The first thing I did was gather all the materials I would need to put together a suitable terrarium for an orchid. I bought this gorgeous orchid from Churchhills in Exeter, New Hampshire. I also found a gorgeous glass container with a nice shape there as well! Any container can be used to make a nice terrarium so go crazy finding great ideas. I also got some small river stones, sheet moss, sphagnum moss, and deer moss together for this project as well.
Orchids ( phadaenopsis) are plants found in moist, shady areas and are found in warm tropical areas of the globe. The are not native to my part of the world, but thanks to years of hybridization, we can grow these delicate beauties, with the right atmosphere, on a counter top or a vanity in the powder room! The instructions that accompany my little orchid reads as;
Orchids require plenty of light , but not direct sunlight. Keep soil moderately moist, ma be allowed to dry out slightly. Remove surplus seepage water. Room temperature.
So let the layering begin! After much reading about this topic, I have decided that this method would possibly work the best!
1. Soak some of the spaghum moss in a bowl while you continue with the following steps
2. Depending on the size of your container, put about 2" of stones in the bottom. This will contain your water/moisture reserves so make sure there is plenty space. You can use small or large stones or any kind of decorative material such as shells, marbles or seaglass! Be creative!
3. There will be no soil in this container for the end product, so we will be making a suitable environment for the root system to thrive in. Take some rolled out sheet moss and put it along the sides of the container. It should resemble a nest, with a hole in the center. You can add some dry spaghum moss on the bottom to support where the orchid will eventually sit.
4. Take the plant gently out of the store bought pot and very gently wash away the moss around and under the roots. Do not break or damage the root system, but do look for signs of dead roots and remove them. I do this so that the roots do not sit in wet soil.
5. Take the wet spaghum moss and gently add it to the roots, and then all around it. Do not pack it too tightly tho.
6. Carefully place the roots and spaghum ball in the center of the sheet moss. If it doesn't come to where you'd like it to sit, add some dry spaghum to the bottom until you are satisfied. Make sure all the roots are covered in moss. You can use a chopstick to add more moss or move the roots around ( gently). When satisfied with how it looks, add some moss to the top of the root ball to cover it.
7. Use deer moss and other decorative items in the container as the crowning glory of your now gorgeous display!
VOILA!
For feeding and watering; Use orchid fertilizer and follow directions on the label for mixing. Add to the container until it just touches the moss above the river stones. The moss will act like a wick, bringing the needed water to the root system. Do not water until the moss is completely dry. This may take awhile, so check daily to gauge when to water next. It could take a month or two before you need to do anything, so sit back and enjoy our orchids!
