Tips for Planting Moss in a Terrarium

"Plant the moss by placing it on the loose soil. Keep in mind that moss does not have roots like other plants. It will eventually take hold, and it will thrive and grow."

-from Creative Ideas for Making Moss Terrariums by Crystal Ray

Square Terrarium

White Flower Farm has a variety of terrarium kits available for purchase, including a wardian case type kit.    Here's another available terrarium kit in a cube shape with stained glass details.  The plants included in the kit, which are great plants for a terrarium:

• Pin Cushion Spikemoss (Selaginella kraussiana 'Brownii')
• Pin Cushion Spikemoss (Selaginella kraussiana 'Aurea')
• London Pride (Saxifraga x urbium)
• Button Fern (Pellaea rotundifolia)
• Tricolor Fern (Pteris quadriaurita)
• Ruby Red Club Moss (Selaginella erythropus 'Sanguinea')

Moss Monday: What to do with dried sphagnum moss?

Here's a question from Beth, the Fern & Mossery blog comments this week:

Q: I don't know anything about moss. I ordered some live sphagnum moss from Amazon and it came dried in a plastic bag. I'm not sure what I should do with it. Do I need to soak it in water? And what should I plant it in? I'm confused!

A: Sphagnum moss is a common material used for gardening and making terrariums.  Gardeners use it to line hanging basket frames, pad topiary frames and even mix it into soil.  I recommend using soaked sphagnum moss as a filter layer between the soil and charcoal layers in a terrarium (read more about how to add soil and other layers to a terrarium).

In some cases, dried craft or garden sphagnum moss can be revived into a green, thriving moss.  You can read my tips for reviving dried sphagnum moss - but I don't recommend this difficult method as a primary means of gaining live moss for use in the planted area of a terrarium.  Instead, look for some healthy, living moss elsewhere.  Try the shady side of buildings, in sidewalk cracks or in potted plants.  And don't forget to wash your moss!

Zombie Terrarium

Hot on the heels of last week's Halloween-inspired terrarium bonanza, I share this delightful zombified terrarium from Etsy seller FaceoftheEarth.  I love that zombie's swagger!  And FaceoftheEarth - I too am jazzed about the return of the Walking Dead!

Homemade Terrarium Wedding Favors

A terrarium in an ornament or small glass vessel makes for an attractive wedding favor- and one that guests might enjoy taking home!  Blogger heavenlybit shares a thoughtful DIY and reflection on making the above tillandsia (air plant) terrariums as favors for her wedding guests.

Bottle Terrarium with Fern

An unusual liquor bottle can make a lovely terrarium, like this terrarium from artintheage.

Q&A: Insect Infestation

An insect infestation can be the bane of a terrarium ecosystem.  While an errant earthworm, ant or snail may not do severe damage an entire host of winged insects can spoil your tiny garden.  Here's another Q & A about this common problem.

Question: I recently made a moss terrarium with live moss bought from Idaho. After a week or two after I placed everything in my glass jar, I noticed very small white mite looking insects crawling on the glass. I researched for hours and couldn't find anything pictures of the insects. They don't jump or fly, and seemed to be in the hundreds crawling on the glass. I tried putting a cottonball soaked in pesticide in the closed terrarium for a week plus. I didn't see the bugs again. I bleached the terrarium, put new substrate in and within 2 weeks the white tiny mite looking bugs were back. I threw everything out in fear the bugs were crawling in my house and not being able to identify them was scary to say the least. I just went back to my homestate of Illinois and went moss hunting so I can try once again. I'm going to go through all your steps and quarantine the pieces to see if anything happens. Have you had this problem before? Do you have any advice on how to treat them if I do have another problem? Thanks so much!

Answer: I believe that washing your moss and observing it under quarantine should prevent the insect infestation from taking place again.  I would recommend observing the moss for two weeks in quarantine just in case the insects are taking that long to hatch or mature.  Two weeks is a long time to quarantine moss so make sure to not over/under water or let it suffocate in a poorly ventilated container.

If the insects are not native to your moss - I can imagine two other potential problems:

• Your soil may be contaminated if you are not using fresh, bagged potting soil.  There are methods to "sterilize" soil by baking it on a cookie sheet in an oven at low temps.  It may be something to consider trying and here are some further instructions at Tipnut.  

• If you fear that the insects may enter your terrarium from elsewhere in your house (another houseplant perhaps)?  You may want to lid your terrarium for 80% of the time or consider rubber banding a piece of gauze or cheesecloth over the opening of your terrarium to prevent insect colonization.