Additional Terrarium Resources: Terrarium Forum

If you are looking for a forum-type experience centered on the craft and care of terrariums- check out iVillage Garden Web's Terrarium Forum.  The posts are lively, the posters are informative and people occasionally advertise the availability of plants/seeds suited for terrarium-life.  

I know some of us struggle with locating the best plants for terrariums - so if you are ready to try a new or unusual plant this may be the place to find it!

Prism "Terrarium" Lamp from ABJ

Ashley Bram-Johnson of ABJ Glass has a new geodesic prism lamp available, which I spotted on Gizmodo.  While at first glance it looks like a terrarium-worthy vessel, it seems that a hole for the lamp cord is unfortunately placed near the bottom of the base of the prism.  It seems that soil and water would run out of the hole unless you could build some sort of shield around it.  Maybe a good option for a faux terrarium with fake plants!

Moss Monday: Hoh Rain Forest

Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, a Your Shot photo from NatGeo.

Last-Minute Terrarium Gift Ideas

If you are still looking for a last-minute gift it is probably too late to make a full-blown living terrarium for someone.  You still have time to make a "terrarium" ornament!  Or, make a faux terrarium if you are willing to brave the craft store.  Hazel and Agnes prove that a non-living "terrarium" can be classy and not cheesy with the right approach.

Video Demonstration: Cutting a Bottle With Thread and Acetone

Everyone loves those upcycled cut-glass bottle terrariums and we've discussed how to cut bottles at home on the blog before.  The easiest method we seemed to find involved using lighter-fluid-soaked thread to burn around the circumference of a bottle and then plunge the bottle in cold water to snap off the edge.  Whoa!  Still sounded scary to me.

Lo and behold this awesome video, in which the crafty crafters use acetone (nail polish remover) to achieve the same effect.  Maybe this is silly but- as I handle acetone frequently it sounds less scary to me to try it this way.  You can bet I am trying this at home once I collect some nice bottles.  Bottoms up!

Can You Combat Terrarium Mold With Diluted Hydrogen Peroxide?

I'd like to say this is a Q & A feature but I only have the "question" part and I'm looking for your answers.  As you may or may not know, I strongly recommend washing moss before putting it in your terrarium.  It gets rid of foreign contaminants that may be in the soil or the moss and, in my experience, minimizes the chances of mold developing in the terrarium-ensconced moss.  When mold appeared - I would remove the affected moss/plants/soil and if it became rampant - I'd start the terrarium over again.

Recently someone suggested that diluted hydrogen peroxide can also be used to eliminate mold on soil. Has anyone tried this before?  Any tips or tricks for approaching mold removal with hydrogen peroxide?  Or any other solutions for removing mold?

Moss Monday: Hobbit Hole

Maddie Chambers/Brindley and her handmade Bag End dollhouse

I thoroughly enjoyed watching "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" over the weekend.  Yes, as many of the critical reviews note - it was silly at times but hey - so was the book, so it worked for me.  Of course the film was chock-full of awesome New Zealand moss and I was ready to share a still from the film for today's moss monday.

And then I happened upon the most wonderful handmade Bag End dollhouse ever.  I'm sharing one more photo below but if these look remotely interesting to you then check out Maddie Chambers/Brindley's blog madshobbithole and see her entire photo set.  The level of detail is astounding.  Faux terrarium it's not but it is full of fake moss and it is awesome.

Gift a DIY Terrarium Kit

If you don't have time to plant your terrarium gifts - why not package the supplies and gift it as a DIY craft?  Whit & Whistle has an adorable graphic to print and include in your terrarium vessel.

5 Tips to Starting Your Terrarium Over Again (the Right Way)

So you've followed every direction and built the perfectly planned terrarium!  You washed your moss, quarantined your plants before planting them and used only the freshest bagged potting soil and sphagnum moss for your soil layers.  You've been cautiously watering your terrarium and are keeping it lidded for 75% of the time.  And yet- the terrarium fails!  Mold appears, plants die or the whole thing becomes a disgusting swamp or dried out wasteland.

I've been there more times than I can count and trust me- it is a sad truth of the terrarium hobby.  You've got to know when to fold and just restart a terrarium.

1. First you'll want to dump out your terrarium vessel and wash it out well (with warm water and perhaps a drop of bleach).  Be sure to let it dry completely before replanting to avoid getting dirt etc. stuck to the sides of the glass.
2. Re-evaluate your terrarium vessel.  Is it a very narrow test tube that barely allows any air circulation inside the vessel?  A giant cylinder that is completely open at the top and might as well be a traditional ceramic pot?  Your plants need to match the vessel.  Humidity-loving or tropical plants need to be in a container that has a narrow opening or in a vessel that is partially or fully lidded for most of the time.  Succulents and more typical plants do better in open top vessels.
3. Did you wash your moss and quarantine your plants the first time around?  If not, proceed back to the start and do not collect $200 dollars.  Get some new plants and moss and start again.
4. Did you over water your terrarium?  A terrarium can easily go a week or two without water once it has been established.  A few spritzes or drops of water is all it takes to keep it happy.  
5. Consider the environmental needs of your terrarium.  Was it in a windowsill getting full sun for several hours a day?  In a dark room with nary a window or fluorescent light in sight?  Most terrariums do best in filtered light (adjacent to a curtained window) but you'll need to experiment to find the optimal location.  

Terrarium Workshop Photos at Design Sponge

Learn how to make a "living gift" for your loved ones with the terrarium workshop tips from Design Sponge.

Q & A: Can I use spanish moss instead of sphagnum moss in my terrarium?

Image courtesy of http://www.orchidsandtropicals.com/

This week I received an excellent question in my post "How to Make a Terrarium: Adding Soil Layers."

Question: Can dried spanish moss be used in lieu of the spaghnum moss as a filter?

Answer: Sphagnum or peat moss is a commonly used element in gardening and container gardening but I have never seen spanish mossed used in the same capacities (i.e. to line a hanging wire flower basket).  I did some research online and found an ehow article that may help us.  The author points out that while sphagnum moss is a great water absorber, spanish moss is actually an air plant in the tillandsia family and will not act the same way when used in gardening.

I'll paraphrase some of the key points here:

"Spanish moss is home to small insects and other organism. Spanish moss requires treatment or sterilization before use.... Because sphagnum moss grows in highly acidic waters, peat moss is usually germ free.  Because of its water-retaining ability and lack of most pathogens, it is ideal for seed-starting mixes or use as a soil amendment.  Spanish moss, does not incorporate easily into soil, but does act as an effective mulch, especially for indoor potted plants."

Read more: Spanish Moss Vs. Peat Moss

The idea of the Spanish moss potentially containing contaminants makes me hesitant to suggest using it as a terrarium soil layer.  You'll want to minimize the inclusion of any mold or germs in your terrarium.

NPR Wine Bottle Terrarium Gift Set

Introduce the art of terrarium-keeping to your friends and family with this cute "Sedum" terrarium kit available at the NPR gift shop.  Or - if you'd prefer to make your own upcycled wine bottle terrarium kits for gifts - see my collection of bottle cutting tips.

How to Pinch Off Plants

Why pinch off plants?

Whenever I've grown selaginella in a terrarium environment it gets very leggy.  The humid conditions seem to kick it into overtime growth and it will takeover a whole terrarium if given the chance.  The remedy appears to be "pinching off" the top growth of each little stem in order to stymy the growth.  This is time-consuming but seems to work?  I wonder how frequently it needs to be pinched off.