Customizable Live Terrarium Plant Kit

Question:
Are plant shipments guaranteed to arrive healthy?

Answer:
Yes, so long as our shipping guidelines are followed. You can learn more by closing this FAQ panel and selecting "Perishable Guarantee" towards the bottom of the page. View our full shipping guarantee policy on our Shipping Policy Page^{new tab}.

Question:
Will the plants be labeled with species?

Answer:
Yes! Every kit plant is labeled with specific species so you'll know exactly what you are working with. We'll also include cultivar info whenever we can.

Question:
When do you ship plants?

Answer:
We ship plants year-round. If temps are extreme (below 20F or above 95F), we'll email you after you order to reserve your plants & schedule a shipment as soon as possible.

Question:
How long does it take to ship plants?

Answer:
Plant orders carry a 1-3 day processing time. We also schedule all perishable shipments to avoid weekend transit delays in an effort to ensure healthy arrival. If you're ordering plants a few days before a weekend, your order will probably not ship until Monday.

Question:
How are plants prepped before they ship?

Answer:
Our plants are bare rooted (rinsed free of all potting soil), and rinsed thoroughly to ensure full hydration and a clean appearance. Then the cleaned root structure is carefully wrapped in a moist paper towel ball, which is tightly placed back into the (cleaned) pot. From there, the plant and pot are tightly wrapped in thick brown paper for shipping, and labeled with appropriate ID for convenience. Epiphytes are handled a little differently, and are sometimes shipped in clear sealed containers for added safety.

Bare rooting a plant before shipping is a legal requirement to some areas, but it also helps minimize your shipping cost and the likelihood of damage since each specimen is significantly lighter. Plus, it makes processing^{new tab} your plants a cinch! We've got an awesome "healthy arrival" track record using these methods, and we're sure you'll appreciate the effort when it comes time to unwrap your plants!

Question:
Do you use chemical fertilizers at NEHERP?

Answer:
We aim to grow our plants as organically as possible, and follow some of the strictest organic growing guidelines in the industry. While all plants require nutrients to grow, don't use harsh chemical fertilizers on any of the plants we propagate & offer for sale. Instead, we rely on organic products from BioBizz, Happy Frog, and a few proprietary in-house solutions. Soils we use also contain nutrient-rich ingredients like forest humus, worm castings, and kelp meal.

Question:
Do you use pesticides at NEHERP?

Answer:
No inorganic pesticides are used on the plants we propagate & sell at NEHERP. The primary ways we prevent pests are through tight quarantine policies, restricted access to our grow rooms, and specific rules about introducing new plants to be propagated. Beyond basic prevention, we use chemical-free mechanical traps, as well as one or two other organically labeled pest prevention/management methods.

Question:
What types of environments are these suited for?

Answer:
Our plant assortments can be tailored to meet growth conditions ranging from 55% to 99% relative humidity. Environments with humidity towards the lower end of that range will require more frequent misting to ensure the NEHERP Moss will thrive within the enclosure. We do not offer desert/arid plant kits at this time.

Question:
What type of plants will I receive?

Answer:
It's tough to be more specific, but there's a good reason for the ambiguity. We work with hundreds of different plant varieties, so our availability changes constantly. Since each kit is custom-tailored for every customer's needs, it's difficult for us to offer a very specific description of the plants which will be included. We don't include plants we'd consider lame (more on that later), or inappropriately sized for your enclosure. Our basic goal is to provide a selection of plants that we'd use ourselves without including too many plants that would significantly raise the price of each kit.

If you are concerned about receiving a package of unexciting houseplants, we're happy to ease your fears! (Examples: Areca Palm, Croton, Dieffenbachia / "Dumb Cane", Dracaena, Ficus elastica / "Rubber Plant", Nephthytis / "Arrowhead Plant", Pachira aquatica / "Money Tree", Schefflera / "Umbrella Plant") We don't grow those plants, we don't stock them, and we've never shipped one to any client who didn't special order one. We want to earn your repeat business by offering nice plant assortments, and we're glad to say that a significant amount of plant packs are sold to repeat customers.

Question:
What size plants will I receive?

Answer:
The smallest potted plants we'll ship will be well established plants grown in 3in pots. Mature plants grown-out in 4in pots may also be included. We do not include smaller plants grown in 2in pots, rooted portions, or clippings in our Plant Kits! Sizes vary greatly depending on your specific enclosure's description.

Question:
How should I take care of the plants until the vivarium is ready to be planted?

Answer:
We include printed instructions with every kit which describe how to temporarily take care of plants outside of a terrarium. If your plants will be used within 10 days of the initial ship date, you can leave the root ball wrapped from the shipment, keep it moistened, and provide it with some light near a window. When it comes time to plant, simply proceed along with the typical plant care advice. If your plants will be "on hold" longer than 10 days, we'd recommend planting them in the pots using substrate from your base kit, and placing them near some bright natural light. So long as they are misted and watered on schedule, they should be completely fine in those conditions for quite awhile. NEHERP Moss is fine in-bag for upwards of a month, so long as you provide air exchange every other day or so.

Question:
What type of lighting should I use?

Answer:
We strongly recommend our inexpensive, proven, and downright awesome Vivarium Lighting Kits^{new tab}, or suggested alternative posted at the bottom of each kit page. It goes without saying that poor lighting will lead to poor plant growth performance. For more lighting related answers, check out Vivarium Lighting 101^{new tab}.

Question:
What are the differences between standard plant kits and heavy duty plant kits?

Answer:
Our Standard Plant Kits include more delicate, intricate, and generally higher-end terrarium plants. We recommend these for most plant-only terrariums, as well as vivariums which will house small inhabitants. (Under 7in) Both Standard and Heavy Duty kits cost the same, and plant selections are entirely dependent on the type of species/environment you specify.

Question:
Are there differences between your plants and what I'd find at my local store?

Answer:
Our plants are definitely different in a few ways.

First off, not many mainstream garden centers & nurseries carry truly terrarium appropriate plants. We grow a few hundred species of terrarium plants, and the overwhelming majority won't be found at most plant nurseries. Plus, NEHERP Moss & Moss Slurry aren't sold anywhere else!

Second, there's the issue of product support. When it comes to our plants, we've got your back with free vivarium consultations for all kit customers^{new tab}. Not sure where to plant or how to take care of a specific plant? We've got your back.

Finally, not all plants are the same - even if they are the same species of plant. Non-specialty companies can produce plants on a massive scale without breaking the bank thanks to the use of pesticides, fungicides, and extended release fertilizers. Our biggest concern with plants sourced from mainstream grow operations would be systemic chemicals. At NEHERP, our grow rooms rely on natural & organic products only.

Question:
What are Systemic Chemicals?

Answer:
Systemic insecticides & fungicides are inexpensive, stupendously effective, and they are absorbed directly into and throughout a plants cells. They basically make a plant bulletproof from a traditional grower's standpoint, while simultaneously making the plant useless for our terrarium hobby. Systemics can't wash off, don't quickly dissipate, and can stay within a plant's cells for months or years. Needless to say, we've never used any systemics at NEHERP.

External Links Explaining The Dangers Of Systemic Pesticides:
NCBI: A review of the direct and indirect effects of (systemic pesticides) on vertebrate wildlife
Wiki: Acephate - Common, available off-the-shelf, listed for use with ornamental plants
Wiki: Imidacloprid - Common, available off-the-shelf, listed for use with ornamental plants
Wiki: Neonicotinoid - The world's "most used insecticide", commercially available only

Hide Plant Kit FAQ