MAKING A REAL, WORKING TERRARIUM

JUST BECAUSE A PLANT IS SMALL, DOESN’T MEAN THAT IT WILL MAKE A GOOD TERRARIUM PLANT. I LIKE TO CHOOSE PLANTS WHICH ACTUALLY PREFER THE HUMID CONDITIONS THAT SUCH A GLASS CASE OFFERS. HERE IS HOW I PLANTED ONE OF MY LARGER WARDIAN-CASE STYLE TERRARIUMS.

I secretly love terrariums. Like many of you, I often converted most any glass container I could find as a kid – old canning jars, old aquariums, even old plastic shoe boxes which I could convert into magical, moss filled terrariums. Hey – it was the 60’s and 70’s and it happened to be very trendy towards the end of the 70’s!

I still enjoy terrariums, they are just so magical, but today, in our overly DIY world, the term ‘terrarium’ has a broader definition – some blogs advise you to plant succulents in an open glass bowl -ok, not really a terrarium, but then again, not a good way to grow anything. And then there are those very hip hanging glass spheres with nothing in it much more than a tuft of reindeer moss and an airplant.  Still, not a great or effective way to grow plants, but there are so many vessels to choose from today, that really, there should be no excuse for any pocketbook from industrial kitchen jars at Target meant to store cookies or sugar, to more costly designer cloches and domes. I spluged on this one a couple of years ago at Terrain – and it keeps me entertained in the winter months.

I won’t lie – there are far more poor directions on-line then there are good ones. Just google the phrase Make a Terrarium, and you will see. Most err on style more than botanically interesting or even botanically correct plantings – succulents cohabitating with ferms! I know, I know – we all did that, so yes – it is one way to learn. And there is no denying that terrarium craft is one of the best ways to get kids interested in plants. If your child is harping for a pet this Christmas, why not offer a nice terrarium instead?

I start by laying a layer of gravel in this Wardian Case style terrarium. It has a copper liner, but still drains so I am potting it in the greenhouse first, and I will bring it into the house in a few days where it will sit on my blogging desk near a north window for most of the winter.

I collected various mosses from around the back yard and from the woods out back.

Looking around the greenhouse, there are a few plants which I felt would do well together in a terrarium. The ferns are smaller growing species, and the begonias are smaller growing species that actually prefer terrarium culture.

Choosing plants that really demand terrarium culture – really – there are plant that prefer terrarium over any other way to grow them, even a greenhouse – warm, moisture loving jungle plant like ferns and mosses do well together, as do certain gesneriads (African violet family). Many Begonia species and hybrids love glassed in containers.

Plant similar plants together – for example, not all orchids love the environment of a terrarium – in fact, very few orchids do, and any that you buy at Home Depot or the supermarket won’t do well in one – rather, it’s some tiny species that particularly do well like Dracula and a few tiny Dendrobium species.  Do a little research and you’ll be surprised at how botanically interesting a terrarium can be – combining rare orchids like the tiny Dendrobium cuthbertsonii selections with other small terrarium orchids like the pleurothallids – check out Mountainside Orchids in Vermont for some amazing terrarium orchids and begonias.

I considered using the Kohleria, a relative of the African Violet but even with three plants, I think this large terrarium was already over planted. I can always pot this up under a dome or in another terrarium. It’s not a perfect candidate for terrarium culture, but I know that my greenhouse is too cold, and my house too dry for it.

When I plant a terrarium, I like to combine plants that prefer the same conditions. A terrarium won’t last forever, most need to be replanted every year or at least, edited but again, these are plants, and they grow. If you need to replant your terrarium, you are probably doing something right.

Terrariums are best if kept clean, so I start with a good commercial potting mix. The Perlite in it can be unattractive though, so I mound the soil higher in the center, and use gravel at a higher level on the glass. One would want to avoid white Perlite from floating up onto the moss, but garden soil would be too dense for me to use. A good compost if you have it will do well too. Fast draining soil that holds moisture is best, and most woodland plants, whether they come from the jungles of Ecuador or from upstate New York prefer fibrous, damp aerated growing material. In most cases, a deep layer of moss will do for these plants, as would live sphagnum if you can find it. I only use a half an inch of soil, relying on moss mostly to create my growing medium.

Tucking moss in under leaves of plants that tend to lie on the ground such as the leaves on this Begonia crispula will help keep the leaves healthy.

 Plants are added in thoughtfully, again, selecting species that do well together. I am limiting myself a a few select begonia species, a small rare Begonia from Brazil called Begonia crispula a plant that requires humidity near 85 – 90% – (You can find Begonia crispula here but they are sold out at the moment – it’s where I got mine). Begonia crispula is just so choice and precious, that it will be the centerpiece of this terrarium, and a much larger growing begonia (B. paulensis) which will only spend the winter in this protective case. If it grows too large, (and it will) I can always remove it. Until then, it adds a nice texture to the planting.

Along with begonias, ferns are the perfect companion plants for terrariums. This Polypodium formosanum (you can find them on-line here at Black Jungle Terrarium Supply) which has these attractive almost teal-blue creeping rhizomes.  This is a smaller growing fern which I like because it looks like one of our native Polypodium virginianum. This tropical Poly has colorful rhizome which in some light conditions can look pale blueish green, almost like jadite. This is a fern that really demands either greenhouse or terrarium conditions, so it’s a difficult houseplant unless one has a very humid house.

I keep a few of these Polypodium formossanum in the greenhouse, mostly in handing baskets where it makes a very nice, but slightly fussy specimen plants. Forget watering it just once, and it will loose it’s leaves. I look for rhizomes that I can cut which have a few leaves on the, and these two above are starting to bury themselves near the edge of the pot – so I will cut these with a knife, and remove them for the terrarium planting.

The rhizomes come out easily, with a few roots. IT will transplant well with little disturbance, and by next summer, I can remove it and replant it into a larger container – most likely just one with sphagnum in it, which this species prefers as a growing medium. Until then, my terrarium will act as a propagating case, and no one will know the wiser. I have an unknown Davallia species which I too added to this planting. Another fern, similar to the common Rabbit’s foot fern.

No plastic deer for me. A few pieces of bark from where I collected my moss with lichens on it will add the perfect color and tone for this case.

A good drink of water – I mean, a really good drench as there is a pan with drainage in this, is all that is needed. I will rarely have to water it once it is in the house, so I want a good soaking so that no dry soil exists.

THE FINAL PLANTING ALREADY LOOKS HAPPY. IT WILL MAKE A NICE ADDITION TO MY DESK.

SO, I am planning on driving to Black Jungle Terrarium supply this weekend, so I may update some of these plantings. If so, I will add the images here ( you know that I will!). But it all depends on if this nasty cold goes away soon.