Thanks for all the information, guys! I liked the idea of cutting the bottom out of the pots so they function like raised beds, I'm going to try this! I live in southern Brazil. I planted Southern Highbush and some rabbiteyes. The SHB are growing well, but I think the rabbiteyes won't do well in my climate because our winter is too warm for them. Something that I have noticed is that the rabbiteyes that I left in the shade have flowered, but the ones that stayed in full sun during the winter did not flower at all, their buds didn't open, I believe they didn't get enough chill hours... So I learned that the amount of chill hours can vary a lot depending on where you place the pot in the yard. So I guess what I will have to do with the rabbiteyes every year is leave them in the shade during all winter, and then move them to a sunny place during spring, summer and fall. This post was edited by julia.scheidt on Sun, Sep 7, 14 at 20:58

Paul, thanks for the info. I have searched around a bit on the forums. So when you note that the media shouldn't have fertilizer added, I assume you mean that things like Miracle Gro potting mix would be out. Generally I've used that for other plants I've grown (houseplants, outdoor potted plants, etc.) so anything else is new territory for me. I honestly don't know what I would put a maidenhair fern and moss in other than a standard potting mix. That's the sort of information I'm trying to find, as I realize that giant thick layers of potting mix are going to lead to the fungi you mention. I should note that when I first started experimenting with terrariums, I got directions from interior design websites - which apparently did not have the best tips strictly from a plant care point of view.

There's a reason you haven't been able to find much if anything on cacti terrs, Jeff -- they generally end in disaster. It tends to be extremely difficult to provide them with the high light they need but not "cook" them in the process & to provide them with the arid conditions they desire. As Gary mentioned, they easily succumb to bacterial or fungal diseases if the humidity is not low. Terr by nature tend to keep humidity in. Hopefully the air circulation you mentioned you will provide will do the trick in that area. Overwatering, ever a danger with most terrs, is an even greater issue with a desert terr. I think Gary's idea of a false bottom is probably something to consider. In that case, you won't want any of you media to actually reach into the false bottom and wick up any moisture that drains there. I look foreward to seeing your set up! Wishing you the best :)

Use bark. It doesn't have to be 'Repti-Bark' (they think they can charge you more if it is 'special' bark for reptiles!). Pretty much any bark chips will do, as long as they are small enough and you didn't get them from your backyard. You could check the price of orchid bark or some fine bark mulch from a landscaping supply place. They may have a minimum amount that they sell, which would be way more than you need, so call ahead. I just used cedar bark mulch from Home Depot. It was a large, 2 cubic foot bag, but it was exactly how much I needed for my 85 gallon tank. Don't use gravel, perlite, or vermiculite, because these things can be ingested by any creatures you put in your tank, and may be too large for the poor animal and 'block them up', if you know what I mean. This leads to a painful death. So use something natural. (And yes, I know rocks are natural, but not biodegradable, so stay away!) Also, organic materials will be a much better planting substrate for live plants than anything innert. I didn't worry about fertilizers in the plants too much. Just un-pot them, carefully dust as much of the dirt away as possible (this is much easier if the dirt is nice and moist), trying not to tear too many roots (though don't be too upset if you do; plants are quite tough), and then rinse the rootball off under water for 5 minutes or so. This should flush the fertilizers from the soil, as well as extra dirt and things like perlite. As for bog plants, it depends what kinds you want. What did you have in mind? Most bog plants like a peaty mix, so you could either keep them in pots (they are usually sold in the correct mix, if you bought them from a reputable dealer) and hide the pots with sand or pea gravel (the smallest you can find), or you can create a layer of peat moss in your water area, and plant the plants in there, provided the water is shallow enough for them to emerge from. This might make your water permanently 'dirty' though, as the frogs hop around in it and stir up the peat. If you need any suggestions for easy plants for terrariums, search this forum. Someone named DianaMay posted a very useful list a long time ago, but the thread has not 'fallen off the edge' of the forum yet. =) I have had great success with fittonia, ferns, selaginella, broms/tillandsias, and paph. orchids. I would leave the orchids for now if you are a newbie. All the best, and have fun!