# Bleach and plants questions...



## nightowl (Dec 13, 2010)

So I have been working on my new enclosure and I been a little overwhelmed with all the information on what to do with new plants. I brought some plants from a local nursery and know they need to dipped in some way. I have been misting them daily while I have been working my enclosure layout. I am close to planting a few but want to make sure I have all the steps down correctly. Please let me know if I am missing anything.

List of plants


Dwarf Strawberry Begonia - (*Saxifraga Custcutaeformis)*
Bonsai Grass - (*Eleocharis Radrans*)
Blue Creeping Pilea - (*Pilea Glauca*)
Baby Blue Tears - (*Lindernia Grandiflora*)
Lemon Button Fern - (* Nephrolepis)*
Golden Spike Moss - (*Selaginella kraussiana)*
Steps


Remove plants from container
Remove all dirt from roots
Rinse with RO water
Create a 5-10% bleach solution
Soak plants for 5 - 10 minutes
Rinse with RO water again
Now for my questions


Since my enclosure is new (no frogs anytime soon) how soon before I am able to add the plants to the enclosure after dipping?
Will I need to plant them in a temporary tank for a while to monitor them?
Should I repeat the dipping procedure multiple times?
Will any of the above plants have adverse reactions to the bleach dipping?
Thanks in advance


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

hmmm... lets see, not sure about the rest of them as i haven't worked with them, but you will have no problems with the lemon button fern. It's just a pain in the @** to bare root. Try to get as much as possible without destroying too much. Pertaining to the question about when can you put the plants in, i'd recommend maybe quarantining them a bit so that in case you get nemerteans (god forbid), then you can try to solve that problem before it gets to your viv because if you're putting thumbs in there, they will need the microfauna and those evil nemerteans will eat up all your microfauna. oh yeah also, since they are from your local nursery and they probably use pesticides you should do some good rinsing after the bleach(which you were gonna do in the first place) and quarantine to let the pesticides wear off. and one last thing, before the bleach, you should soak for a good hour or so (here's a link to disinfecting plants, http://www.neherpetoculture.com/plantprocessingprocedures.htm) so that the plants can absorb as much water as possible and not absorb as much bleach


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## nightowl (Dec 13, 2010)

Goof901,
Thanks so much once again. I will plan to follow the procedures on the link you sent. How long should I QT and how long can the plants stay bare root? In QT do I replant them in pots or just the substrate like I am going to use in my enclosure?


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

i put them in ABG mix in plastic cups. do you know if the nursery u bought the plants from uses pesticides?
here are some useful links
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants/80590-plants-home-depot-lowes.html
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants/76526-how-long-until-plants-bought-nursery-frog-safe.html


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## nightowl (Dec 13, 2010)

goof901 said:


> i put them in ABG mix in plastic cups. do you know if the nursery u bought the plants from uses pesticides?
> here are some useful links
> http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants/80590-plants-home-depot-lowes.html
> http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants/76526-how-long-until-plants-bought-nursery-frog-safe.html



Thanks for the links. I will call the nursery tomorrow and find out. For the small vivarium plants they outsource them to some guy along with the bonsai plants.


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## nightowl (Dec 13, 2010)

Well I performed the dip yesterday but only did the plants below. I was afraid to do all my plants in case I messed it up. All plants look OK except the Golden Spike Moss - (*Selaginella kraussiana). *It looks dry today and feels dry to the touch even though I have thoroughly watered them.


Bonsai Grass - (*Eleocharis Radrans*)
Blue Creeping Pilea - (*Pilea Glauca*)
Lemon Button Fern - (* Nephrolepis)*
Golden Spike Moss - (*Selaginella kraussiana)*
goof901,
I called the nursery and they manager for that department was not there. He should give me a call back tomorrow. She said if they did use pesticides it would be oil based. Not sure if that would increase the amount of time or not.


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## nightowl (Dec 13, 2010)

goof901,
I talked to the nursery today and they said no pesticides were used but they may have used liquid fertilizer. The Golden Spike Moss - (*Selaginella kraussiana)* was worse today . Hopefully it will pull through. I set up my QT tank with a 10 gallon tank. I covered it in Saran Wrap and made a temporary light stand. Will this be sufficient for a few weeks?

Temp Setup


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

it looks fine. i don't think liquid fertilizers are an issue since you bare rooted the plants. just keep them there to make sure there are no snails, slugs, milipedes, nemerteans, etc. <- this is really just a precaution cuz if you do get these in your viv, it will be a pain to get them out. not 100% necessary but better safe than sorry


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## nightowl (Dec 13, 2010)

goof901 said:


> it looks fine. i don't think liquid fertilizers are an issue since you bare rooted the plants. just keep them there to make sure there are no snails, slugs, milipedes, nemerteans, etc. <- this is really just a precaution cuz if you do get these in your viv, it will be a pain to get them out. not 100% necessary but better safe than sorry



Thanks! Is there anything I can treat with to kill those things? Or just keep an eye out for them.


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

i would just keep an eye out for them. if you do see them, then you can CO2 bomb it and do some more stuff, but if you're lucky (like me) then you won't run into any of these things.


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## nightowl (Dec 13, 2010)

goof901 said:


> i would just keep an eye out for them. if you do see them, then you can CO2 bomb it and do some more stuff, but if you're lucky (like me) then you won't run into any of these things.


Crossing my fingers I don't have to resort to any CO2 bombs or anything crazy.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

I find it hard to swallow that any nursery or greenhouse trying to make a profit does not use any pesticides or purchase their starts from someone using pesticides. It is pretty much standard in the industry to use pesticides. Especially on ornamentals that will not be eaten. 
If they tell you they use pesticides they may fear losing a customer. Personally, I would assume they have been exposed to systemic pesticides and age them for 6 weeks after cleaning and bleaching to let the worst of them wear off.


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## nightowl (Dec 13, 2010)

Pumilo said:


> I find it hard to swallow that any nursery or greenhouse trying to make a profit does not use any pesticides or purchase their starts from someone using pesticides. It is pretty much standard in the industry to use pesticides. Especially on ornamentals that will not be eaten.
> If they tell you they use pesticides they may fear losing a customer. Personally, I would assume they have been exposed to systemic pesticides and age them for 6 weeks after cleaning and bleaching to let the worst of them wear off.


Pumilo,
I am still trying to contact the actual grower. I think its like one of the those mom and pop set ups. The nursery manager mentioned that pesticides were used on most if not all of the plants outside and 2 - 3 sections of the plants indoors. The plants I purchase did not come from those sections. I don't think he feared loosing a customer I have purchased plants from my yard there before and the people are pretty honest. Too honest sometimes. I will still be QT'ing them for the 6 week period just to make sure.


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## nightowl (Dec 13, 2010)

So today I was looking in my QT enclosure and the Golden Spike Moss - (*Selaginella kraussiana) *and the Lemon Button Fern - (* Nephrolepis) *showed signs of mold. I may be new but I think mold is bad  . I put a fan inside to try to dry it out a bit and hopefully get things under control before they both die. The Bonsai Grass - (*Eleocharis Radrans*) and Blue Creeping Pilea - (*Pilea Glauca*) are looking OK. The Blue Creeping Pilea - (*Pilea Glauca*) is actually showing signs of growth. I am excited at least two will make it and one looks like it will flourish under really damp/wet conditions. 

_*Should I cut away all dead parts of the plant and hope for the best*_?


Thanks


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

my lemon button fern was dying, but after i cut away the dead parts it started growing so i'd recommend cutting the dead parts. i'm not sure about the selaginella tho.


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## nightowl (Dec 13, 2010)

goof901,
Thanks so much I was hoping you would be surfing the boards! I will cut away the dead parts in the morning. Should I remove the fan as well?


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

i'd keep it. some air circulation will help the plants. at the very least, it won't harm them.


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## nightowl (Dec 13, 2010)

Thanks again!


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