terrarium basics- or cookie jar terrarium

[knitsteel]

Can someone point me toward some terrarium basics. I've got a few books on request at the library.

I had a phaleonopsis orchid and a dendrobium orchid (not minis) on the verge of death on my dining room table. So I bought a big glass cookie jar,stuck them in there, with a bunch of fresh orchid bark, added a small amount of water and closed the lid. The lid is clear glass. The house has lots of windows so the dining room gets tons of natural light.
I open the cookie jar once a day to let in some fresh air.
The orchid plants almost immediately perked up, greened up, and the dendrobium has put out quite a few new leaves.

Then I got excited, ordered a few mini orchids, bought another cookie jar and stuck them all in. So far so good.
You can see them at the end of this blog post.

Can it really be this simple? Will they bloom next winter? When the big ones bloom will I be able to acclimate the plants to an open lid environment for a few months?

I'm also now hooked on the idea of making a more complicated environment. Would I really need lights and if the enclosure was all glass? Do I need a fan if it gets opened up once a day? What's the minimum I can do technologically to get an aesthetically beautiful environment with water, 2 or 3 orchids, and moss?

[smartie2000]

Yes terrariums can be that simple.

However I don't believe phaleonopsis and dendrobium will have enough circulation in a cookie jar...and the spikes will outgrow it

I do use a 10 gallon aquarium for masdevallias for the moment.

I think a small fan will be helpful for air cirulation and I have to get one myself

[rallygirl]

i'm glad to hear that all 'terrariums' aren't high tech microclimates! i have a bunch of small, sad seedlings in a tank right now and i have high hopes that they will perk up.... the higher humidity ones are at the bottom, and the ones that need more air are closer to the top. i keep the lid 1/2 on so there is some air movement. i am not sure if i should use the florescent light or not. i have a WN window but i think most of the species i am growing want lowish light (? pleurothallids). i guess we'll see...

is it a good idea to put moss or some other water retaining stuff at the bottom of the tank to keep humidity? all my plants are in little pots so right now all i have is some gravel and water.

[smartie2000]

For my masdevallias I have the entire bottom fill with moist wisconsin sphag too keep the humidity high. As well I have three ice packs. The moist moss helps conduct the cool temps around the pots too and it hides the pots keeping it looking nice. One masd. is starting to stick is roots out of the pot...happy one

Then I have two fluorscent tubes over my 10 gallon tank because I don't have enough light reaching it for sure

And I better get a computer fan I think they can do better with one

[Tindomul]

I agree that you will eventually want more air circulation. Stagnant humid air can't be good for orchids. How long has it been setup?

[knitsteel]

3 weeks I think.

[Ross]

Sometimes I think a lot of folks are looking for a quick answer to satisfy orchid needs. Unfortunately, that isn't the way it works. Sorry. Terrariums can offer a lot of the requirements not doable in a winter-heated home (such as higher humidity) but have their own problems as a result. Have you thought about mold? Have you thought about the natural air movement associated with "jungle" environments? How will you handle watering? Will the plants outgrow the height/width you can provide? There are lots of things to think about and terrariums aren't the automatic solution, else everyone would doing it that way.

[Tindomul]

Three weeks is a short time. You should start seeing major mold/rot problems soon. I would just keep the lid open all the time without taking it out of the jar. Make sure to decant excess water accumulated at the bottom. Or simply pot the plant up. Or you can buy yourself an acquarium and keep it in there for high humidity. You are going to need better ventilation, no way to go around it. It does look nice though. Good try, glad you asked us though

[smartie2000]

small terrariums (10 gallon aquarium sized) should still be fine with miniatures though I think.

Not for phals and dends though!

[Tindomul]

I agree, not small fish tanks, You'll have to go with the big fish tanks I'm afraid. ANd the problem with getting them to rebloom is that they wont get their cold snap which many want before blooming.