Could use some centerpiece tree/plant ideas

[jamest0o0]

I saw this before and I clipped a 2 ft. Ficus (I have so many, sorry can't be more specific) branch, put rooting powder on it and am waiting for roots. If it works, maybe you can get the perfect height centerpiece. I'll lyk if/when I get roots. Good luck.

snitz427 was just telling me about this. She’s had success getting her ficus alii to root from clipped branches in soil. So I cut a few off my 3 trees(2 of them are almost 7 feet tall) and gave them a good spot hoping they’ll root. I always did this with wandering Jew, but didn’t think the ficus would root so easily. LMK how yours do! Thank you

 

[Sonny13]

Thanks sonny, yes I did and I miss it so much. My plan is to make this an upgraded(but slightly smaller) version of my old parsons enclosure. I had so much fun working on this . The next will be even better!

That's the one indeed, beautiful enclosure, can't wait to see 1.0

 

[snitz427]

How hard would it be to make the bin entirely out of a thick clear acrylic? Then you could view the entire thing... Maybe even have the top 6 inches of the bin be clear of dirt so that would give you an extra 6 inches of height for the plant...

This is what Ive done but not clear stuff. We built boxes similar to @jamest0o0 ’s and built an inner box out of black pvc sheets. Basically a planter box that the cages sit on top of.

 

[Hawaiian Rose]

snitz427 was just telling me about this. She’s had success getting her ficus alii to root from clipped branches in soil. So I cut a few off my 3 trees(2 of them are almost 7 feet tall) and gave them a good spot hoping they’ll root. I always did this with wandering Jew, but didn’t think the ficus would root so easily. LMK how yours do! Thank you

Glad to see your reply! I'm new here and everyone's been really helpful and kind. I'm an avid gardener in Hawaii, where humidity helps plants grow like crazy. Good luck!

 

[Hawaiian Rose]

Thanks sonny, yes I did and I miss it so much. My plan is to make this an upgraded(but slightly smaller) version of my old parsons enclosure. I had so much fun working on this . The next will be even better!

Beautiful collection of unique plants!

 

[jamest0o0]

That's the one indeed, beautiful enclosure, can't wait to see 1.0

Thank you! Hopefully it’s done before the end of the world

This is what Ive done but not clear stuff. We built boxes similar to @jamest0o0 ’s and built an inner box out of black pvc sheets. Basically a planter box that the cages sit on top of.

Do you even have chameleons bro?

Glad to see your reply! I'm new here and everyone's been really helpful and kind. I'm an avid gardener in Hawaii, where humidity helps plants grow like crazy. Good luck!

I’m jealous, Hawaii! That’s awesome. I’m sure you could help a lot here lol, most of us start out struggling with the plants. I recently got into gardening with my wife and we did a lot of perennials and have a garden for veggies/fruits(mainly for the wildlife to steal). We’re still learning, but it’s a fun hobby I never thought I’d get into.

Beautiful collection of unique plants!

Thank you, I’ve really been enjoying the plants since chameleons got me into them. The enclosure is most of the fun for me lol.

 

[jamest0o0]

It’s a shame shefflera struggle indoors so often, I have this beautiful one outside with woody branches, perfect for a Cham to climb on.

 

[Sonny13]

This is my indoors

 

[jamest0o0]

This is my indoors

View attachment 326667

Love it man. Looks like you share my same dream of turning your office? Into a rainforest. If it was up to me, there would be animals and plants in every room lol.

 

[Sonny13]

Love it man. Looks like you share my same dream of turning your office? Into a rainforest. If it was up to me, there would be animals and plants in every room lol.

Jip, thinking about the same……

 

[ERKleRose]

Yup! I wasn’t sure if I should show the drainage layer or hide it? I also thought maybe I could put a wood panel in front of it that would be easily removable.

I was thinking pond liner to hold the substrate within the wood box and then silicone it around the acrylic panel, which would also be siliconed in place(like a fish tank would be).

Be careful, as I was told silicone doesn't stick to pond liner. The King of DIY on YouTube has made wooden aquariums before with an acrylic viewing window, so you can watch that video(s) to see how he attached it after using epoxy paint on the wood!

On a side note, all of the scheffleras I have and have had have never had pests, inside or out

 

[Lindasjackson]

Thanks sonny, yes I did and I miss it so much. My plan is to make this an upgraded(but slightly smaller) version of my old parsons enclosure. I had so much fun working on this . The next will be even better!

Ok,I get it now. Thats a really beautiful set up!!

 

[jamest0o0]

Be careful, as I was told silicone doesn't stick to pond liner. The King of DIY on YouTube has made wooden aquariums before with an acrylic viewing window, so you can watch that video(s) to see how he attached it after using epoxy paint on the wood!

On a side note, all of the scheffleras I have and have had have never had pests, inside or out

Ahhh I’ll have to check that out! I used to watch his videos fairly often. I’ve used silicone on pond liner before(like my enclosure above) and it stuck, but I only used it to seal the edges and I also stapled it to the wood. I’d definitely research it more and wouldn’t trust it with any sort of weight bearing. Plan would be to staple it around the viewing panel and silicone the acrylic panel to the wood along with the edge of the liner just to keep water/soil from getting through. I’ll probably also polyurethane the whole thing inside and out just in case there’s condensation or whatever.

I’ve had probably a dozen or more scheffleras and they all got/get hit by pests at some point. I wonder if it is a locational thing, snitz and I are in different states, but both in the northeast.

 

[ERKleRose]

With my upcoming cages, I've been thinking about lining the substrate boxes with pond liner and putting the cage frame on top of it, sealing the in-cage seem (cage frame, lip of pond liner, substrate box frame) with silicone and seeing how that works out.

Could be. Different pests thrive in different environments

 

[snitz427]

Do you even have chameleons bro?

Only Iguanas my dude!

 

[jamest0o0]

Only Iguanas my dude!

You and the rest of us according to every person that doesn’t keep reptiles

 

[jamest0o0]

With my upcoming cages, I've been thinking about lining the substrate boxes with pond liner and putting the cage frame on top of it, sealing the in-cage seem (cage frame, lip of pond liner, substrate box frame) with silicone and seeing how that works out.

Could be. Different pests thrive in different environments

If I’m understanding correctly, that’s the exact thing I did with my other enclosure(the one in the pictures I posted in this thread).

 

[jamest0o0]

Another thing I was planning on doing, having the drainage hole higher up in the drainage layer on the back side. Allowing there to be some mineral water below. I believe that is supposed to benefit the plants without soaking the soil.

 

[ERKleRose]

If I’m understanding correctly, that’s the exact thing I did with my other enclosure(the one in the pictures I posted in this thread).

Awesome! If I go that design route, I know it'll work now!

Another thing I was planning on doing, having the drainage hole higher up in the drainage layer on the back side. Allowing there to be some mineral water below. I believe that is supposed to benefit the plants without soaking the soil.

A lot of dart frog keepers do that for that reason, I believe!

 

[jamest0o0]

Awesome! If I go that design route, I know it'll work now!

A lot of dart frog keepers do that for that reason, I believe!

That’s good to hear then considering dart keepers are the bio masters!

For the substrate bin, just 2 things that come to mind(that I didn’t do the first time around). Polyurethane/waterproof the whole thing, even in spots that don’t get wet. I didn’t bother with the bottom of the stand, but the humidity from the drainage tray caused mold to grow underneath. The other thing, I’d do some sort of ventilation between the pond liner and wooden substrate bin. Maybe have a vent in the sides and at the top or something. So any moisture that gets trapped between the liner and the wood won’t cause problems down the road and is able to evaporate.