Science Experiment?

[cushcameleon]

Many of us use live plants for our chameleons and some of us (or at least me anyways ), have difficulties keeping them perfectly healthy/alive. After gathering research from several sources, I decided I am going to try something new with my plants. At first my problems started with nats because of improper drainage. Then after I got my mistking, my plants were receiving to much water and begin drooping/rotting (even with perfectly flowing drainage!). But now I am on my way to fixing the problem. There are three types of soils pretty much, clay-based, loam and sand-based. Clay holds the most water, while sand holds the least and loam is a mixture of the two (pretty easy to figure out). Most soils come in the loam form, which is ideal for most plants. However, since the plants in chameleon cages are mainly over-watered, loam soil actually retains to much water and sand would make a better alternative. So far I have heard nothing from any forum members about the use of sand soils, so I am going to test it out myself. I am going to buy two new plants for both of my cages and I am going to make two different mixtures of soils (one mixture 50% loam and 50% sand, the other mixture 100% sand). I am not going to use a control, simply because I already know the affects of using 100% loam soil. I still have not come up for a good covering of the soil (I know sand can cause impaction), so ideas would be great (I am thinking rocks or peat moss). I plan on making a blog about my observations, just so those of you that are interested can follow my progress. Again, I have not heard from any other members using soil mixtures like this, so it is possible that many of you already do this

 

[Fidel]

I re-pot all my plants in the same half sand half coco fiber mix used for egg laying and they do fine.

 

[SliK JiM]

I don't fancy the chances of the one in the 100% sand mix, but it'll be interesting to see the results!

Covering them with moss should be ok.

I did something similar to see if I could cut down on the amount of water getting into the soil (similar to your idea of making it so the soil doesn't hold onto much water). I tried a breathable membrane for plants (I use muslin over here but I don't know whether that's a brand name or the name of the material) as it lets some water through and I also tried the plastic plant trays (The round ones) for which I cut out a circle so the stem of the plant will fit through, then cut it in half with a knife, place it around the stem, and taped together using insulation tape. I've noticed that the ones with the plastic plant tray are doing better and I think it's because I can keep an eye on how much water they're getting. Also, I use a water soluble plant feed for my plants, so the other thing I thought of was that the water from the mistings would wash out the nutrients in the soil and the plant wouldn't receive what it needed to grow and thrive.

I will be looking forward to your results, but it will take a while to tell any significant difference!

 

[eisentrauti]

Hi,

you need something where the water can flow out, many plants like Ficus don't like it when the have watery feet. If you can't build an outflow system you need to take plants like epiprenum which haven't got any problems when the soil is always full of water

 

[dodolah]

I hope my comment does not come of wrong. I actually applaud you for doing the experiment.
But, I am just wondering how is your misting regiment and how exactly you are providing a proper drainage for your plant?
I found that misting 4 times a day with 5 minutes persession (meaning that my plants get watered 20 minutes/ day) still not enough to drown my plants.

Most of the time, i find the problem is not the soil itself but rather the setup.
So far, with the exception of 1 ficus (that is recuperating outside) and 1 hibiscus (my other 20 plants still alive and kicking. In fact, now i am starting to propagate them), I have no casualties. My hibiscus for some reason thrive very well in the enclosure and actually bloom a lot (*especially spring time).

Perhaps, if i know a bit more about your setup, I can help a bit while you are doing your experiment in soil mixture.
Gnats are equivalent to root drowning as they love to live in moist soil.
and, If you do not get rid of them completely, the bigger problem could actually lies in the fact that the fungus gntas' larvae are actually messing your plant root.

can I see a pic of your pot, your setup of the soil, and whether or not you raise the pot?

 

[Pure]

100% sand will impede root growth. You have to mix it with something. I like Fidel's idea of using cocoa fiber.

 

[cushcameleon]

I hope my comment does not come of wrong. I actually applaud you for doing the experiment.
But, I am just wondering how is your misting regiment and how exactly you are providing a proper drainage for your plant?
I found that misting 4 times a day with 5 minutes persession (meaning that my plants get watered 20 minutes/ day) still not enough to drown my plants.

Most of the time, i find the problem is not the soil itself but rather the setup.
So far, with the exception of 1 ficus (that is recuperating outside) and 1 hibiscus (my other 20 plants still alive and kicking. In fact, now i am starting to propagate them), I have no casualties. My hibiscus for some reason thrive very well in the enclosure and actually bloom a lot (*especially spring time).

Perhaps, if i know a bit more about your setup, I can help a bit while you are doing your experiment in soil mixture.
Gnats are equivalent to root drowning as they love to live in moist soil.
and, If you do not get rid of them completely, the bigger problem could actually lies in the fact that the fungus gntas' larvae are actually messing your plant root.

can I see a pic of your pot, your setup of the soil, and whether or not you raise the pot?

I have the pot raised over a hole in the PVC. The tupperware containers under the pots fill up with loads of water and have to be emptied everyday. Four mistings may work fine for you, but since it is so dry where I live, I have to mist the enclosure 8 times a day to keep humidity up. I will try to have some pictures of the old plants and the new very shortly.

 

[dodolah]

I have the pot raised over a hole in the PVC. The tupperware containers under the pots fill up with loads of water and have to be emptied everyday. Four mistings may work fine for you, but since it is so dry where I live, I have to mist the enclosure 8 times a day to keep humidity up. I will try to have some pictures of the old plants and the new very shortly.

where exactly are you? Las Vegas or San Diego?
If it is the latter, i assume that the climate would be similar with mine.
Ok. I'll wait for the pics. I can point out some tips that might help you in tackling this problem.

 

[cushcameleon]

where exactly are you? Las Vegas or San Diego?
If it is the latter, i assume that the climate would be similar with mine.
Ok. I'll wait for the pics. I can point out some tips that might help you in tackling this problem.

I go to college in San Diego, but I live in Las Vegas. I am currently in Las Vegas. I just repotted my plants. One is in 50% husk and 50% sand, the other is in 50% loam and 50% sand.