# Where can I get Plants?



## simboni (Feb 14, 2015)

Hi all,

anyone know any nurseries (in sydney) or websites that would stock some more exotic and tropical plants.

I'm trying to get some Pothos but absolutely no idea where to look. Can anyone suggest any other tropical plants (that originate in Australia and are of course, herp safe) that would thrive in a planted terrarium and be commercially available?


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## Pythoninfinite (Feb 14, 2015)

Very few plants "thrive" in an domestic enclosure suitable for pythons - the enclosures are rather too warm for too long, and the plants dry out very quickly. Larger snakes damage plants very quickly too. There are some such as Pothos (Devil's Ivy) and Syngoniums which are tougher than most, but they generally need a lot of maintenance, and you'll need several pots so you can cycle them through the enclosure for a couple of weeks and then rest them for a couple of months in a shadehouse or similar. 

Jamie


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## simboni (Feb 14, 2015)

Thanks Jamie,

Can you simply plant the plants into the substrate instead of using a pot? The substrate I was planning to pickup is suitable for plant growth.

Also what's involved in maintenance? do you mean in terms of pruning? a terrarium will water itself given you have a drainage layer.

Thanks again!


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## salebrosus (Feb 17, 2015)

Easier to stick with artificial plants....one of the websites I've used in the past is this one:
http://www.artificialplantsbrisbane.com.au/index.php

But check out the cheap Asian shops as they seem to get a nice supply.


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## Bluetongue1 (Feb 24, 2015)

Any nursery or large chain store that has agardening section (e.g. Bunnings) will carry Pothos/Devil?s Ivy (_Epipremnum aureum_, often still named as _Scindapsusaureus_). 

Growing any plant requires a certain amountof knowledge and skill, let alone trying to grow them inside in an enclosed container. For those without any experience at growingplants, especially in pots, the suggestion of using artificial plants is goodadvice

The roots of plants need constant access toboth oxygen and moisture. When keptconstantly too wet they will drown and if allowed to dry out they will also soon die. With planting directly into the substrate, onlythe tin surface layer can be allowed to dry out completely. The root zone (all the rest of the substrate)must be kept continuously moist. The amountof moisture involved tends to drive up the enclosure humidity to levels thatOK for amphibians but too high for most reptiles. This even applies to many so-calledrainforest species, where the animals in nature occupy lower humidity micro-environments within or at the edge of the forest,such as rock outcrops, exposed tree trunks or branches exposed to plenty ofwind and sun.

Plants can be grown in pots placed inside asealed ?liner pot?, sunken into the substrate, such as round plastic takeaway foodcontainers, or empty margarine or yoghurt tubs. Watering such plants involves soaking the pot in a bucket of water and allowing it to thoroughly drain before replacing. All else being equal, this method reduces the effect of pushing up humidity. AsJamie pointed out, you can periodically spell plants in a shade-house if andwhen they need it. It has the addedadvantages of allowing you to use a wider range of plants (as they can be rested) and it is nowhere near as difficult.

The combination of animal species and planttype(s) also needs to be considered, as already alluded to with pythons. Will a plant break or be crushed by the weightof the animal crawling over it, which is not unusual in the confined space of avivariums? Isthe animal likely to climb on a plant? Ifclimbed on, will the animal?s weight and/or claws be likely to damage thatplant? Is the animal likely to eat plants? You might deliberately choose to use foodplants for specific reptiles. Irrespective,obviously the plants chosen must be non-toxic to the inmates. Does the animal burrow and is this likely tounearth plants? 

There are a number of useful threads already on usinglive plants which would be worth referring to if you have not already.

Blue


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## spud_meister (Feb 24, 2015)

In one of my enclosures, I had a potting mix/coco peat substrate, with a fake grass mat over the top. It kept moisture in the soil, and humidity in the enclosure down, I had a number of plants in there, but only the Parlour Palm thrived. You'd need a tall enclosure for the palm though.

In an invertebrate enclosure, I have Spanish Moss dangling down a wall, and it seems to be doing ok.


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## Bluetongue1 (Feb 28, 2015)

That is interesting. 

If the artificial grass was able to impedethe passage of water vapour from the substrate, it may also have had a coupleof other effects ? reducing oxygen in flow and retaining moisture. (Where watering is heavy and there isexcessive moisture retention, this usually results in reduced oxygenavailability causing ?drowning? of roots.) Reduced oxygen to the roots may account for why most plants died. Also,in my experience, when Parlour Palms are under stress, the growth rate reallyslows down, which probably means their whole metabolism slows down. They are on a par with Aspidistra (Cast IronPlant) for being tough. 

However, without actually being able toview the substrate, the set up and the plants, it is all just a guess. 

Plant retailers often sell small palms asmulti-planted clusters in a pot. These can be divided and potted upindividually to provide lots of small starter palms for a terrarium. Last year, by counting the number of plantsin each pot, I managed to pick up 22 Parlour palms for $11. (They make greatgifts for friends and relatives.} Alwaysuse a premium quality potting mix designed for the type of plants. Although I usually make up my own potting mixes,I recently utilised two of Osmocote?s new premium range of mixes (when visitinga relative interstate) and was suitably impressed.

Blue


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## princessparrot (Mar 4, 2015)

Hey blue, you know how I want to put some plants in for my blue tongue to nibble on and hide amongst? Would I be better off actually planting them in his enclosure or just keep them in pots and bury the pots.? I know some will probably need replacing often


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## Bluetongue1 (Mar 11, 2015)

Sorry princessparrot, I only just discovered this post, hence the lag in replying...

Unless you can plant into the ground, such as in a pit or an aviary style enclosure, then I would definitely recommend growing plants in pots such that they can be easily removed and replaced. This way maintaining the plants is no different to the way people normally grow potted plants. Whether you use a greenhouse or a verandah or a shady spot in the garden does not really matter. Because the plants can be swapped around regularly you can use things that would normally die if they were permanently planted in an inside enclosure. It also allows you to put in plants once they have lots of ripe fruit or lots of edible foliage, flowers or buds on them, without the risk of these being prematurely eaten. There is no need to put in plants that drop fruit ? just put in the fruit as it drops. 

To help maintain the health of plants while they are in the enclosure, a standard aquarium plant growth fluorescent tube is the cheapest, most effective lighting. These lights are slightly stronger in the red and blue ends of the spectrum, which are the colours plants absorb and use. Plants are green because they cannot use green light and therefore reflect or transmit it, instead of absorbing it. 

Blue


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## nicko51 (Mar 11, 2015)

Great site for artificial plants, which from my experience with some large Coastals, need to be robust and able to be secured to walls etc.


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