I have had so many emails from people wanting to know how my mason jar planter is doing. I decided it would be easier to address it in a post in case others have wondered the same thing. It is so funny that out of all the room reveals and big projects that I do, that this little project that I decided on a whim to do and that took me less than 20 minutes to make has been my most pinned project ever! Crazy. Here is how it looks today….
THINGS TO KNOW
*Even though I explained in the original post that these are house plants, it has been pinned thousands of times as herbs. I do not know if herbs would work or not. I have never had good luck growing herbs in any container. I always plant them in my garden because of that.
*Another important thing to know is that I specifically chose plants that said they needed MEDIUM LIGHT and INDIRECT LIGHT. They are hanging in my hallway and get borrowed light from my kitchen and front room.
*You also don’t want to have them in direct light because it will heat up the jar and cook the roots.
*Be careful how much you water. I don’t water until the soil is almost all the way dry. And even then I add very little. It is okay if a little water puddles at the bottom with the rocks but don’t add so much that it fills the rock area at the bottom.
*Buy plants that will not grow quickly. The tag should give that information just like it says the light it prefers. When your plants do get too big you can just transplant them and buy a new smaller plant for the jar. I have only had to do that once so far.
*Do not hang it near a heat vent. I love it in my hallway but decided to see how it looked in my dining room. I mounted it right above a heat vent. In the dead of winter. Can you guess what happened? They dried up in two days! Crispy, crispy little plants :( It was a huge “duh” moment. I knew better but just didn’t think about it. So I moved it back to my hallway. It really is the best place for them.
*Add rock on the bottom for drainage. I used black river rock from the craft store. I wanted them to blend in with the dark potting soil. If mold is an issue where you live you may also want to add charcoal. You can sometimes find it where fish tank supplies are sold.
After realizing the dinging room (above the vent) was not the best place for them to be I had to buy new plants. That was back in January. The plants have done so well since then. All of them are still alive and growing.
This planter is one of my favorite decorations in my home and I get a reaction from everyone who comes over. It is fun, easy to maintain, and inexpensive to create.
Hi, Stacy
Love these and they are lovely.
Vanessa
This post through pinterest is exactly how I came to find and follow you. You have so many great ideas. Searching for our new home and can’t wait to try some of them out, keep em coming.
Look great! I can’t wait to try! Finally ready to tackle decorating at our new (bought in March!) house
I’d take bets on if I could keep some alive, but I already know it didn’t turn out so well for the ones that came before.
~Bliss~
House plants seem more doable for me. I love this idea. I am a mason jar nut.
I also did
What size are these mason jars? 2 quart?
Plants don’t usually fare well with their roots exposed to light, so if you’re doing this in a sunny location with plants that need direct sunlight, you might try painting the inside of the jars white. Look for something that’s waterproof and that won’t release toxins in the soil that kill the plants. White reflects light, so it would keep the roots dark and not trap heat either. Also, for better drainage, you might try drilling some holes in the bottom of the jars. Ask someone at your local hardware store the best way to accomplish this (and if you’ll need a special bit to keep from breaking the glass).
I would think drilling holes in the bottom would be a problem with inside plants. They would leak onto your floor. In terms of covering, you might also make little socks for the outside of the jars, using cloth or paper. Way to jazz up the jars, although I like the look of plain glass. Also, you could replace as the mood strikes. :)
I found you through tracking back someone who had posted it on facebook and of course I shared it on my personal page this morning and came in from school run and saw it had moved on – as you say it says herbs so glad to have found you and read about the possible damage to the roots and selection of location I am a mum 0f 6 on a budget going green and this idea is superb so keep them coming x
What size mason jars did you use. please and thanks
This is so cute, thanks for sharing your brilliant work. Can you please tell me how you got those hose or pipe ring things attached to the board so that they are sturdy? Thanks!
This is a wonderful idea and would work had you clamped something like clear drinking glasses a bit larger than the mason jars to use for drainage cups and then sit the mason jars inside the glasses. The mason jars need about five small holes drilled into the bottoms of the jor drainage or the soil will go sour, killing the plants ! If I were going to use this idea I would fill the mason jars with plant cuttings like Ivy and let them live in water. The mounting board is what really makes the project and can give some green look to an area that normally would not have any. I have used mason jars in similar projects but mine are hanging from small hooks on the ceiling……thanks for sharing, krista
Some herbs from what I read can work. I have indoor basil, oregano and thyme right now. I read these can work year round indoors though. It thrives very well in my bay window in the kitchen. However, I live in the north where I cannot have a year round garden of most fresh herbs. I like these 3 year round, but my outdoor raised beds die off during winter months. Anyway, even these 3 get too chilly in my bay window, as it gets pretty cold and I block it off with plastic in winter. I can have these 3 though as long as there is enough light, which I do on a wall that is right between 2 windows, and heat…which being indoors of course I have. So, these 3 I can grow indoors and will be making this for those 3 herbs. If it doesn’t work (which I read it can for these 3 herbs) then I can change it to something else that will work…even if non edible. :D
What are the dimensions of the wood that you used?