Plants and UVB

[Yellow Turtle01]

So I was thinking about houseplants and their UVB requirements. A lot of 'house plants' are just that, they live inside. So do they really need UVB? Or just sunlight? Glass (such as windows) filter out UVB rays and such, so do plants just need sunlight? Because I have a few plants (pothos, a peace lily, and a money tree[I killed my aloe]) and they do swimmingly indoors without going outside for natural sunlight and non-filtered UVB.
Another thing, those plant grow lights they sell for growing seeds and plants inside, those are just UVB bulbs, correct? I grow all my russian's seed mixes on a tray by a bright window. They have never been outside, or have a special light... Anyway, do plants just need light? Or UVB?
Thanks

 

[Jabuticaba]

Most plants require full spectrum light, but they tend to do well by bright window or a bright room. I've been getting away with growing weeds and herbs for the torts by a south-facing window.

Direct sunlight is necessary for cacti and all sedums. Some don't even require full light and will do better in indirect sunlight; eg, coleuses and African violets (both safe for torts).


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

But doesn't glass filter out the important spectrum rays, thereby only providing light for the plants?

 

[Yvonne G]

Actually no, "house" plants are NOT plants that live in the house. They are usually from rain forests like Thailand and South America. They don't need sunlight, per se, but very bright light. House plants usually do very well under the fluorescent tubes. But the key to keeping them alive in the house is very bright light.

It seems to me I read somewhere that plants require UVA, not UVB.

 

[Jabuticaba]

Depends on the glass. As long as it's not tinted, your plants will still get what they need.


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[Prairie Mom]

hand raising> oooh oooh!..I know this one! Hi Turlte, I am new to tortoises, but have been doing indoor gardening for a few years now under grow lights. I start my whole garden from seeds inside and grow most of them to full sized vegetables to be planted after my last frost. This winter, we will be expanding our light set up further in an attempt to keep some large vegetables growing indoors through the cold months. Indoor plants do not need UVB--in fact too much, can actually make them fade, suffer, and grow "leggy." They need full spectrum sunlight. Sunlight through window glass works just fine as long as the light needs are meeting what is necessary for the type of plant. A lot of house plants are shade, part shade, and part sun, which means they don't need a ton of light. I was thrilled to see the amount of fun edible flowers tortoises eat, because a lot can be grown in part sun conditions which could easily be done with not a ton of full spectrum florescent light. Non-tuber begonias, hosta, nasturtiums, snapdragons, petunias, pansies, and violas can all be eaten by tortoises and can grow in part sun. Last year, I grew a bunch of these inside. A lot of those seeds are super plentiful and easy to come by, so you could easily grow them organically for your little beastie. I actually think tortoise owners should become indoor gardners...If you guys can keep up with all the light and humidity conditions 'round the clock to raise an adorable living creature, then you can garden indoors in your sleep! Good luck!

 

[Jabuticaba]

hand raising> oooh oooh!..I know this one! Hi Turlte, I am new to tortoises, but have been doing indoor gardening for a few years now under grow lights...!

Cool! Would love to see some pictures and I might pic your brain sometime.


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

 

[Prairie Mom]

Cool! Would love to see some pictures and I might pic your brain sometime.


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES

You bet, Jabuticaba! My light set up has been haphazard with lights all throughout my house, in closets or behind closed bedroom doors, in order to keep the cats away (my cats will eat many of my seedlings). So, I don't currently have any photos of my plants under lights, but I did take a picture of some of my seedlings this year when I was "hardening them off" to get ready to go in the outside garden. I'll attach it to this post. This winter my husband is going to dedicate a plant space in our utility room for me. It won't be anything fancy...just a few shelves with lots and lots of lights. I'll post pictures in a thread when it's set up and I'll show what I'm growing for my tortoise.

Yellow Turtle, I was still thinking about things you could grow inside that would be good for your tort. I read that pumpkin and zucchini leaves are really good for them too. Those plants couldn't get very big inside before they'd die off without the proper light (they need way too much light), BUT their seedlings come up really quickly and grow nice big leaves after about a week or so. The seedlings would probably sprout just fine on a warm windowsill. They would be great additions to plop in the corner of a turtle table for a short bit of time every now and again to keep the diet varied.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Most houseplants benefit from spending the summer outdoors in natural light. However, with sufficient sunlight through the window, lights are not needed for them.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Actually no, "house" plants are NOT plants that live in the house. They are usually from rain forests like Thailand and South America. They don't need sunlight, per se, but very bright light. House plants usually do very well under the fluorescent tubes. But the key to keeping them alive in the house is very bright light.

It seems to me I read somewhere that plants require UVA, not UVB.

Yes, just in the loosest possible term, my plants are 'houseplant' even if they are exotic
Okay, but doesn't UVA almost allways dome with UVB?

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

You bet, Jabuticaba! My light set up has been haphazard with lights all throughout my house, in closets or behind closed bedroom doors, in order to keep the cats away (my cats will eat many of my seedlings). So, I don't currently have any photos of my plants under lights, but I did take a picture of some of my seedlings this year when I was "hardening them off" to get ready to go in the outside garden. I'll attach it to this post. This winter my husband is going to dedicate a plant space in our utility room for me. It won't be anything fancy...just a few shelves with lots and lots of lights. I'll post pictures in a thread when it's set up and I'll show what I'm growing for my tortoise.

Yellow Turtle, I was still thinking about things you could grow inside that would be good for your tort. I read that pumpkin and zucchini leaves are really good for them too. Those plants couldn't get very big inside before they'd die off without the proper light (they need way too much light), BUT their seedlings come up really quickly and grow nice big leaves after about a week or so. The seedlings would probably sprout just fine on a warm windowsill. They would be great additions to plop in the corner of a turtle table for a short bit of time every now and again to keep the diet varied. View attachment 96410

You sound like you've got growing plants inside DOWN! I am currenlty growing some seed mixes from TortoiseSupply in my window, and they seem to be doing really fabulous I bet that they'd grow in the table too, but my tort would probably kill them off How long does the average zuchini plant take to grow? Maybe I could squeeze some fruit into the fridge in I plant them outdoors, before it gets colder.

 

[Prairie Mom]

You sound like you've got growing plants inside DOWN! I am currenlty growing some seed mixes from TortoiseSupply in my window, and they seem to be doing really fabulous I bet that they'd grow in the table too, but my tort would probably kill them off How long does the average zuchini plant take to grow? Maybe I could squeeze some fruit into the fridge in I plant them outdoors, before it gets colder.

Hello It's so fun that your grass mixes are doing so well. I should look into getting some of those to have fresh grass during the winter. I hope your stomach won't be too disappointed to hear that zucchini plants would take too long to give you squash before winter. The plants need to get big to produce veg and that takes a couple months. But it would only take a few weeks to give your tortoise healthy young squash leaves from seeds. When zucchini/pumpkin seeds first pop up (about a week after planting seeds), they are small round leaves. If you wait about another week or so, the round leaves die off and their "true leaves" begin to grow. I suppose you could let your young plant get a little bigger and put the whole thing in your tortoise table as a cool looking food supply, or clip and give him leaves before the plant gets so big that it dies off from inadequate indoor lighting. Take care and good luck with your houseplants!

 

[Jabuticaba]

Great picture! I'm really getting into gardening and plants now that I have my torties. Amazing how much they've changed my life!


May
THBs: Darwin & Merlin
Aussies: Dax, Vegas, & Cricket
IG: @AUSSOMEAUSSIES