A Step-By-Step Guide On Making an Indoor Terrarium

Sep 16, 2022

Making a personal terrarium is a terrific way to add some greenery to the house without having to do a great deal of upkeep. You might decide on an open terrarium with tough cacti and succulents requiring little water. Or perhaps you’d want to have a covered terrarium that aids in regularly watering little plants. Either choice makes a lovely centrepiece for your home.

How To Make an Indoor Terrarium

Here is a step-by-step guide on making an indoor terrarium.

You’ll need:

  • Clear glass container
  • Tiny pebbles
  • Potting soil designed for the plant species you are growing
  • Tiny plants of all different sizes and kinds.
  • White sand (for cacti and succulents only)
  • A scoop or spoon
  • Charcoal

Step 1:

Rocks should be placed at the bottom of the glass container to start. A layer of an inch should suffice.

Step 2:

A coating of charcoal approximately half an inch thick should be added.

Step 3:

Now add potting mix to the container until it is halfway full. The best potting mix is peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite. Make sure the mixture is sterilized since if it isn’t, you’ll be introducing germs that could upset the environment.

Step 4:

Place the plants in a tiny hole in the earth, patting them gently, so they are firmly embedded in the soil. When handling them, be careful not to injure the roots. Remember that if the terrarium’s aperture is too tiny for your hand to fit through comfortably, you may have to use a pair of long tweezers.

Step 5:

Then add the moss, pebbles, gorgeous coloured glass marbles, seashells, and other embellishments you choose. Here, you are free to use whatever creativity you desire!

Step 6:

Keep the terrarium in dappled light and mist the soil with water to keep it damp but not dripping. You may secure the lid and seal the terrarium if you want to.

You’re done! That’s all there is to it!

What Plants Are Suited for Closed and Open Terrariums?

A single plant: Building an attractive terrarium doesn’t need much work. One slow-growing or compact tropical houseplant that enjoys humidity can give off a luxuriant appearance when used in a basic closed container. A button fern or flame violet are suitable choices. Check the plant labels or contact a salesperson for assistance if you’re having trouble locating one.

Various plants: Open terrariums have an opening on top and are ideal for species like succulents that cannot withstand the increased humidity that comes with a closed terrarium. Echeverias, bromeliads, tillandsias, miniature aloes, and jade plants are further alternatives for the open terrarium. Consider using a covered vessel for several non-succulent plants. It will lessen the watering duties and aid in keeping the moisture in check.

A diverse landscape: When put within a glass-paned terrarium with a hinged vent on top, foliage and flowering plants produce a gorgeous show. We suggest a minimum of five plants to fill the terrarium.  Earth stars, Parlor palm seedlings, ‘Red Splash’ polka dots, Pearcea, lady’s slipper orchids, and tiny ivy all look great. Also, consider a baby’s tears plant, a miniature begonia, a heart fern, a creeping fig, and a mosaic plant.

Care Instructions for Terrariums

Care recommendations depend on the type of plants you’re utilizing. Daily direct sunshine is preferable to indirect light for keeping moisture in a closed terrarium, whereas succulents prefer daily natural sun.

Water the plants in an open succulents’ terrarium every two weeks rather than the four to six months most closed terrariums need. When the plants appear wilted or the water stops accumulating on the container’s edges, you’ll know it’s time. Instead of misting the leaves, spray the terrarium’s sidewalls with a few drops of distilled water. Leave the lid off for a few days to allow some moisture to escape if the closed terrarium is overly damp, as suggested by the constantly foggy glass.

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