Arizona Palm » House Plant

Buy or Build a Terrarium

Rick — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:58:22 +0000

Like buying a house, buying a terrarium can boil down to a basic choice. The choices are whether to Build Your Own or buy a unit that is already complete. Regardless of which way you decide to go, the experience can prove to be rewarding and a source of satisfaction for years to come.
As with building a home, building a terrarium is not a project for the novice. Creating a proper habitat for living plants from scratch requires a body of knowledge that takes a good bit of time to accumulate. Like a house, selecting the proper building materials for a terrarium is a crucial decision. The selection of materials is largely dependent on what you intend the terrarium to do.
Most home terrariums are used to create a microenvironment for certain types of plants. Others are used to house not only plants but, as in the case of a riparium, are used to create a home for various types small land creatures such as frogs and lizards. Ripariums can be much more complicated to establish and maintain the average plant terrarium. If plants are what you fancy then there are simple designs for the person who is adept at paying attention to the details.
One of the critical things to keep in mind is that terrariums must be moisture resistant. Even a terrarium that will be used to support desert plants must be constructed of materials that are somewhat impervious to constant contact with moist soils. The traditional plant terrarium must be able to withstand moist conditions from the top and, most importantly, to the bottom.
Terrariums are much like mini hothouses. The moisture in the soil acts very much like the moisture found in earth soils, oceans, rivers and lakes. During the earth water cycle, moisture evaporates, rises into the atmosphere and returns the surface in the form of precipitation like rain or snow. The water cycle in a terrarium is very similar and can be seen in several ways. In a properly constructed terrarium, moisture will condensate on the inner surfaces and run back down to the soil.
Most terrarium designs use glass, clear plastic or both, combined with a wood, plastic or metal framework. In one of the critical first steps in establishing a terrarium, the inside surfaces of the container must be thoroughly cleaned. The thorough cleaning helps to reduce the chance that adverse bacteria can develop and strain or even kill off the plants inside.
Wood surfaces inside the terrarium can become a breeding group for bacteria and should be avoided unless the bottom of the terrarium is lined with some study plastic. Try to stick with materials like glass and plastic for the interior that can be easily cleaned.
There is no end to the types of shapes and sizes a terrarium can take. That oddball brandy snifter in the kitchen cupboard can make a really nice desktop plant environment. So can that old fish bowl in the garage. Do not overlook that old Aquarium Tank that at the yard sale since it would make a fine enclosure. Aquarium tanks can make a really nice terrarium for several reasons and an aquarium tank with a top lid and light will do nicely.
Some species of terrarium plants may need to have more light than can be provided by ordinary room light. There are full spectrum light bulbs available that can be used to supplement ambient room light. Lighting can also add a different look to the plant display providing a variance in the color of certain plants.

Mitch Endick is a short article writer for the popular
terrarium site:
TerrariumSale.com. He provides information on how to build a terrarium, terrarium plants and glass terrariums. His website,www.TerrariumSale.com
also has information on reptile terrariums, frog terrariums and lizard terrariums.
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How to Care and Grow Crassula Ovata or Jade Plants Flowering Container Garden Favorites

Rick — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:25:12 +0000

Crassula ovata or Jade plants are shrubby succulent plants that make excellent choices for dry gardens and container plants. Xeriscaping with drought tolerant cactus and succulent plants has become popular in dry areas or places where water conservation is a concern. Jades have thick, deep green leaves sometimes tinged with red on the edges. The leaf shape, like the name ovata implies, are oval from 1 – 2 inches long.

Crassula ovata develop thick, fat trunks that have an aged look and will eventually grow up to 8 feet tall. In late winter jade plants get 3 inch clusters of light pink to pale salmon flowers with five petals. These perennial plants are drought tolerant and only need water once a month or so.

Indoors, succulent jade plants make good houseplants in containers. They prefer bright, indirect light and can take a few hours of direct sunlight but they are also adapted to low light. In a pot, Jade stay small and can even be used for bonsai. Crassula ovata is sometimes confused with Crassula argentia, which has a similar growth habit, but has silvery grey leaves. Crassula are usually not bothered by insects or disease. The biggest problem crassulas face may come from over watering. This will result in a soggy brown, rotting trunk.

In the garden, drought tolerant jade plants will grow in light shade to full sun. In hottest desert areas, crassula do better when they don’t have an entire day of full sun. Crassula ovata are hardy to 41 degrees (5 degrees centigrade). A light frost will show up at brown dots on leaves. Overhead protection is usually enough to protect succulents during a light frost. Heavy frost, or a deep freeze will turn leaves brown and shriveled. Frozen leaves will fall off, or you can brush them off with your hands. If the plant branch or trunk is not damaged, new sprouts should form in a few weeks.

Green jade plants are able to live off rainfall alone in many areas. In my southern California garden, crassula are happily growing in both full sun and shade, in heavy alkaline, clay soil. You can see photos of flowering jade plants at http://www.theGardenPages.com .

To root cuttings like jade plant or gollum jade, start with a 5 or 6 inch cutting. Bury about half of the stalk in soil. This will give you deep roots and helps the plant withstand drought better. Keep the soil moist (like a squeezed sponge). After a month, cut back to monthly watering. The leaves will probably shrivel a bit as the plant forms roots: it is living off the stored energy in its leaves. This is normal. You may also lose a few leaves, which is also normal. The plant will start growing again and may even flower in a year.

Visit at http://www.theGardenPages.com to see crassula plant photos and read about more plants that are versatile and easy to grow. Their winter bloom make jade plants a great addition to any garden or home.

Laura Zinkan cultivates a gardening site at http://www.theGardenPages.com with plant profiles and growing tips on cactus, succulents and California native plants. Drop by to smell the flowers. Or visit the gardening blog at http://thegardenpages.blogspot.com for up-to-date seasonal information. © 2009 by Laura Zinkan. Article may be reprinted if author credit is given with a website link. All rights reserved.
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Terrarium Deserts

Rick — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:03:59 +0000

Many people think of the desert as a dry, sandy and somewhat lifeless place. Dry certainly, sandy sometimes but deserts are hardly lifeless. Some deserts support a huge variety of plant life in what can be very fragile ecosystems. This is especially true in the deserts of the American Southwest.
The deserts of the American Southwest are often situated between mountain ranges. Rain that falls at higher elevations tends to run down to the desert basin below providing a limited amount of natural irrigation.
When it comes to desert flora, most of us think of the humble cactus. The beauty of the cactus is the stunning diversity and beauty of these succulents. Equally as stunning is the ability of this plant species to survive in relatively harsh conditions. Yes, cacti are succulents.
Cacti are generally shrubs that have a juicy center core and often succulent limbs. The surfaces of many cacti are comprised of minute scaly leaves covered with clusters of sharp spines.
The fleshy stems can assume many different forms and shapes. The branching of the saguaro cacti is what many of us relate to the American West. These giants of the cactus world can have a lifespan exceeding two hundred years. These hardy plants have adapted over thousands of years to the meager moisture of the desert environment. Growing to as tall as 20 feet, the classic saguaro is hardly a proper candidate for the average terrarium.
The good news is that there are dozens of species of cacti that make a perfect addition to the desert terrarium. Even though all cacti are succulent plant types, not all succulent plant types can be considered cacti. Since many succulents can thrive and survive in the same relative growing conditions, mingling cacti and non cacti species in your terrarium can make for a very pleasing display.
The initial set up for a desert terrarium is not much different than for one that will support more tropical plant life. As with any terrarium, drainage is still an extremely important factor. Do not skimp on the amount of drainage material. Plant roots will not survive long if they are immersed in water. This is especially true for cacti and other succulents. The root systems of many cacti and succulents can be very shallow and excess water must be drained away.
The quickest way to kill off a cactus plant is to water it too often. I know this from personal experience, sadly more than once.
The soil used to successfully grow cacti is not hard to find. Many nurseries and garden supply retailers have soil mixtures that are compatible with average terrarium cactus. If a specific soil is not available, there are alternatives even for the novice grower. Combining plain potting soil half and half with sand will leave you with an adequate growing media. Adding a little gravel like that used for fish aquariums can also help to improve the ability of the soil to drain.
Once you have a laid down a layer of drainage material such as gravel, adding a thin layer of sphagnum moss would not hurt. Using a layer of moss will help keep the top soil and sand mixture from leeching down into the gravel. Finish up by adding a deeper layer of the soil and sand mixture about one and a half to two inches deep for the average small desert terrarium.
Moving the cactus specimen from its container to the terrarium is a critical step and must be done carefully. First determine the proper location and dig a small planting hole. Carefully remove the cactus from the original container being careful not to disturb the roots. Plant the specimen and carefully cover the root ball.
Cacti properly planted in a desert terrarium can be easily cared for by even a novice plant enthusiast.

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