Liven up your home by creating your own terrarium! These miniature gardens are fun to create and are an effective way to liven up your indoor space.
How do I build a terrarium?
The first thing you need to do when building your own terrarium is to decide whether you want a closed and (mostly) self-regulating terrarium, or whether you’d like it to be open. Glass containers work best.
To make a terrarium you need the following:
- A glass container (open or closed)
- Soil
- Moss
- Charcoal (for a closed terrarium)
- Sand, pebbles, or rocks
- Plants of your choice
What are the steps for building a terrarium?
Step 1: Place your rocks, pebbles of sand at the bottom of your glass container. This layer is specifically so the water will drain away from the soil.
If you are going with a closed terrarium, add a charcoal layer, as this prevents mould growing in the drainage area.
Step 2: Put your moss layer down (make sure it is slightly damp). This layer will prevent the soil from getting in between the rocks.
Step 3: Next, put in your soil. This should be a few inches thick or taking up around a quarter of your container’s overall size.
Step 4: Add your plants! If your terrarium is quite sizable, and you would like to add several plant species, make sure you choose varieties with similar care needs.
Step 5: Maintenance. If you have chosen to go for a closed terrarium, air it out every month for around 20 minutes, and keep it away from direct sunlight. For open terrariums, we recommend planting cacti and succulents as they require little maintenance and look very pretty.
Done! All you have to do now is figure out where to put your terrific terrarium!
