Forest in a jar – DIY – do it yourself!

FOREST IN THE JAR – do it yourself! 

More and more often it is said about mini gardens enclosed in glass. Not without reason, because by looking inside them, we move to the world of nature that is close to us. The layered soil with the addition of moss and stones reflects the forest floor. However, properly selected plants coherently create a magical whole. Each forest garden is covered with a glass cover or cork. As a result, the water inside begins to evaporate and condense. During this process, a microclimate is created inside the jar . As a result, the mysterious copse is teeming with life and the vegetation becomes self-sufficient.

It sounds inviting? Therefore, we invite you to create your own forest according to our tips!

To begin with, you need to prepare the right products. In our flower shop you will find all the necessary elements to create a composition. We have divided the creation of the forest into individual steps. Each item is sold separately with a description. Prepare: universal soil, expanded clay, activated carbon, colored sands, decorative stones, moss, plants, e.g. ivy and phytonia. A glass vase and a cork lid, which you can also buy at our florist.

Let’s start!

STEP 1. KERAMZYT. At the bottom of the glass, pour expanded clay, about 2 cm.

STEP 2. ACTIVATED CARBON. On the expanded clay, sprinkle the activated carbon evenly. Activated carbon acts as a filter. In the initial circuits, it removes impurities from the water.

STEP 3. COLORED SANDS. From that moment on, everything that your imagination tells you starts to happen. You create. This layer consists of earth and colored sands. It is good that the height of this layer does not exceed 6 cm in total. You pour soil once and sand once, creating colorful layers. Attention! Pour the colored sands only next to the glass walls, so that there is as much space on the ground in the middle. Finish the last layer with soil.

STEP 4. Ivy / phytonia. Planting plants. Take the plants out of the plastic covers. Shake gently to let excess old earth fall off. If it is possible, you can burst the plants. Make a place for the roots in the ground with your hand. And plant a plant. Cover all the roots with soil. Gently tug the ground around.

STEP 5. DECORATIVE STONES / CUSHION MOSS. It’s time to decorate! At this stage, you can use moss, stones and colored sands or the remains of expanded clay. Moss is often found in large pieces – you can break it down into smaller pieces. Plant the moss on the ground, pressing it gently.

Finally, gently sprinkle a little water on your composition, close the cap and watch!

FINISHED! Now you can enjoy your forest in a jar for a long time!

Care:

The scope of the care is limited to controlling the moisture of the composition. Light dew should collect on the glass walls. If there is no dew, the forest should be sprinkled with water. However, when there is a lot of steam, remove the cover and leave it for several hours to air out. Observation of moss can be our determinant of moisture. If there is no steam, but the moss is dark green, the humidity is still at the right level. However, if the moss is starting to lose color, it may be a sign that it is getting dry.
It happens that various diseases can occur – after all, they are living organisms and we have no influence on it. New plants or mushrooms can grow out of the moss. Small creatures may also appear. If all these extra additives do not affect the plants in the forest, they can be left as an added valueHowever, when something disturbing begins to happen, the additives should be removed and a specialist conditioner can be used.

The best location for our unique arrangement are shady places. It fits perfectly as a table or chest of drawers decoration . It also works well in bathrooms, livening up a space. Exposure to the sun or a warm place will create a tropical forest. Unfortunately, the tropical forest has different vegetation, so this version will not work for us. The most common plants we use are phytonia, sleeplessness, ivy, ficus and ficus ginseng bonsai.

By following the above recommendations, the forest composition will give a fabulous effect to home rooms for a very long time.

Fun fact: the oldest forest in a jar is over 40 years old! David Latimer was the first to successfully enclose plants in glass. The experiment initiated a new method of growing plants.