Plants

[btcope]

depends on the plant ... if i just get a cutting of an epiphyte or something, i usually just sort of set it on top of some moist sphagnum and see how it does ... bromeliads i stick the stolon into the clay on the background and sometimes add additional supports made from toothpicks or those plastic coated paperclips.

potted plants that i'm moving into a viv i like to rinse them really well because one time i got a snail that rode in on one and ate a bunch of stuff. luckily there seems to only have been one and no eggs. as for the soil, i've been told that chemicals like fertilizers and such can cause problems for frogs, so I rinse the roots really well and make sure i get all the little white balls off of them before i put them in. then i just sort of scoop some of the top layers aside and stick them in.

-brett

[Leefrogs]

Some plants will root in water with cuttings. Corn plant does well with this method. Some others will root by just moist dirt. If u find your cuttings are rotting, it may be a plant that has to air lei or come from seed in order to propitate. You do this by wraping woody stem in damp spagham moss and wrapping in suran wrap. Make it kind of loose, don't swish it, you want like a pillow effect, then tape both ends tight. This will cause roots to grow inside pillow, usually takes about 6 months, depending on plant. If u see condensation griwing inside bubble, u did it right. You can google plant name and see if it can grow from cuttings.

[DonLisk]

Thanks for the replies.

After plants should expect some die off of the leaves if its already a pretty mature plant?

When I just planted my new Creeping Fig, I did use about 2 tablespoons of the original dirt with the little pieces of foam in it. I then buried that under some substrate. Should I remove it and just put in the roots and cover in substrate?

[clownonfire]

This is a great thread. Thanks Don.

[DonLisk]

Thanks Eric, its something I never learned and in the livingroom my plants do awesome and so far one of my vivs the plants are out of control.
My other Whites viv was OK but the frogs were too heavy for some of the plants and some never took.

Figure, who better to ask then the folks who have them doing well.

More info from others would be great too.

[Socrates]

I use a variety of plants for planted vivariums. I also use moss that I collect from my place up in Wisconsin. I always use a mix of some coco fiber and soil from my garden (pesticide/herbicide/fertilizer free of course) on top of hydro balls or smooth river stones - this is for proper drainage. I use about a couple inches thick of the soil/coco fiber mix and I will directly plant into the soil and/or place plants in pots on the soil and half bury them. Pathos is a nice plant because it basically can grow in any type of semi-tropical to completely immersed in water condition. Mother-in-law tongue is a good plant as well, almost impossible to kill it. Wandering Jew is another good plant as well as bromealids for tropical set-ups. Live bamboo also works nicely, because has a nice thick body - good for heavier set frogs. Having live moss also aids in moisture levels, helps cycle the soil and adds a nice look. I would also recommend throwing in some spring-tails and earth worms to help cycle the soil - keeps the Nitrogen cycle going and makes for nice fertile soil. For lighting it's good to use a fluorescent light bulb to provide a 12 hour light cycle. Also Exo Terra makes nice bulbs for this, because some are specifically designed for tropical habitats and others for desert. Hope this helps.

[Rocko]

Aside from the directions on the box, does anyone have any tips towards keeping frog (pillow) moss alive? I swear mine browns like within 2 days of rehydration.