Whether I purchase a plant from a reputable plant vendor or at a garden Center, I always prep it before I plant it in my terrarium.
My plant of choice for a humid terrarium is the Pothos. They are commonly available, durable and tolerate low light. When I’m low on plants, I just stop by Canadian Tire and I always seem to find pothos there, no matter what time of year.
Processing plants may sound complicated but it’s really not, as long as you follow these steps -
Bare root your plant - remove as much of the soil as possible, especially those white vermiculite beads. They can be toxic to reptiles and amphibians.
Rinse the roots - Rinse the roots under your faucet. If you have a spray/pressure setting, even better. The pressure will help rinse any stuck on dirt from the roots of your plant.
Rinse the leaves - Your spray/pressure setting (if you have one) will come in handy for this step as well. Rinse each leaf to help get rid of any pests that might be hiding in your plant.
Soak your plant - This is an extra step to make sure that your plant doesn’t have any pests. Fill up your sink or a tub of water and soak your plant in there for at least one hour. I prefer to let it soak for at least a few hours.
Now, for the most exciting part…..transferring your new plant in to your BioActive terrarium! Sometimes I transfer the plant in to a pot of reptile safe soil and monitor it for pests for a few weeks before I plant it in my terrarium. Other times, I was too impatient to wait and just planted it directly in there. I haven’t had any problems so far but….if you have any doubts about your plants being pest free, go with your gut feeling and monitor them for a few weeks. Better to be safe than sorry.
Happy planting!
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