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

[daemondamian]

Originally Posted by 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

Fren, any photos?

[smartie2000]

A quick shot I took:


I have:
Masd bonplandii
Masd infracta
Masd Razzle Dazzle ‘Twinkle’ AM/AOS (triangularis x datura)
Masd Sprinkles ‘Spotty’ (Steven Male x decumana)
Masd Redshine (Falcon Sunrise x Marguerite)
Masd Myck Santos x pachyura
Pleurothallis tribuloides

The problem with this tank is that it heats up fast.

All of them are happy except for Masd bonplandii, which is showing many signs of stress. I probably should take this one out and grow it with my paphs actually. It could be heat related, air circulation or light requirements. Based on the tere shaped foliage I would say that it requires more light than my other masd.

The middle of the tank has three ice packs which I change daily.

I used to have Cischweinfia dasyandra and Leochilus carinatus in there mounted. I took the Cischweinfia out because I knew it needed more air circulation because of some spots the base of the leaf, and I took the Leochilus out with it although it seems fine.

[daemondamian]

Originally Posted by smartie2000

A quick shot I took:


I have:
Masd bonplandii
Masd infracta
Masd Razzle Dazzle ‘Twinkle’ AM/AOS (triangularis x datura)
Masd Sprinkles ‘Spotty’ (Steven Male x decumana)
Masd Redshine (Falcon Sunrise x Marguerite)
Masd Myck Santos x pachyura
Pleurothallis tribuloides

The problem with this tank is that it heats up fast.

All of them are happy except for Masd bonplandii, which is showing many signs of stress. I probably should take this one out and grow it with my paphs actually. It could be heat related, air circulation or light requirements. Based on the tere shaped foliage I would say that it requires more light than my other masd.

The middle of the tank has three ice packs which I change daily.

I used to have Cischweinfia dasyandra and Leochilus carinatus in there mounted. I took the Cischweinfia out because I knew it needed more air circulation because of some spots the base of the leaf, and I took the Leochilus out with it although it seems fine.

Fren,
looks better than my 3fter does but I couldn't imagine having to replace three ice packs a day

I agree with Tindo.. I think you need a little fan in there,
you could also possibly have a fan blowing against the lights above to blow away hot air..

Some very dedicated people even plumb in cold air
from outside

Is that sphagnum moss around the pots, filling up the tank?

Does keeping that moist help cool the pots much you think?

No pest problem? I'm going crazy over having to have sprayed for aphids again today ..

[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.