Fittonia
Fittonia albivenis
Fittonia are great beginner plants due to their variety and being able to survive a darker room.
Always keep your plant's soil moist and in a location that’s around 15 degrees.
Varieties:
Fittonia comes in an array of colours with the veins of each leaf varying in either being: white, lemon, pink or red.
Temperature:
These small plants do best at 18-23 degrees. Their love for warmer climes means they are perfectly suited for a terrarium. They will tolerate temperatures of 10-25 degrees.
Lighting:
The fittonia doesn’t like bright conditions and should, therefore, be kept away from direct sunlight. Its optimum position is in a partially shaded area.
Watering:
During active growth (spring-autumn) water frequently so that the first 1cm of soil is always damp to the touch. However, the Fittonia does best when the soil is moist, and many owners will lose their fittonia to soil that’s too dry. You will know very quickly if your plant is too dry as they wilt rapidly and can look dead. The plant recovers very fast when watered.
Soil Type:
Use a mixture of potting mix, grit and coconut husk coir to create a moisture-retaining medium that does have some drainage from the added grit.
Propagation:
Fittonia are easy to propagate from cuttings. Simply take a small stem up to as small as 2cm and place either directly into soil for roots to develop or water which will encourage faster root growth.