Planting in glass containers
Setting plants in glass containers is a clean look—if you can keep it clean that is. Containers without drainage holes are practical for indoor plants (think no overflow spills). However, without drainage, over-watering easily leads to root rot. And with glass containers, there's the extra threat that too much water in a sunny spot will breed algae in your container.
To setup a glass container for success, you'll need a few ingredients: pebbles, charcoal, and sphagnum moss.* This is the same technique you'd use to make a terrarium. With a clean, dry container, first add a layer of pebbles. Both polished or unpolished work fine. You're going to see them and there are a variety of colors and sizes available, so have fun picking your pebbles. You want clean ones though. Avoid chalky pebbles that will make a mess when they get wet. Wash them yourself if you're unsure. The purpose of this layer is to make an area at the bottom for water to drain into—a surrogate for the trivet that catches water on a pot with holes.
Next, add about a half an inch of charcoal. This layer acts as a filter, absorbing bacteria and mold.
Then, add a layer of moss. Soak the moss in water to make it workable. Squeeze out the water and arrange it over the charcoal. This layer keeps your soil from mixing with the layers below.
Finally, use fresh, clean soil. The goal is to make as clean a planting as possible. Otherwise you can end up growing a host of unwanted things—a creature feature fit maybe for Halloween. Add your plant. Top up with soil leaving a few inches for the fun part.
Top your plant with a soil cover, pebbles, sea shells, quartz, lava rock, moss, sand, bark, sea glass, mirror glass—whatever strikes your fancy, be creative.* And for a spot of interest, arrange a fun thing or two on top such as an aquarium ornament, or mini sculpture—Arch of Constantine, faux Jeff Koons dog anyone.*
Watering
Take extra care when watering a plant without drainage holes. Only water when and as much as needed. Find out your particular plant's water needs. This rubber tree likes water, but can handle a bit of drying out between waterings. If leaves turn yellow, I know it's getting too much water. It's not a plant that wilts; so if it gets that peaked pale look, I know it's too dry.
Whereas glass can present challenges, a major benefit of the glass container is that you can see what's going on below the soil. I wait until the pebbles look dry before I water my rubber tree. And when I do water, I make sure it gets a good soak, stopping when water starts to appear in the pebble layer.
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