What houseplant should I get?

[Ava]

I have a glass vase that I'm probably not going to use for anything else, so I was thinking about growing something in it. I know I can't grow any cacti/succulents in it since there's no drainage, but are there other plants that would be ok in it? Preferably plants that like full sun. Any suggestions would be welcome.

[gumbo2176]

I find bromeliads are some of the easiest plants to grow. They don't need much water to keep them going but do like well draining soil. I have a lot of them in pots on my porches and in an area I have potted plants near my vegetable garden. They also multiply like rabbits by sending off side shoots know to me as "pups" that can be transplanted to make new plants.

I find I have to break many of the clusters of plants apart at least once a year since they are so prolific. I bought several varieties of them many years ago at a local home and garden show and have given away hundreds of new plants over the years that the plants produced.

[lorax]

If you're not adverse to a little bit of work now and again, you can grow Dracaena canes in the vase (I'm assuming it's a clear vase), with some decorative stones in the bottom. Every so often you'd have to clean the vase for algae, but it's actually pretty awesome the way the roots develop.

If it's a big enough vase, think about water lilies or other aquatic/semiaquatic species, and a betta fish. I have had vases with submersed Taro plants in them (this works rather well with aquarium gravel) and a betta fish, and they've done tremendously well.

Either system will work well in full sun.

[gumbo2176]

If you're not adverse to a little bit of work now and again, you can grow Dracaena canes in the vase (I'm assuming it's a clear vase), with some decorative stones in the bottom. Every so often you'd have to clean the vase for algae, but it's actually pretty awesome the way the roots develop.

If it's a big enough vase, think about water lilies or other aquatic/semiaquatic species, and a betta fish. I have had vases with submersed Taro plants in them (this works rather well with aquarium gravel) and a betta fish, and they've done tremendously well.

Either system will work well in full sun.

Excellent idea. I don't think on those terms since I've never grown aquatic plants. Good heads up.

[Ava]

Ooh, water lilies might be nice... how exactly do you grow aquatic plants? Just drop a seed in the water? Or is there more to it?

Also, if a plant requires well draining soil, will cactus soil do? If so I'll have a look into the Bromeliads.

The Dracaena canes look nice, but they seem to grow quite large and my vase isn't that big, so it'd just topple over.

Edit - thinking about Hibiscus, actually. I've always liked them, and from what I've read they would be suitable, so maybe that's an option?

[gumbo2176]

Ooh, water lilies might be nice... how exactly do you grow aquatic plants? Just drop a seed in the water? Or is there more to it?

Also, if a plant requires well draining soil, will cactus soil do? If so I'll have a look into the Bromeliads.

The Dracaena canes look nice, but they seem to grow quite large and my vase isn't that big, so it'd just topple over.

Edit - thinking about Hibiscus, actually. I've always liked them, and from what I've read they would be suitable, so maybe that's an option?

Bromeliads like a mix like this. One part peat, one part bark, one part coarse sand. They don't develop huge root systems and get a lot of their moisture through humidity in the air or in the natural cup formed by the plants growth pattern.

Most only need to be watered about once a week but if you live where it gets real hot, water when the soil feels dry, but not enough to allow the roots to be kept moist for a long time. You want the water to drain through

All of mine are in pots, but I've seen some varieties that are simply fastened to a nice piece of driftwood that has some moss stuffed into a knot hole with no soil whatsoever. They do need to be watered more frequently when displayed like that but it makes for a nice presentation.

[rainbowgardener]

If your vase is too small for Dracaena seems like it would be too small for hibiscus. All the hibiscus I know are good sized shrubs. I would google plants for terrariums. You don't have a terrarium, but you have some similar issues in needing something that stays small and that tolerates the lack of drainage.

[tomf]

Not this one!

[img]https://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e57/twistedtomf/jokes/littleshop.jpg[/img]

[lorax]

Ooh, water lilies might be nice... how exactly do you grow aquatic plants? Just drop a seed in the water? Or is there more to it?

Also, if a plant requires well draining soil, will cactus soil do? If so I'll have a look into the Bromeliads.

The Dracaena canes look nice, but they seem to grow quite large and my vase isn't that big, so it'd just topple over.

Edit - thinking about Hibiscus, actually. I've always liked them, and from what I've read they would be suitable, so maybe that's an option?

Well, I've never actually grown water lilies/lotus on purpose. They just sort of appear anywhere I have stillish water. However, friends in North America tell me that you stick a seed in a little ball of mud and drop it into the water, and it will sprout and send up a leaf. It is also theoretically possible to buy them as seedlings, but I've got no clue where you'd do that up North. Down here, if I wanted water lilies and they didn't just appear for me, I'd go to a pond that had them and just pick a few into a bucket with some mud in the bottom.

In terms of other aquatics, one normally buys/acquires them as small plants. Taro, for example, I normally buy as sprouted tubers, and things like Anubias (which grows completely submerged) I buy at aquarium supply shops (or, when I'm feeling adventurous, I'll snorkel for them in the Amazon tributaries downhill of me).

[Ava]

Ok, thanks for the info.

My fiance (Simon) disagrees that the vase isn't big enough for Dracaena... so I measured it - it's 19cm tall, 14cm in diameter at the top, and about 8cm in diameter at the narrowest point, two thirds down. How's that?

I did look into terranium plants but none of them looked particularly interesting. Well, I did find one, not sure of the name... a colourful leafy plant beginning with C, but apparantly they're prone to spider mite infestations, and Simon has arachnophobia

Bromeliads seem like a good idea, it's just I can't seem to find any reliable sources for seeds in the UK.

I'm kind of tempted to just buy loads of different pots and plant lots of things Given my plant survival rate...not a good idea!

[lorax]

If you use Dracaena sanderiana (sold in the English-speaking world as "Lucky Bamboo") then your vase is definitely big enough! Three stems for luck, five for wealth, or six for health are the traditional planting numbers.

[Ava]

I kind of went mad and ordered some chilli plant seeds The 'little elf' variety.

I'll get another pot/vase (the same one since it's big enough, I remember it being quite cheap) at some point and have a go with the Dracaena at some point too though, and Lotus I think.

[rainbowgardener]

And you are going to try to grow chili peppers indoors in a vase with no drainage? All I can say is good luck with that; let us know how it goes.

[Ava]

Oh...is it that bad an idea? Nothing I read mentioned drainage, and the people selling this type said it was ideal for being grown indoors.

[Ava]

Well, I've sown three seeds in a pot with drainage. I'll move a plant over to the vase when it starts growing. Simon says he might be able to drill some holes in the bottom of it. Otherwise, I suppose I'll put some large stones in the bottom or something.

[Ava]

I have a three tiny little seedlings already (a few mm tall)!!!

Here's one of them:
[img]https://img816.imageshack.us/img816/1408/march20125185.jpg[/img]

[Ava]

Now there are 5 or 6 'lovely' little seedlings.

I'm successfully growing weeds. Fantastic.

[Green Mantis]

Lorax.... That is so interesting about the *LUCKY BAMBOO* plant numbers. Where ever did you find that info? So interesting.

I have 3 here, but am now going to get a couple more containers and put 5 in one and 6 in the other, sounds fun. Thanks.