Fertilizer problem

[CruelFennec]

I have just got some organic potting soil for my umbrella plant in my veiled chameleons cage. But it saids Enriched with plant food and on the back said it is enriched with fertilizer. Do you think i dont need to worry and i will put rocks on top of it so the chameleon does not eat it.


Thank you

 

[CruelFennec]

I have just got some organic potting soil for my umbrella plant in my veiled chameleons cage. But it saids Enriched with plant food and on the back said it is enriched with fertilizer. Do you think i dont need to worry and i will put rocks on top of it so the chameleon does not eat it.


Thank you

Also it has a NPK 20.20.20 fertilizer blend? Which i have no idea what that is.

 

[nightanole]

20-20-20 is pretty dam high for a house plant. That is Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium.

But yea as long as; the cham cant get to the soil, the food cant get to the soil, and the cham/food cant get to the overflow basin at the bottom of the pot you should be fine.

The last think you want is a cham getting a wet cricket that just walked around in the plant water.

 

[CruelFennec]

20-20-20 is pretty dam high for a house plant. That is Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium.

But yea as long as; the cham cant get to the soil, the food cant get to the soil, and the cham/food cant get to the overflow basin at the bottom of the pot you should be fine.

The last think you want is a cham getting a wet cricket that just walked around in the plant water.

Yeah, how do i make it so the cham/food cant get to the bottem where the water is? and also the rocks that i will put on the soil, I think the crickets can like go into but i dont think they will as they are going to be put into 2 places. Under the pot on the ground and up where the chameleon is. Also will the fertilizer where off after time or do they stay there?

 

[nightanole]

I dont know how to seal the bottom of the pot. if its a smooth side you could wrap it with screen. I just put a few inches of rocksat the bottom of buckets and use that for the pot, so no basins for me. At some point the plant will eat the fertilizer, or the soil bacteria will break it down.

As for rocks on top, You could go for 2 layers, 1 layer of small rocks (bigger than sand so it cant get wet) and then one layer of rocks too big for the cham to eat in case they miss the food..

 

[CruelFennec]

I dont know how to seal the bottom of the pot. if its a smooth side you could wrap it with screen. I just put a few inches of rocksat the bottom of buckets and use that for the pot, so no basins for me. At some point the plant will eat the fertilizer, or the soil bacteria will break it down.

As for rocks on top, You could go for 2 layers, 1 layer of small rocks (bigger than sand so it cant get wet) and then one layer of rocks too big for the cham to eat in case they miss the food..

Ok thanks. So if i follow what you say i should be ok and my plant will be ok? Im worrying because you said thats a lot for a house plant.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

The constant watering will flush out the fertilizer, fairly quickly. If the soil is truly organic, it shouldn't have 20-20-20 in it, since that is not a ratio often found in organic form, so there may be slow release granules in the mix that will take 3-6 months to be used up. I think people over react to the idea of fertilizer. Whether it's manure (organic) or granules (synthetic), it's all still naturally occurring elements and unless ingested in large amount will do no harm. Make sure the plant has better than adequate light, as the water and fertilizer will make it want to grow and so so light will mean that growth will be weak and elongated, and you want it to be compact and sturdy.

 

[CruelFennec]

The constant watering will flush out the fertilizer, fairly quickly. If the soil is truly organic, it shouldn't have 20-20-20 in it, since that is not a ratio often found in organic form, so there may be slow release granules in the mix that will take 3-6 months to be used up. I think people over react to the idea of fertilizer. Whether it's manure (organic) or granules (synthetic), it's all still naturally occurring elements and unless ingested in large amount will do no harm. Make sure the plant has better than adequate light, as the water and fertilizer will make it want to grow and so so light will mean that growth will be weak and elongated, and you want it to be compact and sturdy.

Here I will send you link to soil https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008JCW25W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Tell me if that's organic or not and it's ok or not and I might upgrade my uvb light to a more brighter light. Because I have heard they need bright light to grow.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

It doesn't really give any information on the specific fertilizer. It doesn't appear to be the greatest draining, which is needed when we are growing in the constantly watered conditions of a chameleon habitat. I don't think there's any concern with its safe use, however. Just cover the top and don't allow the water draining through the pot to accumulate anywhere.

 

[CruelFennec]

It doesn't really give any information on the specific fertilizer. It doesn't appear to be the greatest draining, which is needed when we are growing in the constantly watered conditions of a chameleon habitat. I don't think there's any concern with its safe use, however. Just cover the top and don't allow the water draining through the pot to accumulate anywhere.

Ok well I have got holes at the bottom for draining but dont they need draining as you said don't let it drain any where. I think you can get these metel pots with no holes in it, and it goes at the bottom of the pot you have already so maybe that you if I'm thinking what your thinking?

Also how long should I wait until I change the soil.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Let it drain, just don't sit it in a saucer or pool on the cage floor. As long as it runs through the pot, then out of the enclosure, it's fine.

 

[CruelFennec]

Let it drain, just don't sit it in a saucer or pool on the cage floor. As long as it runs through the pot, then out of the enclosure, it's fine.

What does runs through the pot mean and out of the enclosure mean?

 

[Extensionofgreen]

A flower pot has holes or a hole in the bottom. You pour water through the top and it comes out the bottom hole(s). You want that.
I don't know how your cage is set up, but most people have a drainage system sorted out, so the water from misting doesn't collect and it either funnels out of the cage, via a hole at the bottom, or the cage sits above or inside of a plastic tub and the water passes through the mesh bottom of the cage and collects in the tub.
This is what you want to happen to you water that drains from the plant pot, rather than it collecting in a saucer under the pot or pooling in the enclosure.

 

[CruelFennec]

A flower pot has holes or a hole in the bottom. You pour water through the top and it comes out the bottom hole(s). You want that.
I don't know how your cage is set up, but most people have a drainage system sorted out, so the water from misting doesn't collect and it either funnels out of the cage, via a hole at the bottom, or the cage sits above or inside of a plastic tub and the water passes through the mesh bottom of the cage and collects in the tub.
This is what you want to happen to you water that drains from the plant pot, rather than it collecting in a saucer under the pot or pooling in the enclosure.

Ok i get what you mean now, at the moment my chameleon does not drink (from the saucer) or eat the plant. So i dont think hes in no danger, but i am getting a metal pot with no holes in that the pot with the plant (with holes in) goes inside the metal pot and so the metal pot caches the water coming out of the holes in the plant pot. Do you think thats ok?

 

[Extensionofgreen]

I think the metal pot will fill with water and cause your plant to rot. As long as you have drainage (if you're misting as much as you should you'd have to) in the bottom of the enclosure and the water isn't standing around in a saucer, you're fine.

 

[CruelFennec]

I think the metal pot will fill with water and cause your plant to rot. As long as you have drainage (if you're misting as much as you should you'd have to) in the bottom of the enclosure and the water isn't standing around in a saucer, you're fine.

I will change the water every other day in the metal pot so it does not fill up.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Telling you what I would do is not very helpful. You need to do whatever your individual situation warrants and that a) keeps the plant from sitting in water and b) prevents drainage water of any kind and particularly from the fertilized plant from accumulating anywhere in the cage. If you don't have drainage in your enclosure, than placing the potted plant inside a larger container, that doesn't drain is probably your easiest bet. I would use a container not much wider than the pot and put something in the bottom for the pot to sit on, so the bottom isn't sitting in water. If you do not have some way of managing the water from misting and watering your chameleon, you aren't watering enough. Perhaps a picture of your cage will help with explaining what you need to do.

 

[CruelFennec]

Telling you what I would do is not very helpful. You need to do whatever your individual situation warrants and that a) keeps the plant from sitting in water and b) prevents drainage water of any kind and particularly from the fertilized plant from accumulating anywhere in the cage. If you don't have drainage in your enclosure, than placing the potted plant inside a larger container, that doesn't drain is probably your easiest bet. I would use a container not much wider than the pot and put something in the bottom for the pot to sit on, so the bottom isn't sitting in water. If you do not have some way of managing the water from misting and watering your chameleon, you aren't watering enough. Perhaps a picture of your cage will help with explaining what you need to do.

Ok this is my cage

 

[CruelFennec]

Ok this is my cage View attachment 173351 View attachment 173352 View attachment 173353

This is at the moment and i am going to change stuff if you say so.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

Changes you need to make include raising it up off the floor, providing more plants and vines, and once the enclosure is raised up off the floor, you'll have room for the drainage you need.
I would say it looks fairly dimly lit as well.
There are many threads with amazing set-ups and a thread on drainage ideas, so you have all the ideas you need.