Smashed my first closed terrarium trying to move it

I built this really nice moss and fern setup last weekend in a big jar I found at Goodwill. Went to shift it to a shelf and the glass just cracked right in my hands - water had pooled at the bottom and made it slippery. Lost about an hour of work and all my live moss. Anyone got tips for adding a drainage layer that actually works without taking up half the jar?

2 comments

2 Comments

karenw2312d ago

Pretty strong disagree on the drainage layer being the problem here. Bigger issue is usually not letting the glass dry properly before handling it, especially with a thrift store jar where you don't know how many times it's been banged up already. A shallow layer of pebbles or perlite works fine for drainage, just keep it under an inch so you don't lose plant space. Clean the glass with vinegar first to make sure there's no hidden grease, then let it sit bone dry for a day before you even start building. Your real enemy is the slippery water on the outside, not the drainage setup.

webb.jordan11d ago

Have you ever tried using a hairdryer on low heat to speed up that drying process? I read somewhere that a lot of pros do that when they're working with glass containers, especially if they're in a hurry. It gets the last bit of moisture off the inside corners where it likes to hide. The tip about vinegar makes a lot of sense too, I never thought about hidden grease being a problem like that. Good points all around.