There is so much joy and wonderment creating a Terrarium. If you aren’t in the position to have a garden or would like some magic in your life then bring that garden inside and what’s more bring it into a bottle or glass container. The container (if sealed) can then create it’s very own microclimate and you’ll find that you hardly need to water the plants. The plants dry out far less than other house plants. The moisture will slide down the walls and head back into the soil. Humidity levels are kept relatively constant and this little world certainly feels less of what it going on outside – its’ perfectly protected from extremes, odours, and furry friends digging it up!!
- make sure you have the right tools to get started.
- line the bottom of the container with a drainage material. Gravel or pebbles and make sure you don’t use anything that would change the pH balance (shells/limestone). You can have the gravel a little higher at the sides and lower in the middle to accommodate roots.
- Now put in a screen so the dirt doesn’t drop into the gravel. A bit of fly screen you use on windows will work fine. Or you can add in a layer of moss – this will help absorb water.
- Now comes the soil or moistened coir. 2-3 inches deep or depending on your container about 20-25% soil. Big containers look better with more soil
- Lay out your arrangement of plants on the table and practise how you will arrange them.
- Use a fork to dig out planting holes
- take the biggest plant and lower it in. Don’t let the foliage touch the sides.
- add the rest of the plants patting down.
- if you want to fill gaps with moistened moss and you can add in pebbles
- you can clean down the walls with a bit of sponge attached to a stick
- Mist plants, don’t overwater, you never want the water over the screen level. Now leave the container open until there is just a thin layer of condensation then seal.
nb; you can have a succulent garden which wont need such a tropical moist atmosphere – in this case leave the lid permanently off.
