#fittonia

[plantinabelcher]

(by Shashwat Goyar)

[crispapples]

My Fittonia terrarium 🌿💖

This was so so much fun to make. I can’t wait to see how she grows!

[soullessseraphim]

Fittonia studies!!

[wiley-treehouse-gardens]

[prince-liest]

I think I'm getting the hang of this fittonia thing! >:) (Pay no mind to the scraggly pink one on the right of the second photo, it's in recovery from my first attempt at fittonias and frankly looking a lot better than it did two months ago WHEEZE).

About two months' worth of growth! Fittonia are kind of known for being finicky because they hate direct sunlight but will get super leggy if you don't give them enough light, want high humidity and will get crispy and scraggly without it, and are generally prone to being really dramatic and wilt if underwatered, but as always if you overwater there is the ever-present threat of root rot.

This one actually does get what I think most people would mistake for "direct" sunlight for about three hours a day, but because it's morning sun that comes through not only the window but also the bug screen, I think it's more accurate to call it filtered light. Bright indirect light for a few hours after that as well. Between that and being really generous with watering it (I've got my reminder for these two set to every four days) and providing fertilizer, I think I've managed to get it in good conditions! It's growing densely and compactly without stretching for light, not crisping up despite my low humidity, and not a burn in sight from the light!

[firenagy]

Terrarium maintanance day! since it's been doing really well, it's been a bit over 2 months since I last opened it up and cleaned it. Here's what it looked like before and a photobomb by layla

[flawless-imperfections]

the overhead view of this one hits different😍

[d-structive]

Made another jar terrarium with materials and plants I had in exccess. ...My jewel orchids and Fittonia plants grew a lot, so I had to trim them and replant them around.. I thought it was nice to have a single Macodes Petola themed jar.. They are such cool, shiny plants...

[fixaidea]

Plants for the chronic over-waterer

So you’ll often see guides and rec-lists for plants that require little water and attention, and just generally ‘thrive on neglect’. But what about us anxious, hovering plant people whose most common way of accidentally offing a plant is by over-loving and over-watering them?

(Before we get into it, let me preface this by the usual disclaimer: a plant’s water needs wildly depend on its environment. I live in the continental temperate zone of Europe, the average humidity level inside is 30-40%, so what I write may or may not apply to your conditions. Watch your plants closely - if you’re reading this post I know you would anyway - and proceed accordingly.)

Look no further, here’s a list of plants that are virtually impossible to over-water:

Fittonia sp.

Fittonia are extreme divas in room conditions but perfect angels in a terrarium. They will not tolerate a missed watering day, they’ll immediately start to droop. If you’re lucky and you catch them in time they’ll perk up and go on like nothing happened, but the margin between this and irrevocable crisping is a slim one.

Ferns in general

Of course the details of care depend on the species, but most ferns prefer shade and hate to dry out. I usually water all of mine twice a week, and so far they are doing okay.

Dionaea muscipula - Venus flytrap (and most carnivorous plants)

Plants usually resort to eating animals when they live in bogs, where the soil is acidic and extremely poor in nutrients. What bogs also are, is wet, and so these plants need to literally stand in a pool of water all day, every day and are therefore quite literally impossible to over-water. (At least in the summer. Over-wintering depends on whether the plant is temperate or tropical.)

The only downside is that they are really sensitive to water quality. No minerals (and no fertilizer!) allowed, only rain or distilled water!

Marantha leuconeura

Honestly I’d say the entire Maranthaceae counts, but I only have experience with Marantha, and I’m told the rest (like Calathea) are more difficult. These, once you get the water right (twice a week for me), aren’t that bad. They don’t need a lot of light either.

What you do have to keep in mind, is to give them soft water - like collected rain water. They are sensitive to the minerals in the tap water and since they can’t properly secrete them, they’ll store them away in the tips of their leaves, which will thus crisp up.

Jewel orchids

The one I have (Macodes petola) does well in a shadier spot, in normal room conditions. I mean I do run a humidifier once a day, but it’s not in a terrarium. It’d do well in one though, so if you’re looking to furnish a terrarium, this is a good choice. The only thing you gotta keep in mind if you keep it out in your room is to always keep the soil moist.

Mimosa pudica

This is a fun and interesting plant, what with the cute moving leaves, but it is the divaest of all divas. On a sunny, dry summer day it may have to be watered twice a day, and it’ll go into hysterics, crisp up and throw leaves if you’re late by five minutes. The good news is that as long as you do get around to watering it, it’ll bring new shoots and keep growing, it’ll just litter your room with dead leaves in protest.

It also prefers lots of light.

Spathipyllum sp. - Peace Lily

Like ferns, these do well in shadier spots. If exposed to too much light, they’ll keep bringing small, light green leaves, but they’ll flower regularly. (They feel like their lives are in danger so they hurry to procreate before the end.) In the winter they need to be watered about once a week, in the summer more like every two days.

The nice thing about them is that they are very vocal about their needs but, unlike the Mimosa and the Fittonia, don’t immediately, irrevocably crisp up, they’ll just droop. Water them and they’ll perk right back up.

[prettypinksamantha]

my happy pink fittonia plant ෆ

[plantinabelcher]

(by cottonbro studio)

[natureisthegreatestartist]

What's this? Leaves of the little fittonia growing next to my kitchen window. Love the way the veining contrasts hues of pink and green.

[sabinerondissime]

Mon baby Fittonia

Mes photos

[encryptedlunacy]

Nothing like a long trip home with a bunch of fittonia cuttings for a new project I wanna try >:)

[blazedhigh]

Little fairy garden 🧚🏼

[haveyougrownthisplant]