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Old 29-04-2004, 11:02 PM
TOM KAN PA
 
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Default Terrarium plants needed

Are there any common plants that can be grown in a terrarium?


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Old 29-04-2004, 11:06 PM
eclectic
 
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Default Terrarium plants needed


"TOM KAN PA" wrote in message
...
Are there any common plants that can be grown in a terrarium?


Saintpaulia ionantha (African Violet) can be grown in a terrarium.
Choosing a miniature variety is probably indicated for less
maintenance.

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Old 29-04-2004, 11:06 PM
paghat
 
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Default Terrarium plants needed

In article ,
c (TOM KAN PA) wrote:

Are there any common plants that can be grown in a terrarium?


The better question would be which ones CAN'T (easily) be grown in a
terrarium. Plants which require strong seasonal changes don't do well as
terrarium plants. Plants that get enormous aren't good choices. In a
more-or-less sealed vivarium with high humidity, small tropical &
semi-tropical plants will thive; in a well-ventillated terrarium, desert
plants like belly-cactus will thrive. Many aquarium stores sell falsely as
"aquatic" plants a number of bog plants that drop dead in aquariums, but
would do splendidly in a wet vivarium with water no higher than the root's
crown.

Suitable plants number in the thousands. I'll name three that I like: Java
moss lives both in & out of water in a high-humidity vivarium. It
especially likes to adhere to damp wood. Japanese sweetflag is a small
evergreen aroid that likes life in a vivarium either very wet or just high
humidity, will live outdoors or indoors; the variegated form Acorus
gramineus variegatus is a very common garden shop offering. A dwarf cane
plant commonly sold as a houseplant is Dracaena deremensis "Janet Craig
Compacta," which adores vivarium life & even does well in pea-gravel with
hardly any humus; though "dwarf" it nevertheless needs to be pruned down a
couple times a year unless your vivarium is three feet tall; pruned tops
can be put right in the soil & they will root easily. Baby's Tears
(Soleirolia soleirolii) often sold in the "treadables" section as a
groundcover adapts to high-humidity vivarium life extremely well, & can
spread to cover the entire bottom of a vivarium underneath the slightly
taller plants, though it will sometimes hump up to four or five inches &
need trimming so that it doesn't smother any leaves of other plants.
Miniature shade plants & bog plants do particularly well in a
high-humidity terrarium without even requiring artificial lighting &
ALMOST never requiring watering. If a frog or newt lives with them, they
don't even need fertilizing, the frog poops are plenty.

A light that does not heat the enclosure extends the possible plant
choices infinitely. There's not much that if it is small enough & has no
requirement to be chilled or dormant part of the year that will fail to do
great in a terrarium. Even things that need a winter dormancy can be good
terrarium plants, if terrariums can be carried to a chill-location for
part of each year. The issues become not so much "will it survive?"
because that's not usually a problem. The issues become: Will it stay
small enough; will it displace smaller things; will I be able to see any
interesting "structure" or will it just fill up its space with dense
greenery; will it like a high humidity sealed terrarium or low humidity
vented terrarium; can its roots "steep" in continuous moisture (dwarf cane
& sweetflag love to steep) or must I take care to keep soil moist without
begging boggy; is it apt to be trampled to death or eaten by some herp if
I include an animal (an iguana or turtle would eat much of the flora to
the ground; a white's tree frog would mash anything flat that couldn't
sustain a huge leaper).

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl:
http://www.paghat.com/
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Old 30-04-2004, 12:02 AM
Cereus-validus
 
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Default Terrarium plants needed

Not common outdoor plants.

There are several houseplants that are small enough to grow in a terrarium.
Some, like Sinningia pusilla and Begonia prismatocarpa, do best when grown
in a terrarium.


"TOM KAN PA" wrote in message
...
Are there any common plants that can be grown in a terrarium?




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Old 30-04-2004, 02:02 AM
figaro
 
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Default Terrarium plants needed

I used to collect plants from the backyard as a kid to put in terrariums.
Just look for plants with a tight, small growth pattern. You will find all
sorts from mosses to wild strawberries, ferns, and many little things that I
never found out the name of. If they get too big. Pull them out and
experiment with the next treasure.

If you want a sure thing, go to Kartuz.com. Michael sells miniature plants
including many rare mosses and miniature siningias. He is the one to go to
for a professional looking terrarium. He also has a large selection of rare
plants, vines, passiflora, and begonias. Fun website to dream over. Good
luck.



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Old 07-05-2004, 07:03 AM
MWhite3660
 
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Default Terrarium plants needed

Try baby's tears, ivy, and palms. They look really good together in mine.
Another really good one is creeping fig (creeping ficus). They will work great
for you!
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