out of their soil, was them off and stick them into the cocofiber? Will it grow in that medium alone? If not how do I install them into my terrarium? (I also know my fat frog will break the fragile flowers off the orchids its mainly directed towards the bromeliads) Thank you in advance for your advice

[JHansson514]

Both can be put into the enclosure, just make sure the bromelaids you choose do not have an sharp/jagged edges. You're right, just wash the soil off and plant in the substrate. However, straight cocofiber is not the best because it can become waterlogged causing the roots of the plant to rot (unless you have a drainage layer). According to New England Herpetoculture this is what type of mixture is best for plants: "Our substrate mix includes blended fine & medium grade tree fern fiber, fine & medium grade orchid bark, chopped AAA grade New Zealand sphagnum moss, coir, and fine & medium grade organic charcoal. Coir seems to resist breaking down & compacting better than peat moss, and it also gives a rich darker texture to the soil as compared to other mixes." I'm sure there are other suggestions out there, too. Also, I would let the plant grow in fresh substrate for a month before you put it with your whites. That way any fertilizer or what-not that was used on the plant has a chance to grow out.

[J Teezy]

the soil Jen is describing is pretty much ABG mix which is great stuff

[Pippin]

well thank y'all for the swift response, where can I acquire this awesome soil though? haha

[J Teezy]

joshsfrogs.com ABG, Atlanta Botanical Garden Mix, Reptile Substrate | Josh's Frogs