A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 Terrarium help

I have been trying to get a terrarium started for awhile now. I have followed the instructions such as gravel, charcoal, etc., but everytime I put something in it, within a week it has fuzzy gray mold on it and quickly dies. The first time it happened I washed the jar out with hot soap and water and started all over...new gravel, everything. Now I did start with cuttings each time, not brand new plants. I also used Miracle Gro soil. If anybody has experience with this, I would appreciate their input.

I don't know anything about terrariums, but here goes:

Maybe over-watering is causing the mold? Too much sunlight? not enough sunlight? Maybe the cuttings haven't fulling developed roots, so they can't live[support themselves]?



--Mark--

Here's also some info from some of
Bill's Main pages..
Creating and Maintaining Terrariums

Give a holler if you need more...

Last week end I watched a show on terrarium building. I saw they put in horticulture charcoal first then garvel then cut a window screen to lay over that , then sand Then the soil and planted plants and spray misted the container and placed lid on top they also said IF in a couple of days it looks like there is too much moisture droplets in it to off set the lid so air can circulate so mold doesn't develope,, Plus to always make sure the plants you use have 'clean roots. Not nessecarily rinse off the roots but making sure there is no fungus already present.

I would also add more perlite to the soil for more air circulation

I think I have three problems-one is I didn't put enough charcoal in and I have also been reading a lot about the screen or something to separate the soil and the charcoal. Also, I started with cutting everytime, not brand new plants. idea: I think what I am going to do next time is start with a brand spankin' new plant, rinse all of the soil off the roots, and spray it with some Neem oil and build the terrarium with a piece of screen that very same day. We'll see if THAT works...if it doesn't, then I'm not sure what!

Please keep us posted or bad , that's how we all learn ..

As soon as this snow is through, then I am going to go get a new plant. and start over. I'll keep you posted.