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Growing different or unique plants adds a certain challenge to your plant and garden areas. It’s also a learning experience as you learn about new plants, their care and often the history that surrounds the plant.  Children also learn from a plant terrarium as they care for a watch a living “plant” grow.
photo credit: Just chaos

A very interesting terrarium is one set up with carnivorous plants. Most carnivorous plants are native to the United States. With their tropical look this fact surprises many people. And they are one of the more difficult plant varieties to grow. But growing them in a terrarium creates an atmosphere they like and it is a fun project to try.

Supplies needed for your Carnivorous Plant terrarium

·    Activated charcoal
·    Distilled water
·    Glass container – fish tank or unique glass bowls make great terrariums
·    Gravel
·    Several carnivorous plants
·    Sphagnum peat moss
·    Insects such as crickets or flies

Choose a glass container for your terrarium. If you have a lot of plants you may want a fish tank. I pick up my glass containers at garage sales and auctions and I look for interesting shapes. Your Carnivorous plants will need a lot of humidity, so the container should have a lid.

Next add a layer of gravel of loose pebbles or gravel to the bottom of your terrarium. The layer should be an inch deep. Then top the gravel with about 1/2 inch of activated charcoal. This absorbs any odors in the tank.
photo credit: ljmacphee

Cover the gravel and charcoal with a layer of sphagnum peat moss. Next I add about three inches of unfertilized soil. My friend told me many years ago to using sphagnum peat moss with silica sand or medium grade orchid bark. This mix will create an acidic soil that carnivorous plants like.

Add distilled water to the peat moss and mix until it turns black.  Then you will want to mix in the sand or bark. This creates a bog type soil that the plants need to thrive.

Now comes the fun part. Adding the plants! These are a few carnivorous plants that you might select for the terrarium: Cobra Lily (Darlingtonia Californica); North American Pitcher Plants (Sarracenia); Australian Pitcher Plant (Cephalotus Follicularis); South American Sun Pitchers (Heliamphora); Sundew (Drosera); Bladderwort (Utricularia); Butterwort (Pinguicula); and the most well known carnivorous plant, the Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). These plants can be ordered from garden suppliers or bought at larger garden centers or greenhouses.

Water your terrarium well with distilled water. This is important. The other types of water contain minerals and additives that could stunt plant growth or kill your plants.

You will want to place the terrarium in a spot with bright light where the temperature should average 65 to 75 degrees during the day and 55 to 65 degrees at night.

Tip: Carnivorous plants do not tolerate low light levels or high temperatures. The area also should not be drafty. Since carnivorous plants need plenty of light but will overheat if placed in direct sunlight, you may need to supplement lighting by using a good quality florescent light.

Your plants will need to be fed about once a month. They will eat either live or dead ants, flies or crickets. Children enjoy a carnivorous terrarium and will learn a lot from this project.

Technorati Tags: indoor plants, plant care, venus flytrap plant

House Plants are just as popular in planning as furniture when you decide to redo your home décor or are moving to a new home. Plants make a home feel more personal and add inviting warmth to rooms. And if you live a cooler climate where snow falls and plants die down, living plants in your home can add a tropical or garden feel to your overall atmosphere.
photo credit: idalingi

Plants also have many health benefits. They cleanse the air through utilizing the carbon dioxide and producing more oxygen. And in building that are more airtight these toxins can build up and cause more allergies and disease. By adding six to 12 plants to your home you can clean the air that surrounds you and add color and add aesthetic value to your décor.

Lighting

Most indoor plants need good lighting. This can be provided through natural lighting or electric lighting. Windows without drafts and sunrooms are wonderful locations for plants. If lighting is low in your home choose darker leaved plants. They usually don’t need as much light.

The plant varieties listed below usually only require medium to low light and are known to be suitable for indoor gardening:

• African violets (benefit form northern lighting)
• Boston ferns
• Creeping Fig
• Cyclamen
• Philodendrons
• Certain bulbs
• I also like to add a few herbs in my mix of indoor plants. They add great texture, aroma and the addition of fresh herbs for cooking needs.

Watering

A common mistake most people make in indoor gardening is they tend to over-water the plants, which often leads to rotting roots and moldy soil. Research the type of plant you have so that you know its watering needs. I also water all my plants from underneath, never on top of the soil. They also sit on pebbles in a tray. This adds to the humidity around a plant.
photo credit: faeryboots *away for the weekend!*

Potting

Select quality containers for your indoor plants. With all the container choices available you can add an artistic flair to any room and match your room style easily.  Make sure that the container is clean before placing your new plant into it. Rinsing the container with vinegar will help kill any germs you may have missed. The last step for you house plant is good soil. A clean container and healthy clean soil will prevent infection encourage healthy plant growth.

Humidity

Humidity is very important in the indoor garden.  The amount of moisture in the air has effect on the growth of the plants. By using pebbles on trays you will create a better humidity factor around the plants. During mornings, you could spray the plants with water for their much-needed moisture. Make sure the leaves don’t get covered in dust.

Fertilizing Plants

One final step in healthy indoor plants is feeding and fertilizing. Fertilizing your plant will depend on the type of plant.  If you have managed to supply your indoor garden with the right amount of light, water and humidity, fertilization may not need much attention. A good indoor fertilizer can be bought from garden centers or hardware stores. Read up on your type of plant to know its needs.

With a little planning and are you can have beautiful healthy plants that add to the comfort and design of your home.

The Shamrock plant has a beautiful look with its delicate leaves, stems and soft flowers. It’s a unique plant as it grows from a bulb and has a long life span. But one thing many people do not realize is as a bulb it has to die down so they think the plant is dying. But what it needs is a resting period. Let the plant rest by cutting back on the amount of water and sitting in a shady place for a few weeks.
photo credit: audreyjm529

Saint Patrick’s Day is not complete without a Shamrock plant. The plant has a spring feel and signifies good luck. It’s a welcome addition to any home. But after it has flowered it will need a rest. How soon will depend on how hard it was forced to have flowers by Saint Patrick’s Day and on how it was treated before you bought the plant. If it was in poor lighting, cool areas or lacked water it may be stressed and need a break sooner.

The Shamrock plant will need to rest a couple of times during the year. the leaves will yellow and look sad. Just remove the ones that are dying and cut back on water. Soon the plant will look very sad. It’s time to remove the leaves and stems to let the plant rest. I move the plant to a low light area and ignore. When you see signs of new growth on eh bulb bring the plant back into light and water.

In no time at all the plant will spring to life.

Care of the Shamrock Plant

Any plant will need repotted after a bit. It gives the plant new nutrition, fresh soil and a clean or new home depending if you totally repot the plant. I repot my plants once a year. It gives me a chance to check the roots and see if they are healthy or root bound. I also like to give the plant a new pot and a new look.

Repotting the Shamrock Plant

My Shamrock plants are several years old. Each year in late spring I replant them. Plants will let you know if they need replanted but by changing planters each year you know your plant is getting attention and proper care. This year I am changing my four shamrocks into different colored pots and adding a few mini ceramic pottery pieces to the pot for décor.

To repot you plant, tap the sides of the pot to loosen the soil. Hold the plant in place down by the base near the soil and tip on its side. The plant should come out but if it hesitated push you finger into the drainage hole to coax the plant out.

Check the look of the soil once the plant is out. If it has any crusty dirt or whitish spots remove them. Gently loosen the soil so that the plants roots breath better; but take care not to damage any plant roots.

If you are using the same pot make sure you wash it well and let it dry completely. I am using new pots but have washed them and let them dry. I will place broken pieces of clay pot over the drainage hole to hold dirt in but let water drain through. Next put in about 2 two to three inches of rich soil in the pot.

Set the Shamrock root ball onto the dirt, and carefully fill soil around the plant. Pat the soil around the base of the plant to hold it up right. Fill in the pot with more dirt until the pot is about 7/8th full. As a final step I place very small pebbles on the top of the soil. This helps to keep the soil loose so that the water will soak into the plant easier.

I normally water my plants from the bottom of the pot. This stops soil mold from forming and the soil from getting hard. I also find the soil stays in better condition if you water from below. But once in a while I do water from the top. Water you newly potted plant and let the plant relax for a few days

4 leaf clover

photo credit: cygnus921

As a last step, place your newly potted plant on a tray of pebbles. This creates more humidity around the plant and makes for a better plant environment. If by chance you plant has looked a little stressed or tired I will place a plastic bag tent over the plant to create a greenhouse effect. This perks almost any plant up immediately.

Once my plant has adapted to its new pot I add the ceramic pottery pieces and select its home for the year. My shamrock plants have done very well over the years and have produced more bulbs, which I have potted up and given to friends. Enjoy your Shamrock plant.

Tip: If your soil gets hard on the top of your plants during the year, gently loosen with a fork. Small pebbles should alleviate this problem.

Technorati Tags: indoor plants, plant care