Florarium is a small home greenhouse in a transparent glass or plastic container with plants growing inside.
What is a florarium?
Plant terrariums (florariums) are large and small transparent containers with wooden or plastic inserts, with a narrowed inlet located to the side or top. Sometimes they are completely covered with a lid.
A variety of bottles, flasks, jars or specially designed containers in which plants are grown can be used under containers for floraria. They can be large and small, desktop, floor and wall. The most important thing is to accurately select the plants suitable for the florarium and create the required conditions for them.
It is necessary to maintain constant humidity and temperature. It can be heated and illuminated using special equipment so that the vegetation does not depend on natural heat and light.
The terrarium for plants takes up little space, therefore it is convenient for apartments with small window sills. The compositions in it look original and stylish, periodically the plants for the florarium, as they grow, must be transplanted.
What is a glass garden for?
- Interior decoration. The composition for this purpose uses a short period of time, so the plants are selected in appearance without taking into account the characteristics of their cultivation.
- For the cultivation of exotic plants that require a certain temperature and high humidity.
- Simplify the procedure for the care of succulents and tropical hygrophilous plants.
Types of florarium. Care
There are several types:
- Closed by a tight lid or glass vases, bottles.
- Partially open. The compositions are created in bottles, vessels or vases having a small hole.
- Open. In such florariums grow plants that require constant ventilation and are not afraid of temperature changes during the day. Vases of round or oval shape with a wide opening are used.
Care for the micro-ranger includes:
- clean glass content;
- inspection of plants;
- watering (if necessary);
- plant transplantation, soil replacement once every 2-3 years.
Criteria for choosing a florarium
- Slow growth of plants and their miniature.
- Take into account the purpose of the composition.
- The conditions for keeping plants should be the same.
Pay attention to the following points:
- temperature;
- air humidity;
- watering;
- soil composition.
Placing plants in a microrange
Tall plants for the florarium are located in the middle, then medium-tall and low along the edge. Plants are planted directly in the ground or in small pots, which are then decorated by decorating with shells, moss or colored soil.
To prepare the substrate, it should be remembered that it should not be too nutritious in order to avoid the rapid growth of plants. And in order to avoid root decay due to high humidity, it should be breathable and airy. You can prepare the mixture yourself. To do this, take perlite in the ratio 1: 1: 1, sphagnum peat and vermiculite. If plants are planted in the soil, then it is necessary to make drainage from charcoal, expanded clay or small stones, which are pre-washed and disinfected. Plants are planted so that around each bush there is a place for its growth.
Care will not be much trouble if plants for the florarium are placed in small pots.
Using jewelry
When decorating an open florarium, various branches, unusual shells, intricate pebbles, and any trinkets that are used for decoration are prepared in advance. All these things should be of an unusual shape or have a bright color to complement and shade the finished composition. All decorations will give the garden a harmonious and complete look. When using live plants, a micro-orange is placed to the window or backlight is made.
What plants are suitable for florarium
To select plants, remember that not all flowers are suitable for creating compositions in the florarium. Firstly, do not choose fast-growing plants. Secondly, for small florariums, very small flowers are taken, no more than 15 cm high. Thirdly, flowering plants, as well as succulents and cacti, are not used for indoor florariums without ventilation.
How to create the perfect florarium? Which plants are the most popular? The most common plants for the florarium: arrowroot, selaginella, calathea, dieffenbachia, ferns, cryptanthus, fittonia, crotons, rheo, alocasia. Of flowering plants, preference is given to azaleas, cyclamens, and senpolias. Of
the cactus family , only rainforest
cacti are recommended.
Orchids are very moody plants, they are grown in special flora. Beginning gardeners may have difficulty planting these plants in the flora.
Closed microrange
Plants for this kind of florarium are located in a closed space under glass and do not need watering. Thanks to a closed environment with its microclimate, it becomes possible to grow rare and exotic plants in any type of premises. Remove the fallen leaves and pinch the tips of the grown plants - these are all care procedures that are performed as necessary.
In a closed flora, plants for respiration independently produce carbon dioxide and oxygen. Such a florarium should be hermetically sealed with a lid and not have any openings. For the purpose of ventilation, large volumes of flora are equipped with a ventilation system. For small indoor florariums (vase with lid, bottle) ventilation is not required. Such micro-arrays must be protected from direct sunlight so that the plants do not die from the high temperature inside the bottle. Plants in a buried florarium do not require watering, since they have enough moisture.
What representatives of the flora can decorate the indoor florarium? Plants from which you can create great compositions in it:
- asplenium;
- begonia (variety with small leaves);
- calathea;
- cryptanthus;
- peperomy;
- selaginella.
Dry flora
The composition "desert landscape" is easy to care for and is often used to create a microrange. Plants for the florarium (photo below) dry - these are cacti: astrophytum, mammillaria, echinopsis, rebutia and succulents: echeveria, argyroderma, cerochlamis.
The land is used ready-made, bought in a store, a layer of river sand is made from above, several large stones can be added. Plants are planted in the prepared florarium.
Microorganism "rainforest"
In any, even small, container, you can create a composition similar to a tropical forest, if you use plants of different heights. It is necessary that the foreground allows you to see everything that is behind it.
When selecting plants, the main attention should be paid to the same needs for soil and moisture, it is not necessary to select outlandish species of the tropics. Plants for the florarium (list below), allowing you to create the composition of the "tropical forest": chamedorea, calamus, begonias, phytonia and various types of bamboo. Peat, sheet land and coarse sand should be present in the soil.
Caring for such a flora reduces to maintaining a temperature of about 25 degrees, humidity of at least 80 percent, frequent watering and spraying of plants.
Florarium "moss"
Mosses are common plants, there are more than 10 thousand species. They survive in the most extreme climates. Usually form dense clusters in moist and shady places. There are those that grow well in dry areas lit by the sun.
Moss microorganisms mainly play a secondary role, but you can make it the “main character” of the composition. Material to buy at a flower shop or some
types of moss to bring from the forest.
Together with sphagnum, you can use other plants, only you need to choose them correctly. For planting, they use special soil for moss, he loves acidic soil.
Caring for such a composition is very simple: put a container of water in the container and constantly spray.
DIY Florarium
For manufacturing you will need:
- any glass containers;
- appropriate soil;
- drainage;
- coal;
- plants;
- elements for decoration;
- necessary tools.
Wash well prepared containers and pour boiling water over them. Make the drainage a layer of 4 cm. On the drainage layer put tablets of activated carbon or charcoal, after grinding it. It is necessary for the prevention of plant diseases. Pour 8 cm of moist soil, use the purchased substrate. To add decorativeness, you can mix the layers of soil and colored sand.
Remove the plants (succulents, ivy, ferns, senpolia, cacti) from the pots, clean the roots and prepare for planting.
Level the soil, make small holes and plant the plants for the florarium neatly in them, the list with a photo of which is above. Make sure that the leaves do not touch the walls of the vessel. Spray and pour ready-made plantings. Add decorative decorations to the container.
Planting plants in a glass container is not pampering, but a tradition that came from the 19th century. And today, floraria is a pleasure that everyone receives, contemplating the most beautiful floral arrangements.