A new take on a "terrarium"
Alyssa (Zone 6)
4 years ago
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rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoAlyssa (Zone 6)
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Small gnats in my new terrarium
Comments (3)I'm sorry about your loss, lisalularsen. Your little gnats are known as "fungus gnats." Here are some previous discussions on this forum: http://search.gardenweb.com/search/nph-ind.cgi?term=fungus+gnats&forum=terrarium&forum_name=Terrariums and a fact sheet on fungus gnats: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05584.html However, it would be good to know exactly what's growing in your terrarium before you decide to let the top of the soil dry out, etc., so if you're not sure what they all are, it would be a good idea to post photos of the plants for folks to identify. This forum isn't too active (I followed a link here from the "recent posts" on the right side of the page), so you'll probably get quicker IDs by posting the photos in the House Plants or Name That Plant forums....See MoreSomething strange happening to my new terrarium!
Comments (5)Sounds like springtails? heres a link, http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/trees/ef420.htm ,they live in the soil and do no harm, theyre cool little critters to have in a terrarium as they do a good job "cleaning house" =) the webing sounds like fungus to me, does it look like something out of a sci fi movie? not quite a spiders web but vainy looking? if so its fungus, wont harm your plants but does sometimes get out of control, get some air circulating in there, maybe run a very small fan, like a computer fan across the top if the terrarium, that should do the trick, make sure you keep an eye on the humidity, dont want to dry out the plants, and if that doesnt work, but it should, and if you dont mind doing it, just take it apart and clean every thing with cool water, then use new sterile potting soil, and redo it =) let us know how it goes =)...See MoreNew to terrariums and GW
Comments (5)Greetings, JoD and Jeremy! Please do keep any of the following comments or critiques for what they are intended to be -- constructive 'criticisms' or well meant advice. JoD, just a 'heads up', do be keep in mind that you can very easily get unwanted inhabitants by utilizing materials from the great outdoors. Also many of your outdoor plants will likely have issues being indoors year round. Plants from temperate zones typically require a cool to cold winter dormancy to remain vigorous. Also, be very careful of what you "harvest" from the wild. For example, in many states (and I believe yours is one of them) it is ILLEGAL to remove trilliums from the wild. Furthermore in the case of trilliums, they do not take to root disturbance well, their soil requirements are quite specific, and a cold winter dormancy is a MUST. If you cannot provide all of these conditions and the rest of its needs, you are consigning it to an early grave. Your bonsai idea, while nifty in theory will, unfortunately, present a number of very real challenges. 1) As mentioned above, many temperate plants need a cool to cold dormancy. In the case of temperate trees this is a requirement not an option for the tree to remain healthy. A cedar is no exception. 2) Excellant air circulation is also mandatory -- something which can be difficult to accomplish in a terr. 3) Lighting will be a major issue. Trees have very high light requirements. Trying to providing sufficient light without overheating your tank will be highly problematic. 4) If you do solve all of the above issues, then there is at least one more cautionary note I wish to give you -- plan on needing to leave the tree in it's pot. To keep a tree in bonsai form, you will need to regularly prune both the branches and the roots. Assuming you are able to solve issues 1-3 and the tree is not in a pot, it will send its roots throughout the tank which would make root pruning difficult to impossible. I hope I have't come across as a 'wet blanket', but in addition to believing in responsible plant and animal husbandry, I'd like to help you avoid many of the common mistakes folks make. Nice terr idea, Jeremy. Out of curiosity, which plant are you refering to as "baby tears"? The fittonia is in the middle of course, the peperomia to either side I assume and the one at 12 o'clock is a pothos. Not sure where the "baby tears" are. Btw, don't get bummed if it takes awhile for responses. This is often a rather slow forum. Problem is, folks only have the space for a limited # of terrs. So after making theirs, there often isn't much to update or inquire about so they don't come back very often....See Morenew terrariums, mold question and lessons learned pictures
Comments (2)Your terrariums are very nice!!! Remind me of the first ones I tried. Good job. On the fungus, it is probably something that came in with one of the plants and not the moss as sphagnum is acidic. You may want to wash off your plants before planting and wash off most of the original potting mix as well. While the general lesson on building a terrarium use a stratified layer of gravel-charcoal-soil mix this approach is really best with those in large aquariums in which some watering may be more regular than would be needed in a smaller setting, such as yours. I would forgo the gravel and the charcoal and only use enough mix for about a 2 inch covering when pressed down after planting your plants. Be sure the mix is moist but not wet when doing so. Then only mist enough to allow for condensation to collect on the lid of the terrarium. If no condensation collects mist. If condensation covers the sides and the lid then open up and let dry for a day and close and see what happens. Also keep in mind that you need a good pair of plant shears as you will have to trim them back if they grow great. The real challenge seems to be in finding the right plants that are really small growing plants and that offer good eye appeal. There are so many sites on the net that offer so-called mini plants but when you read the list you find that these are regular plants that can get big even in a greenhouse!! Here is a link to one place that offers a variety of tropical plants for terrariums. I recommend checking each plant that is interesting to you out by googling to make sure the plant is what you may want to use. http://www.glasshouseworks.com/terrariumplants.html Those that I would recommend are: Piper, Selaginella, Jewel Orchids...See Morestupidlazydog CT zone 5b/6a
4 years agoUSDA 9b, Sunset z15, Bay Area CA
4 years agorina_Ontario,Canada 5a
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoAlyssa (Zone 6)
4 years agostupidlazydog CT zone 5b/6a
4 years agorina_Ontario,Canada 5a
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agostupidlazydog CT zone 5b/6a
4 years agoAlyssa (Zone 6)
4 years agorina_Ontario,Canada 5a
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoPaul MI
4 years ago
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rina_Ontario,Canada 5a