Garden Talk: Taking Care Of Holiday And Other House Plants

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• Creating Terrariums Is A Great Project For Children, Says Author

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  It seems natural to get children involved with gardening outdoors. But especially when young ones are off of school for the winter holidays, it’s a great time to get them interested in indoor plants, too.

  Tovah Martin, the author of a dozen gardening books, including “The New Terrarium,” said that creating a terrarium is a great project to do with children.

  “They’re magical, and kids love them,” she said. “It’s a little world, encased in glass. It’s like somebody shrunk the garden.”

  Martin said that there are containers made for terrariums, but it isn’t necessary to buy those specific receptacles.

  “I don’t go for the ‘Rolls Royce’ fancy ones that cost a small fortune,” she said. “I just go into the basement and find some mason jars, or anything that has a wide enough mouth to fit your hand in will work.”

  Containers that are clear glass or plastic work best, Martin said. Options include apothecary jars, small powder jars, a glass vase, a fish bowl or even a soup tureen. One caller who identified herself as Dolores from Kenosha shared that when she replaces her coffeemaker and ends up with an extra glass carafe on her hands, she turns it into a terrarium.

  Martin said that terrariums can be open or closed. While covers aren’t necessary, she said if one is desired and the container doesn’t come with its own, a glass plate works well.

  Selecting the right plants is important for a successful terrarium. Martin said that plants that can tolerate or even prefer lower light are a good choice, and they should also be well-suited to a high humidity environment. In addition, staying at a dwarf size even at maturity is key.

  Some of Martin’s favorite plants for terrariums are mosses, ferns, begonias and creeping figs. For an immediate splash of color, she added that “in a pinch you can even put a pansy in there.”

  She has also used miniature hostas, which she said look “cute.” She has an extensive list of plants that are well-adapted to terrariums on her blog.

  A favorite with children is carnivorous plants, which she said “work great in terrariums.” Those include Venus fly traps, but Martin said that pitcher plants and sundews are much easier to grow.

  Martin said that one way in which terrarium plants are different from other houseplants is that they should not be fed.

  “No fertilizing,” she said. “You want those little babies to stay little. You don’t want to give it the breakfast of champions. You don’t want to make a giant out of them.”

  Water requirements for terrariums are also different from other plants. Martin said to water the plants in the terrarium when they are first planted, and then close it up. After 10 days to two weeks, she recommended airing it out by opening it up for air circulation.

  “Terrariums will tell you when they need water,” she said.

  After leaving the terrarium open for a bit, she said to close it back up. If condensation then forms on the glass, the habitat has enough moisture. If not, it needs some water.