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Life science enthusiast Kiran Kannan builds hundreds of closed terrariums that thrive in sunlight for years
What will ardent hikers and nature lovers do when the global pandemic and ensuing lockdowns rob people of all their outdoor fun? The answer lies in Abu Dhabi resident Kiran Kannan’s high-rise apartment on Khalifa Street, among the magnificent foliage of a mini forest growing in glass jars.
The 45-year-old Indian expat from Kerala said he brought nature back by making hundreds of terrariums in his two-bedroom apartment in downtown Abu Dhabi, which are self-sufficient ecosystems. Family.
“I was miserable staying indoors. I could only see the rows of concrete buildings from the balcony. That was when I decided to make the terrarium and I was totally hooked,” Kannan, who is an insurance underwriter, told Khaleej Times .
Kannan, a life sciences writer with an enduring passion for biology and ecosystems, says what started as a hobby quickly turned into an obsession. “They’re like my kids. I know every terrarium and what’s going on in their world. The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is to open these jars and smell the raw dirt inside.”
When you walk into the 18th-floor apartment, the immediate sight is the plethora of glass jars taking up every inch of the windowsill, and dozens more still stacked on wooden and metal shelves neatly arranged in the living room.
There are about 150 glass containers in the collection of various sizes and shapes, but Kannan says this is only a small fraction of what he has made over the past two and a half years. “I’ve probably made about 750 or more … space is my biggest limitation. I give them to friends and acquaintances all the time so I can make new ones,” he said.
What is a closed glass container?
There are open and closed and glass containers. The enclosed terrarium is essentially a miniature landscape with a self-sustaining ecosystem. It’s basically an indoor garden full of small plants, built in airtight glass jars or containers. Plants that grow inside the bottle with little or no exposure to the outside environment can be contained in the bottle indefinitely.
The oldest glass container dates back to 1960 and was owned by David Latimer, an electrical engineer from Surrey, UK. Although it hasn’t been watered since 1972, it continues to thrive.
Latimer builds the terrarium by placing a quarter pint of compost and water in a 10-gallon bottle. He then added spiderweed seeds with the help of wires. Afterwards, he sealed the bottle and placed it in a sunny corner. Photosynthesis works by plants to release oxygen and moisture into the air. Water will then start to build up and pour over the plants. Leaves also drop and rot, releasing carbon dioxide that plants need.
Cultivating the biosphere in glass jars
The oldest terrarium in Kannan’s collection is from August 2019. It took a few tries before he finally got it to work. “Initially, I used local plants such as cacti, emerald plants and Hawortha. It didn’t work because the humidity in the pots was high and the plants rotted quickly,” he said.
It’s plants like Peperomia, mini spider plants, nerve plants, miniature English ivy, miniature orchids, and Pilea — which thrive in high humidity — that make his terrariums look robust and healthy. A glass container takes about three to four months to stabilize, he said.
On his hikes, Kannan combs the soil for microbes such as springtails, isopods, and bacteria that act as decomposers. The oxygen released during photosynthesis will in turn sustain these microbes.
“I did a lot of experimentation before I understood what worked and what didn’t. The trick is to never give up,” Kanan said.
The best thing about making glass containers is that they are low maintenance. Kannan says all it needs is plenty of natural sunlight. “You can also use artificial light, but I prefer natural light.”
When he left for a month-long vacation, he said the terrarium was still going strong without any care. Armed with surgical scissors and tweezers, he occasionally digs into glass jars, rinses off excess water and cleans the inside of the glass — but he believes most of his glass containers will easily last for years.
connect with nature
While creating miniature forms of the biosphere is a way of connecting with nature, Kanan says it’s also a way of planning for the future.
“In the near future, we humans will be permanently inhabiting Mars and other planets. We will be multi-planetary creatures. So, we need to have biological bubbles with newer living quarters, permaculture areas…I’m trying to do in terrariums Mimic it. I tell my kids they can be botanists or biologists, but not just for Earth. They should think about being on other planets,” Cannan said.
While he insists he has no commercial interests, the expat says he wants to be part of a public initiative or government project that helps raise awareness of our ecosystem.
“My desire is to show my terrarium in an iconic building in Abu Dhabi,” said Kanan, urging everyone to try and build a terrarium.
“I think this will help us understand how life is closely related to biophilia and ecosystems. While we are in a race against time to reduce the impact of climate change, terrariums are an important lesson in protecting ecosystems and promoting sustainable living, ” Kannan said.
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