Catgrass

[AbraCadaver]

The title probably sounds silly, but meh..

I wanted to experiment with live plants in my T enclosures, and I was thinking catgrass might work. It grows fast, dont need much care and it's inexpensive. I've tried planting it in some substrate, in a flowerpot, and it shot up within a few days.

I cant imagine it to be lethal or dangerous for a tarantula, but I wanted to ask. The seeds I use aren't fertilized or anything.

How are seeds in general for T enclosures? Would there be any risks involved, if you only plant seeds safe for T's?

 

[Terry D]

Abra, I don't know how easy it would be to find in Norway but I use carpet moss in a few of my enclosures that I found last winter. I kept it dry for some time in quarantine. I currently can't remember genus and sp. Pothos seems to work well as mentioned frequently by other keepers. I have no clue whatsoever about catgrass. Keep us updated should you decide to use it.

Terry

 

[popkin]

By catgrass do you mean wheat grass? The wheat grass is commonly sold as "pet grass" or "cat grass" in my area. If so, I'm not aware of anything that it is toxic to. I sometimes toss some clippings in with my feeder insects, who seem to eat it with abandon. It will grow best if you clip it every so often.

You could try bird seed too, if it's not irradiated (in which case it simply won't grow). Usually the millet seeds sprout most readily. We sometimes toss some seeds in the enclosures at work for decorative effect (as well as food for any uneaten crickets).

 

[AbraCadaver]

Yeah, that's the stuff popkin =)

I couldnt imagine it to be toxic, as cats are supposed to eat it, but I jsut wanted to check if anyone knew about anything.. I'll try and chuck some seeds in one day, and see how it goes. =) I think my GBB would have a great time webbing up all that grass

 

[Toirtis]

Wheat/cat grass is perfectly safe, but it requires (eventually) a reasonable rootbed and gets pretty huge if you are not cutting it down regularly.

 

[AbraCadaver]

Yeah, I know, it gets out of hand easily, but it's relativly hardy, doesn't need much water, and I also consider it a pro that it grows fast and furious.

 

[sharpfang]

I would think that that the Roots...

Would need more watering/moisture than a GBB would preffer.

I have tried it in Naturalistic vivariums for various creatures.....I have tried other seeds too under Compact flourescent lighting, and deep coco/soil substrates that are watered regularly. Helps w/ humidity in cages, to have live plants - especially Avics!

*Meow*

 

[AbraCadaver]

Jupp, if I'd want them to stay alive. I am however, going for them to wither in the GBB enclosure, as it's a desert species.

 

[PhobeToPhile]

Umm...won't dead plant matter make for a good mold/fungus subtrate?

 

[AbraCadaver]

Nope. The catgrass I've had for my cat, withers and become this crisp, yellowish brown thing, and it stays crisp and un-moldy(probably not a word=p) For months.. If I just let them dry out, they become dessertplant-ish... I'm thinking I'm just gonna use my syringe and get some water down with the seeds when I plant them, and let them dry out.

Dead and dry plants doesn't really work the same way, so I guess I worded myself a bit wrong.

 

[AbraCadaver]

Ok, day 1;
I planted the seeds yesterday, and they're already starting to sprout tiny green shoots. I started out in my biggest enclosures; A.sp.amazonas purple, P.irminia, GBB. The GBB doesn't seem very fuzzed about the small patch of moisture I added for the grass to grow; in facr, she seems to like it. She sits on top of it.. Maybe she just likes the grass tickling her butt =p