Making a terrarium
What is a terrarium?
A terrarium is a small ecosystem in a glass container. It is a great way to bring some nature into your home. It is also a great way to learn about plants and how they grow. Terrariums are a close system making them very low maintenance and not dependent on the weather outside. This makes them great for people who are not very good at keeping plants alive.
What do you need?
Terrariums can be very simple or very complex. It all depends on what you want to do with it and how likely you are to keep it alive. For the most basic terrarium that will last a while you need:
- a glass container
- some fresh soil
- some stones
- activated charcoal
- destilled water
- some moss
- some plants
If want to keep it simpler you can also just use moss and make a "mossarium". This is a great way to start.
For the construction of the terrarium you also need some tools. In theory you can do it all with your hands or a chopstick, but it is much easier if you have some tools. The most basic tools that I would recommend are:
- terrarium tweezers
- terrarium scissors
Nice to haves are:
- terrarium rake
- terrarium shovel
- funnel
- spray bottle
How to make it?
Making a terrarium is like a sandwich. You start with a layer of stones, then a spoon of charcoal, then a layer of soil. This forms the bases of your terrarium. To keep the soil from mixing with the stones you can also add some netting directly on top of the stones. This is not necessary, but it can help.
The thickness of the layers depends on the size of your container. You want to have the layer of stones such that non of the soil touches the bottom of the container this way your terrarium will have a drainage system. The layer of charcoal is to keep the water clean. The layer of soil is where the plants will grow.
On your base layer can construct your art work. It is best to start with the biggest plants first and then add the smaller ones. This way you can see how much space you have left. You can also add some decorations like rocks or figurines. After that you can add the moss to cover the soil. The plants do not need the be planted with their roots into the soil. Many plant you can just take clippings and stick them into the soil. Because the environment is so humid the plants will grow roots from the clippings.
After you have constructed your terrarium you can add some water. You want to add enough water that the soil is moist, but not so much that there is a puddle of water at the bottom. Easiest way to add water is by using a spray bottle. With this can you also spray the walls of the container to clean them. You can also wipe the walls with a small piece of cloth.
Now your terrarium is done. You can close the lid and enjoy your new terrarium.
What plants to use?
There are many plants that you can use for a terrarium. The most important thing is that the plants are small and do not grow too fast. You also want to use plants that like a humid environment. Some plants that I have used are:
- fittonia
- pilea
- peperomia
- syngonium
- philodendron
- epipremnum
- asparagus fern
- calathea
- Monstera
Terrariumtribe has a great list of plants that you can use for a terrarium.
Bioactive terrariums
Your terrarium could harbor a whole ecosystem. You can add some small animals to your terrarium. These small creatures will help to keep your terrarium clean because they love to eat fungus, mold and dead plantmaterial. The two insects that are most commonly used are springtails and isopods. These are very small insects that are not harmful to your plants. They are also very easy to keep. You can buy them online or you can find them in your garden.
Show case
Here are some of the terrariums that I have made.
FAQ
Some questions that I had my self when I started making terrariums.
How to maintain it?
Maintain a terrarium is very easy. You only need to water when you see that the soil is dry. This can be once a week or once a month depending on the size of your terrarium and what you use the close it. After half a year you probably need to trim the plants a bit. A remove some moss from the glass. You can do this with the terrarium scissors. If you have a bioactive terrarium you can also add some food for the insects. This can be a grain of rice or some yeast.
What to do if it dies?
If your terrarium dies you can just start over. You can reuse the glass container and the stones and charcoal. You can also reuse the soil, but it is best to replace it.
What to do if it gets moldy?
If your terrarium gets moldy you can just open it up and let it dry out. After that you can start over. If you have a bioactive terrarium you can also add some more insects to help clean it up.
What is the best place to put it?
The best place to put your terrarium is somewhere where it gets indirect sunlight. You do not want to put it in direct sunlight because it will become a green house and burn the plants. You also do not want to put it in a dark place because the plants will not get enough light and grow tall to find it.
What to do if it gets too wet?
If your terrarium gets too wet you can open it up and let it dry out a bit.
Where to get the moss from?
You can get moss from your garden or from the forest. You can also buy it online. If you get it from your garden or the forest you need to make sure that you do not take too much and take care such that it can regrow. You can also take some moss from your terrarium and use that to start a new one.