Admittedly, many of these are not commonly grown as terrarium plants, but, some such as the Peperomia serpens and Peperomia sp. Costa Rice are. They have adapted wonderfully to windowsill life! Philodendron joepii is one that I’ve tried growing as a house plant, and it did alright for a few months but the ambient light didn’t seem to be enough. With proper light though, I think that would be another good candidate. Advertisements
Categories: Cultivation
Materials -Healthy visually mite-free culture of melanogaster (this media mix doesn’t work well for hydei) -Deli cups or mason jars (both are easy to re-use). Superior enterprises has most materials you would need, as do many restaurant supply stores. -Perforated lids or normal deli cup lids with the center cut out (super helpful in a pinch if you don’t have the perforated lids). Many lids you can purchase come with paper glued to the lid, -it gets dirty after a […]
Categories: Blog, Cultivation
You frequently hear that new hobbyists are intimidated by Selaginella species. Mostly because they have a tendency to melt, sometimes what seems overnight. I think there are multiple reasons for this. In my experience there are two main ones. First, most of the commercially available species are grown in greenhouses and at lower humidities and moisture levels then what you regularly find in a terrarium. When put into your terrarium the sudden changes causes them to melt. With careful […]
Categories: Blog, Cultivation • Tags: new world, Selaginellas
One of my favorite plants is Biophytum sp. Ecuador, partially because it is giant for a Biophytum, and partially because it seems to grow however many leaves you manage to knock off or how many times you forget to water it. But, it does all this without being weedy and taking over a terrarium (and even without taking up too much space!). I’m not sure if it is normal for Biophytums to grow from a full stem off the rosette, […]
Categories: Blog, Cultivation, Plant Photo Library • Tags: Biophytum, propagation
Just a small, but interesting observation in the filmy fern Trichomanes reptans that I thought I would share. This is the first filmy fern that I have noticed doing this, but from now on I will definitely pay more attention. Initially when a new frond develops in this species, the stalk is rough in texture but the development of hairs is not present (at least to the naked eye). As these stalks start to age, they do develop coarse hairs that […]
Categories: Blog, Cultivation • Tags: filmy fern, propagation, Trichomanes
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love looking at Selaginellas. Every weekend I would go with my mom and neighbor to swap meets to sell plants. Among the tropical plants that my parents would grow were a couple of Selaginellas. We had masses of Sellaginella uncinata growing on the black cinder that covered the floor of the greenhouses. Such a beautiful sight. I must have been around 10 when I first tried growing some S. uncinata for myself. I was […]
Categories: Blog, Cultivation, Plant Photo Library • Tags: Selaginella
I have this little plastic bin that has a lawn of Trichomanes ankersii gametophytes that on occasion produces a few sporophytes. I’m still at the stage of trying to understand what conditions will induce successful fertilization and regular production of little fernlets. Many other filmy ferns that I have tried to reproduce in this way will fill the container with gametophytes, but this is as far as it gets. I have containers that are several years old with no further stages. […]
Categories: Blog, Cultivation • Tags: fern, filmy, gametophytes, reproduction, sporophytes
Just out of curiosity the leaves of Marcgravia species brown were planted to see if they would root and grow. I regularly propagate this species by taking stem cuttings and root them in spagnum moss. It is a quick, easy, and reliable method. Not a single cutting was ever lost. While this species is not a rampant grower, the cuttings will root in a month and by the second month nice growth can be seen. On one of these propagating […]
Categories: Blog, Cultivation • Tags: leaf cuttings, Marcgravia, propagation
Personally, I can’t think of many things in the terrarium more attractive than a clump of bryophytes all growing together. The variety of shapes and tones they create seems to add a delicate and subtle depth to the plantings. One problem is that many times when you acquire a new moss or liverwort, it is only a small piece. Definitely not enough to create the vision you have in your mind. And certainly not enough to satiate the need, because […]
Categories: Cultivation, Plant Photo Library • Tags: Bryophytes, Growing, liverworts, plagiochila
