Plants

[Slofe]

I'm really fed up with plants. I've tried Camellia, Ficus, Corn and Dragon. They were either crap or died, the ficus would drop its leaves even if I looked at it funny. The only plant that's survived and thrived is the pothos. At the moment I have a fatsia japonica in there, the pothos and a little crappy dragon tree that sits under the basking lamp and doesn't do anything. Below is a pic of my enclosure:

Now the camera makes it look a bit darker than it actually is but it is a tad dark. Why is it dark when I have the same lights as everyone else? 100w household spot lamp and reptisun 5.0. I'm familiar with grow lights but how does that work? Would I have to get another lamp? Or can I double it up as either the UV source or basking lamp?

Can someone please tell me some plants that produce a lot of foliage, are evergreen and don't die at the drop of a hat? I've heard passion plants are pretty good? Has anyone tried them? Are they strong enough for an adult veiled to climb on?

Please help, it's driving me mental!

 

[morpheon]

I am not pro at all with lights and even less with plants. However, i can tell you that my Ficus Benjamina is growing very fast and has been for the last 6 months. My temperature, humidity and UVB are exactly the ones for a Furcifer Pardalis. I didn't change anything. In fact, the Ficus Benjamina is working so well that i plan on using one in every new enclosure that i will build.

One thing that may explain why your enclosure is a bit darker is caused by the fact that a) your lamp is touching your screen. If it was attached in the air, suspended, then it would cover a bigger area of your enclosure. The second reason, b) is related to the type of screening you may be using. The material, the color and spacing between the mesh can modify your light inside.

 

[Thompson]

I would get a plant light to fix all of your plant problems.

 

[Slofe]

Would something like this be ok in a standard desk lamp on top of the enclosure?

 

[Miss Lily]

I've always found Schefflera to be the best in my cages as they tend not to drop leaves like Ficus do - I've given up using those too.

 

[Slofe]

I've always found Schefflera to be the best in my cages as they tend not to drop leaves like Ficus do - I've given up using those too.

Where do you get them from? Seriously, i'm at my wits end with trying to find plants for Isambard. I really don't know what i'm doing wrong, they either arrive too short or too weak for him to climb on. I actually have more trouble with the plants than Isambard himself!

 

[Miss Lily]

I get mine from B&Q plus Lidl also regularly have offers too.

 

[Slofe]

I get mine from B&Q plus Lidl also regularly have offers too.

They're also called umbrella trees too aren't they?

 

[mc9423]

They're also called umbrella trees too aren't they?

They can be Umbrella or Dwarf Umbrella Trees.

 

[serenitystarlite]

I've had really good luck with corn plants, but I also have had one or two that have died. I currently have 1 big one in each of my big cages and they've been alive for awhile. I have 2 little ones in one of my small cages and one looks like it might be starting to die, but I didn't take very good care of it before I put it in there. What are you repotting them with? I used half playsand and half coco fiber (tip from a member on here). It seems to work really well. I have 2 dragon trees that are still alive. I had 2 others that died. The ones that are still alive are braided, not sure if that has anything to do with it, but I've had the one for awhile. I haven't had much luck with Schefflera, but I do have one that is alive and well.

I think your cage is dark because that plant with the big leaves makes a lot of shade. My cages are dark at the bottom too under the corn plants but the upper half is bright. I kinda made 2 levels in my cages with branches. There is a bright top level under the lights for basking and a shaded level in the plants if they feel like hiding. Kami (senegal) usually stays out in the open near the top under her lights, but will occasionally bop around the rest of the cage. I'm thinking because she is wc and was used to real sunlight, so she likes a lot of light. Jasmine (veiled) will bask sometimes but likes to hide in her plants a lot, probably because she hates everything and everyone lol.

I thought I was terrible with plants too because a lot of plants I've bought in the past before I had chams have died, but I've been having better luck with the plants in my cham's cages. I think sometimes you just end up with a bad plant. Like I said, I lost a couple corn plants and dragon plants but I just replaced them and now all of my plants are doing fine except possibly 1 (I have a total of 16 live plants in my cages not counting the 4 that are ready and waiting for the new cage I'm building).

 

[Ellron]

Im currently using Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Schefflera arboricola. I am switching them out.

The Schefflera arboricola outside for a week, then I put that in the enclosure and put the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis outside for a week. They each get a week in the enclosure and a week outside of the enclosure. I don't have a grow light, but I plan on getting one for the cage. I don't know what lights work best though....

 

[Slofe]

Would something like this be ok in a standard desk lamp on top of the enclosure?

Could someone tell me whether or not this would be ok please? Thanks.

 

[Ellron]

I don't know. I've really been wondering what grow lights to use and how to implement them.

This site seems to have some good info:http://www.homeharvest.com/lightingmain.htm