I recently visited the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Ft. Myers, Florida, where I was given a tour of their residences, gardens, research facilities, and museum. Particularly all the rubber trees they investigated as potential sources for tire materials, the plant collections there are amazing.
I took advantage of the fact that Edison is most well-known for creating the light bulb by buying a tiny hanging planter in the shape of a lightbulb. An air plant is within, resting on sphagnum moss. I enjoy looking at it every day because it hangs above my kitchen window.
Tillandsia, or air plants, are fascinating members of the Bromeliad family. Since all bromeliads are epiphytes, they depend on another object for support. Because of this, plants in nature use their root systems to grow safely on rocks and trees. They obtain water and nutrients from the air and rain through their leaves as opposed to using their roots to draw them from the earth.
Only three things are necessary to maintain air plants healthy and content: sunlight, water, and air movement.
First, you need light—filtered light, not direct light—coming through a window facing south, east, or west. You can hang them outside in a tree or other safe place during the summer.
Second, appropriate irrigation is essential for growing Tillandsia. I prefer to mist mine once or twice a week to keep the sphagnum moss substrate damp while allowing the plant to somewhat dry out in between waterings. The leaves are too dry if they curl or roll. Place the plant in water overnight to resuscitate it, then shake off any extra water before putting it back on display.
Third, proper air flow promotes disease prevention and allows the plant to dry out a little between waterings.
Terrariums, which are transparent glass or plastic containers filled with miniature plants, are ideal for growing and displaying air plants. Unlike other terrariums, which are securely closed, my light-bulb-shaped container includes an entire side that is open to promote air flow.
- Home watching is possible for all sessions.
- It will be broadcast in the Peoria and Havana Extension offices on Tuesday at 1:30 PM.
- After the presentation, viewers can watch recorded films of these sessions.
How to Care for Air Plants
Before spending the time and money to create this fantastic terrarium, you might want to get a quick lesson on how to take care of air plants. Fortunately, it’s really simple for you! Tillandsias, often known as air plants, require this in order to flourish.
- Although they may tolerate some direct sunlight, air plants prefer bright light. Low light levels might abruptly cause air plants to falter and perish. Make sure you attend to their lighting requirements since once they reach that stage, saving them becomes challenging.
- It’s simple to water air plants… Put all of your air plants in a big bowl or sink and soak them in water for 20 to 30 minutes once a week. Allow them to dry on a towel, upside-down. Give your air plants a gentle shake before setting them out to drain since they are prone to rot if water is allowed to gather in their leaves.
- Add a water soluble fertilizer to the water you soak them in every other time you water them during the growing season.
I’m done now! Now that you know how to construct an air plant terrarium, you can not only showcase your plants in a stunning fashion but also enhance the design of your home.
Air Plant Terrarium Supplies
- Open terrarium or glass container that provides for optimum airflow
- Sand or gravel for aquariums
- Sculptural rocks, stones, and wood
- Ideally, different types and sizes of air plants
Our initial air plant terrarium was created with simplicity in mind. This consists of of two stunning air plants, a few stones, and white sand. Observe how the one is blooming! There is a misconception that air plants perish once they bloom. They still have a lot to do, despite the fact that they will eventually die after flowering. Blooming is a sign that the plant is preparing to generate air plant pups, sometimes referred to as baby air plants, near its base. Therefore, never throw away an air plant that has bloomed because it is still very much alive.
Air Plant Terrarium Instructions
- Sand or gravel can be added as a base to the terrarium’s bottom.
- Include rocks, stones, wood, or other beautiful natural elements.
- To achieve the desired look, add air plants. For a more understated appearance, use one or two; for an urban jungle feel, use as many as you can!
- Done!
As you can see, there are numerous varieties of air plants. Others have more coarse leaves than others, some with fine leaves. various shapes, hues, and even watering requirements.
Additionally, we wanted to give this air plant terrarium a more natural look. We gathered materials for our DIY terrarium from our neighborhood beach, including a piece of driftwood and a stone coated in barnacles. We adore this terrarium, which contrasts three distinct air plants and a small amount of preserved moss beautifully.
With the plant parent revolution, air plants are popular, and this only goes to show that they can be just as stunning and fascinating as any philodendron or fern!
Where to Buy Air Plants
We are so satisfied with the air plants, preserved moss, and terrarium that were provided by Etsy seller “Spyloh” that as of right now, we won’t purchase our air plants from anybody else!
We hope you are prepared to construct your own terrarium for air plants. Make the ideal area for your plants to be shown! We believe you’ll also enjoy our posts on What are Air Plants and Clever & Cool Indoor Garden Ideas & Projects. or check out OhMeOhMy’s DIY Branch Chandelier Air Plant Display!
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In an open terrarium, can air plants survive?
It’s wonderful to make terrariums, but your first thought presumably is, “Which plants should I chose for my terrarium?” The best plants for both open and closed terrariums will be discussed in this essay. Around 60 of the best plants for open and closed terrariums, including those that thrive in cramped conditions and can withstand high humidity and temperature swings, will be included on this list.
Air plants, or Tillandsia
Since they are epiphytes, air plants may survive without soil. For survival, these plants glue themselves to a host. Through their leaves, they take up water. For a number of reasons, air plants work best in open terrariums. One of them is that your air plant needs to be watered pretty frequently—about twice a week (apart from misting).
It is better to submerge air plants in water to water them, but this will be difficult in a confined terrarium. A few times a week removal of the plant will destroy the pattern. Because air plants don’t enjoy humidity or being wet, they are better suited for open terrariums. You must dry the plant after submerging it in water before putting it back in a terrarium.
You can utilize a variety of air plant species. The lengthy leaves that emerge from the core of air plants give them an incredibly gorgeous appearance. Top Tillandsia for terrariums include:
- Xerographic Tillandsia
- ionantha T.
- Houston
- Guatemala
- Tectorum
- Scaposa
- Aeranthos
- Stricta
- Peach, or capitata
- Caput-medusae
- Streptophylla
- Hondurensis
For your open terrariums, you can get a single air plant or a small collection similar to this. Here is a detailed guide to taking care of tillandsias.
Succulents
The best plants for open terrariums are succulents. To prevent overwatering succulents, be cautious when watering them. Succulents prefer drying out in between waterings and bright, indirect light. Ensure that the terrarium containing the succulents has an opening that is at least modest to medium in size. The following succulents make excellent terrarium plants:
- Jade tree (Crassula ovata). Deserts are where jade plants, which have heavy leaves, are found in nature. These plants require low humidity and strong light. Jade plants come in a variety of varieties; avoid picking any that can grow to be more than 4 feet tall! Select smaller varieties like “Mini Jade” or “Hobbit.” Jade plants require direct sunlight, good airflow, and rarely watering.
- Tiger Jaws, also known as Faucaria Tigrina, is a stunning plant with spiky leaves and star-shaped rosettes.
- Chickens and hens (Sempervivum). Chicks surround the main hen plant in these attractive succulent plants called “hens and chicks.” Hens and chicks can be used jointly or individually. They should only be planted in an open terrarium because higher humidity containers will cause them to decay.
- Aloe Vera, also known as the “medicine plant,” is a widely common plant with sharp leaves.
- the Chocolate Soldier, or Kalanchoe tomentosa
- Kalanchoe luciae, or the flapjack plant
- Ghost Plant, or Graptopetalum
- Alpine Aloe
- Haworthia, or the Zebra plant, has stunning leaves with striped surfaces.
- Sedum morganianum, often known as burro’s tail, has leaves that resemble beads.
- Gasteria
- Beautiful little round plants called lithops have a stone-like appearance. Read more here about Lithops care.
Cacti, or cactuses
Cacti need to be dry in order to look their best in terrariums. In closed terrariums with high humidity and poor airflow, these plants won’t survive. Make sure the container has a medium to large opening when making cactus terrariums. Because many cacti grow very enormous when they are fully mature, only choose little ones.
Baby tears, or Soleirolia soleirolii
a really lovely plant with leaves that have spots of various colors. These plants thrive in humid settings and adore dampness.
The adorable strawberry begonias are the ideal flowers for open terrariums. Be cautious because they require open terrariums with dry foliage. If not, the plant will begin to wilt.
Using croton plants, you may make incredible terrarium designs. You will need to prune these plants because they grow pretty tall. Make sure to grow them in terrariums with open doors. This plant will do well in Wardian case terrariums.
Best plants for closed terrariums (or better those with small openings):
It is always a good idea to have at least a little gap in the container, even though you can make a terrarium that is completely closed. Fully closed terrariums can fog up, make it difficult to care for plants, and yet result in rotting roots. Small, spherical glass spheres like this are the most common containers that produce lovely patterns.
There are many different types of bromeliad plants, and some of them enjoy warmth and humidity. The following are some of the top bromeliads for terrariums:
- Earth Star, or Cryptanthus It is the perfect plant for a sealed terrarium. They enjoy moisture, and
warmth. You can grow numerous varieties of Cryptanthus in a terrarium. Choose plants that don’t expand rapidly or get very large.
- Another lovely plant for a closed terrarium is neoregelia. Its lovely pink/violet blossom is of exceptional beauty.
- The magnificent Silver Vase plant, also known as Aechmea fasciata, has lovely flowers. This plant should be placed in a terrarium with a small to medium opening.
Long stems from this plant terminate in tiny, spherical, creamy-white blooms. They fit tall terrariums like Wardian enclosures and are ideal for humid conditions.
Popular and attractive plants like orchids work well in Wardian instances. Sphagnum moss must be present surrounding the roots of the plant.
The majority of carnivorous plants thrive in moist, nutrient-poor environments. For this reason, insect-eating plants capture them and consume them to obtain nutrition. These fascinating plants thrive in humid environments and intense direct sunlight.
Both open and closed terrariums are capable of supporting carnivorous plant growth. The only issue you might run into with carnivorous plants in tight terrariums is feeding them—they can have trouble collecting insects. You can either choose a terrarium with a tiny entrance or give your carnivorous plants their food by hand. Following are some of the top carnivorous plants for terrariums:
- Venus flytrap is a potential choice, but it will need to hibernate over the winter.
- The Tropical Pitcher Plants, often known as Nepenthes. Given that they grow very large, they might not be the greatest for small terrariums. Large terrariums can be used for planting plants, but the proper temperatures must be maintained. Nepenthes come in two varieties: Highlanders and Lowlanders. You may need to heat the terrarium during the day and chill it at night, depending on the type.
- Sarracenia, or American Pitcher Plants Since the majority of them grow huge and require winter dormancy, they are not the greatest plants for terrariums. However, you can choose Sarracenia for a terrarium, such as S. rubra or S. purpurea (purple pitcher plant). Select young plants, and make sure to give them a winter dormant period.
- Drosera, or sundews. For the winter dormancy, you must remove them, although they require bright light.
- Heliamphora, or Sun Pitchers. They enjoy high humidity, but they also require colder temperatures, as the nighttime temperature drops.
- Follicular Cephalotus Note that during the winter they require chilly temperatures.
- Pinguicula or butterworts
- Utricularia, or bladderworts
- Drosophyllum lusitanicum, also known as Dewy Pine, but only in an open terrarium. They require excellent ventilation and bright lighting.
The majority of ferns are quite hardy and can withstand high humidity. Ferns give any terrarium depth. The following ferns make excellent terrarium plants:
- Bird’s nest fern (Aspleniumnidus)
- Little Holly Fern
- Hemionitis arifolia, sometimes known as heart fern
Nerve plants prefer high humidity, therefore they will do best in a closed container or, preferable, one with a tiny aperture. You must routinely monitor the soil’s moisture because they dislike soggy dirt.
Mosses are a wonderful addition to terrariums that are closed. You can utilize a wide range of mosses, such as moss balls or Golden Club moss plants.
Pilea microphylla, often known as artillery ferns, are stunning plants that are simple to grow and maintain in terrariums. They enjoy moist environments and direct, bright light. Additionally, the seeds shoot out with a popping sound!
High humidity and indirect light are favorable to creeping fig. It is a fairly resilient plant, but because it grows so quickly, you will need to clip it frequently.
High relative humidity and direct light are favorable to pothos plants. Additionally, they enjoy warm temperatures of about 70 degrees, so in the winter, be sure to keep them away from windowsills that are too cold. However, you will also need to constantly clip its leaves, so think about getting a terrarium with a little hole.