Plants in concrete floor aviary???

[dRAG_jUNKIE]

I need to get some vegetation happening in my aviary, but its on a slab. Are there plants/grasses that i can leave in pots that won't die? There's a bit of a mouse problem around at the moment so im thinking a wire mesh barrier on top of the pot, so they can't burrow into the soil and live in there, or does anyone have any better ideas? Thanks

[Pete Sara]

you can try most grasses that easily grown in pots. velt grass, pit pit grass, green panicum , fountain grass and african feather grass there are others but cant think of them at the moment. as for the pots the birds can and will rip them apart so the more you have growing in and out the better. that way when you swap them around place the pot in a bucket of water for an hour as it will give the plant a good watering before and drown any critters living in it.....pete

[Diane]

I have purple fountain grass in a pot in my aviary. Its right at the front, get full sun all day every day. I just tip the water from the birds bowl in there most days and the plant hasnt suffered at all. My emblemas once built a nest in there. The birds dont seem to eat the seed heads.
I also have a pandorea in there too growing on a tripod frame, it screens and forms part of their roosting site.
A couple of swiss cheese plants, the big leaves on them give the birds a great shady place to hide on days like we have been getting just lately here in Adelaide, 40C for the next few days......phew!
Ive been putting big blocks of ice in these pots and the birds are straight into the pots and just stand around under the big leaves in the cooler air.....quite a sight
Re plants for eating....I do have some seeding grasses Im trying to encourage in pots but Im not putting them in the aviary till I have a lot more, I think the birds would end up killing the plants to get at the seed heads.

There's a bit of a mouse problem around at the moment so im thinking a wire mesh barrier on top

Someone on this forum suggested soaking the pots in water for about half an hour before putting into the aviary so you know anything that was hiding in the pot has met its demise.

[finchbreeder]

Put a handful of the seed u feed them in a hanging basket with soil and water then when seeds beginn to form hang from the roof these are fairly mouse proof, and if you do several and rotate them in and out of the aviary it works better.
Note to self - time you went and did up another hanging basket.
LML

[Diane]

Yes, I forgot to say that I do that, only not in hanging baskets.....good idea.....Ive been using pots sown with the seeds I feed them. Im currently trying to grow millet, Ive just cut little bits of millet off the stems and planted it in a pot and been watering, nothing growing yet.

[Misso]

Im in the same situation, i have brick floors in both aviaries,

besides fresh gum tree branches, there wasn't much greenery in the aviaries so they looked more like a tin box with some colorful birds, so i want to make it look more natural. i currently grow panic grass down the sideway in pots, so i reckon i might try rotating them in the aviaries and see how they go. i dont have a mouse problem*touching wood* but i would still cover the dirt with large pebbles to stop pests and the birds from digging around.

Jarryd

[jusdeb]

The grasses are a good idea and practical too ...I think that native shrubs grown in pots make a nice feature in an aviary ...Ive seen low growing grevilleas potted and in aviaries and the sprawling branches look great , you could go for lilly pilly , bottlebrush , even most fruit trees good thing is unlike the parrots the finches are not so rough on live plants so they will grow ...

[Poohbear UK]

This makes interesting reading...The moral being even with a concrete floor don't grow bushes through into the earth as vermin can chew through the soft roots to gain entry.Plants in pots every time.

http://www.featheredflyer.net/index.php?showtopic=30057

A shame..as this guy had a great aviary that he thought was rat proof...except for one bush that he thought was safe as it was concreted in.

DSC00058.jpg

[dRAG_jUNKIE]

Thanks everyone for your help, i'll make a trip out to the local nursery this saturday. Poohbear, jeez im glad we don't get rats out here, feel bad for that bloke.

[GregH]

One more word of warning when using pots given that you're in Qld - beware of cane toads. I've only recently got rid of one that was in there for five months and I haven't bred a thing since (been gone for 2 weeks). I introduced the toad in a potted fern and as big as it was, it disappeared into the aviary. I think having it in there stressed out the birds from it's noctural habits and I also believe low levels of toad toxin in their shared water has rendered them virtually sterile.

The toad affected aviary housed 3 pr of cut-throats amoung other birds. I left one pair in there as a control and after a 6 weeks no eggs have been laid. The other two pairs were housed in separate aviaries and each female laid 4 eggs, only one egg in each clutch was fertile, one nestling died after a week and the parents of the remaining youngster abandoned it after 3 weeks. Both pairs now have 6 eggs so I'm hoping the toxin is diminishing in their system.