# organic compost is it safe for my frogs



## linda.t (Sep 28, 2007)

just got some organic compost peat free 100% chemical free,
do'es anybody think that it's safe to use as a substrate for my white's tree frogs as there viv as live plants and it would be great for the plants just not sure it's safe for my frogs.


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## linda.t (Sep 28, 2007)

any ideas anyone ?


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## Crownan (Jan 6, 2007)

I'm looking for similar info, but regarding organic fertiliser to use on the eco earth


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## linda.t (Sep 28, 2007)

Crownan said:


> I'm looking for similar info, but regarding organic fertiliser to use on the eco earth


hope u find out what u need,
don't know what to do for the best sometimes.


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

I wouldnt have any problems using it Linda if your sure it is what it says, i may be inclined to microwave it if its been open to the elements. 

I'm thinking of using garden compost as a fertilser as its probably the only way to be sure its organic but there is the risk of introducing nasties :crazy: so again it would need serilizing. Maybe overkill though as im sure there would be enough fertiliser in eco earth with just the inhabitants waste and just a drop of babt bio..Only my opinion.


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## linda.t (Sep 28, 2007)

thanks andie will put it in the mircowave first to be on the safe side.


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## Crownan (Jan 6, 2007)

Good info there, nice one Andie


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## arthur cooke (Jan 22, 2008)

I use multi-purpose compost from B&Q and have been using for many years without a problem and have never found a need to treat it in anyway. I do add leaves.

I use a very dilute solution of Growmore to my plants about 3 times a year. Growing plants in containers is a bit different to growing plants outside, there are some trace elements that plants in containers soon use up.

I've found no harm to my animals with any of this. Certainly my millipedes, fruit beetle larvae and worms did ok in my naturalistic viv and they were living in the compost.

My thought on sterilising are that you kill off all the bacteria, both good and bad and plants use certain bacteria to help them stay healthy, some plants can't exist without sugar producing micro fungi at their roots, Orchids are one example of this, but many other tropical plants require help in this way.

There are other friendly bacteria that help rot things down so that plants can feed. Also when you introduce plants into the viv they come with soil that may harbour snail eggs, woodlice etc and you can't sterilise plant roots, I take some of the soil off, but too much mucking about with their roots can set plants back by months.
Lots of luck anyway.
cheers arthur


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

Totally agree with what your saying Arthur, i just like to reasure myself by steralising that i'm not introducing mites or the likes. Maybe this is to the detrement of the plants i'm not sure. Many moons ago i used to keep tropical butterflies and grew many citrus and passiflora plant species to name but a few for the caterpillars to feed from, once i ran out of food and had to buy some from the local nursery and soon found out about slow release pesticides that wholesale growers (sometimes) add to compost which of course killed all my caterpillars so now i always try and grow my plants from cuttings in compost im sure of. 
I don't think anyone can be 100% certain,,, maybe i'm just a big 'ole worrier


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## arthur cooke (Jan 22, 2008)

Hi Andy, I generally grow from seed or cuttings, I started doing this when I discovered that the tropical plants that you buy are not really tropical because they've been bred over the years to grow in living rooms. Put them back in something akin to the original conditions where the plant came from and they don't do well. Whereas plants I grew from seed did well. But I had to buy from abroad because most seeds here are from the same plants, not the original, I used a company called Costa Rican seed co but they don't seem to exist now.
I agree, you can never be 100%, doing some thing new is always a risk. My present substrate is about 3 years old now and doing well. 

The thing about growing plants in a viv is that you spend almost as much time with the plants as the animals.But the effort is worth in the end.
cheers arthur


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## arthur cooke (Jan 22, 2008)

I've been thinking of buying some canna from this company but they always seem out of stock, they do have some other plants tho.

JungleRoots

Any one know them?
cheers arthur


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

arthur cooke said:


> I've been thinking of buying some canna from this company but they always seem out of stock, they do have some other plants tho.
> 
> JungleRoots
> 
> ...


I used to get seeds from Thompsons they did a really good exotic range, ive also collected seeds from kenya and costa rica but trying to grow a baobob tree in yer greenhouse is,,well a no no lol. Thx for the link i'll look later..


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