How often do ya'll re-pot your enclosure plants with new soil?

[trickedoutbiker]

Exactly how the title states.... How often does anyone replant and re-pot the plants you have in your enclosures? Is there a rule of thumb to go by? I was trying to do a little reading a bit ago in some downtime at work, and I couldn't find a good answer. I know that one needs to wash plants and replant with organic soil. I figured maybe you could use those little nutrient sticks to put in the soil a couple times a year to keep from having to put new soil in, but I didn't know if those would be bad in some way. Otherwise, eventually, the plants will suck up all the nutrients in the soil you have, leaving you having to re-pot them. How often would one do this though? Or does anyone do it at all?

 

[Nicholasdeaan]

Some plants can stay in the same soil for years. I have pothos that haven't been repotted in years. It's good to repot any plant you own once a year to encourage growth and an all around healthy plant though. Trees such as a Ficus shouldn't be repotted more than once a year or no less. Depending on how large you want it to grow. If you put your plants in a larger pot each time, they grow more and more in many cases. Just do some research on whatever plants you're going to repot and you'll be alright!

 

[brownie64]

As long as they are growing and look healthy I wouldn't repot them if it were me I don't. You know the old saying if it isn't broke don't fix it.

 

[trickedoutbiker]

Yea I'm doing lots of research on different plants right now. Figuring out which ones like lots of water, and which ones don't. Finding out which ones like lots of light, and which ones don't. And just trying to plan my adult cage out. Getting it in March and I want to have it put together by April, and planted, to be ready by May at the latest. I'm trying to pre-plan all my plants for it... Everything else for me is pretty much set in stone. I've just never heard about this topic before, and figured I'd ask just to see what different people do.

 

[Nicholasdeaan]

I'd try to get plants that do good with bright direct light since they'll be in it for 12 hours a day. Pothos and other plants with vines are very hardy. Ficus trees do well in shaded areas of enclosures where there's bright indirect light.

 

[trickedoutbiker]

Yea I'm trying to plan it all. Plants requiring bright light will be more towards the top. Plants requiring less light go near bottom. Plants that need lots of moisture will be directly in the line of fire, or slightly below, when my misting nozzles go off. Pthe need moisture, but not a lot, will go on the sides of the enclosure away from the spray path a bit, or I will place them on the wall the misting nozzles are on, right under the misting nozzles, so that way they don't get a lot of spray. Then I can manually water those myself here and there. Lots of info to look up. And so many nice plants to be able to choose from!!!! It's definitely a decision process, that's for sure.