zondag 10 september 2017
How to make a moss terrarium (Stormthecastle)
How to make A Moss Terrarium
part 1.
http://www.stormthecastle.com/terrarium/a-moss-terrarium.htm
Moss terrariums have become very popular lately and I thought it might be a nice idea if I did a little bit of experimenting with my own. Now, I don't really know a lot about moss but I figured it's a nice time to learn.
So what I did was went for a walk in the
local cemetaries, wooded areas and parks looking for moss. It's kind of
ironic because when I got home I noticed I had a fair amount of moss
right in my own yard. I didn't even realize it. Anyhoo, here is some
tips and information that I gleaned during my walk and I will keep you
posted as to the status of my moss terrariums.
An initial thought on Moss Terrariums
To me it seems to be a bit plain to have a
terrarium with just moss in it. But we will see how it goes. I do think
that moss would be an absolutely outstanding addition to a regular
terrarium so whatever I learn will be put to good use.
I have also completed a second moss terrarium tutorial that is a little more complex and more attractive. It is located here: How to make a moss terrarium part 2
Special Note and Caution
about using any kind of external plant, rock or wood piece in your
terrariums: Moss, Rocks, Plants, Wood pieces from the outside world can
carry insects with them. Or even insect eggs that you can't see. You
should not immediately add these outside things to any indoor plant or
terrarium. You should first quarantine them in a sealed transparent
container for up to a month. This way you can see if anything develops
or any eggs hatch. In the case of the moss terrarium in this tutorial
its rather harmless because there is just the moss and it is a sealed
container. A reader, who has a bearded dragon, collects rocks and wood
from outside then bakes it in the oven at 350 degree for an hour to kill
all bugs and diseases. So his bearded dragon doesn't get sick.
Hunting For Moss
I took a backpack, some plastic bags and a few digging tools with me on my hunt. If you are going to be hunting around for moss I have some suggestions for you.
First off you should really get a feel
for the environment that the moss grows in. Notice where it seems to
thrive and why? You want to try to replicate this environment in your
terrarium. I noticed that moss in my area seemed to like a few things:
- Shady Spots - the moss in sunny areas was often brown and unhealthy
- Angled and slanted areas (they seemed to grow well on the sides of small hills) I am not sure if this is because they prefer it or because competing plants don't like the sides of hills.
- This could be a water preference. On a slanted location the moss will get water only for a short period of time which is rather interesting. And this leads me to believe the moss will do well with frequent but very light waterings. I got an email from a terrarium fan who recommended misting moss terrariums twice a day. This is a bit more work than I want to do but it may be necessary
This picture shows moss growing through the cracks of a slanted wall. It appears to be pretty healthy.
And this picture shows moss thriving in the shade of a tree. Again the soil has a slant to it.
I found some healthy and bright green
moss hugging up against the roots of a tree so I dug it up and this is
what I am using in my terrarium. I made sure I got a liberal amount of
soil under the moss.
Making the First Moss Terrarium
This illustration shows how I have made this first terrarium.
I put a layer of potting sand on the bottom for drainage. Then I put a thin layer of spanish moss to keep the soil in place.
Then I put about half my intended soil
in. And I placed a few thin slices of slate in there. I angled them.
Then I filled in the rest of the soil. Finally I placed the moss right
on top of the whole thing.
Because it seemed to me that moss likes
angles I figured I would build an angle right into the terrarium. We
will see how it goes! In the beginning I will mist it every day but
hopefully I will be able to taper down on this and not do it so often. I
am also going to make a couple more terrariums with just moss. One of
them will have the moss in a flat position so I can monitor how well it
does.
About sunlight - This is a bit of a
concern for me and I am going to limit the amount of sunlight these
terrariums get. Seems to me they don't thrive too well in it but with
daily mistings they might thrive in more sunlight - I will let you know.
A Note from Will: If you
are looking for living moss to make a terrarium or to add to your
bonsai this is the perfect stuff. Living Terrarium Moss for Bonsai and
terrarium making. Hirts Gardens now sells The perfect moss and it is
available on Amazon.com I have ordered two of these and will fill you in
on how they are.
Looking for a little green gift to
keep that someone fascinated? Look at this one! Le Petit Singularite is a
small, well-made, cork-topped jar, made from 40% post-consumer recycled
glass. Its design is simple and it looks good everywhere (we've checked
around our homes). Kit comes attractively packaged and with one figure -
please specify male or female.
Will has bought this exact terrarium
moss product and he loves it. It comes nice and misty in plastic bags.
There is a nice variety of interesting moss.
Terrarium Moss Kit
Will has bought this exact moss kit too!
Pictures of more moss Terrariums!
Moss terrariums are wonderful in their
simplicity and beauty. And you can often make one without spending a
penny. Just collect up the moss from the outdoors. Add some small
accents and they become a beautiful little world. I have some pictures
here:Moss terrariums.
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part 2.
How to Make a Moss Terrarium Part 2
Thiis a tutorial on how to make an attractive moss terrarium easily. And in this tutorial I add some extras and give you more advice on building it and caring for it. I also add a small figure to this terrarium and a pair of very small flowers (micro miniature Sinningia).
This tutorial is the second in my series of
tutorials about moss terrariums. You can see the first tutorial in this
series here: Make an easy moss terrarium.
|
The Suggested Materials Needed
I suggest a few things for this terrarium
project. First off you should use a container that has a large mouth
opening. On the right you can see the fish bowl that I am going to use
to make this terrarium. This is so you can easily get your hand in and
out and so you can easily get the moss in. I show you a few different
containers. The small mouth containers are not suitable for this kind of
project.
After that you need a cup full of pebbles, a
couple of cups of potting soil, your moss, and a spray bottle. The
spray bottle is so you can mist the moss afterwards. Moss likes to be
misted and you should do this once or twice a day.
What to do:
- Put about an inch layer of pebbles in the bottom of the container
- Put about 2-3 inches of soil right on top of the pebbles. This is optional because moss can do very well without much soil at all.
- Arrange your moss in the container and press it down nice and tight
- Add any accessories and accents you want (I added the little ranger figure and two small flowers.)
Caring for the terrarium:
If you have a container with a cover or a
lid then you can cover it but monitor it closely for moisture. You may
need to regularly or daily remove the cover and spray mist the moss. My
recommendation is that you leave it uncovered for a couple of weeks so
you can mist and water it and monitor it before closing it up.
The Video tutorial
Will has bought this exact terrarium moss
product and he loves it. It comes nice and misty in plastic bags. There
is a nice variety of interesting moss.
Terrarium Moss Kit
Will has bought this exact moss kit too!
The Magician
The Magician
2017.09.01
Pot for Priscilla die voor het eerst op zich zelf gaat wonen.
10-09-2017
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