Experience the fun of growing plants in a terrarium! My humble attmpt of building my own just made me super happy. By grouping small indoor plants together in a glass or plastic container, you create an eye-catching miniature greenhouse where plants thrive with very little water or care.
What you’ll need:
- A glass or plastic container
- An assortment of indoor plants (suggestions listed below)
- Professional Potting Mix
- Gravel, glass rain rock, or pebbles (optional)
- Horticultural charcoal (helps absorb excess moisture and keep soil sweet)
Instructions:
Step 1: Choose a container. Get creative with your terrarium container. It’s important the container does not leak.
Step 2: Choose your indoor plants. You’ll want to select plants that thrive in high humidity and share the same light and water requirements. You’ll also want to choose varieties that grow slowly or are naturally smaller so they do not quickly outgrow the terrarium. Molbak’s suggests choosing a theme for the terrarium and selecting plants within that theme. Ideas include:
- Carnivorous plants (such as Sundew, Pitcher plant and Venus fly trap)
- Tropical rainforest plants (such as Chamaedorea palms, Hypoestes, small ferns, and Fittonia)
- Other great ideas: Ferns, Creeping Fig, Polka dot plant, Prayer plant, Parlour Palm, Aluminum plant, Ivy (green or variegated), Neanthe Bella Palm, Pepperomia varieties, Fittonia, Spider plants, Selaginella moss.
Note: It’s generally best to use cactus mix when planting cacti and succulents.
Step 3: Prepare your soil. Choose a sterile indoor plant mix. Molbak’s Professional Potting Mix is ideal for tropical plants. For carnivorous plants, use a special soil mix of peat and sand, top-dressed with sphagnum moss.
Step 4: Build a base. Layer the following materials in the bottom of the container in this order:
Horticultural charcoal: ¼ to ½ inch
Gravel (optional): ½ inch
Soil: 2 inches
Step 5: Place your plants. Create pockets in the soil and place each of your plants in its pocket.
Step 6: Cover the roots. Add soil as needed to cover the plant roots.
Step 7: Water. Add water to the soil until moistened.
Step 8: Put a lid on it. Tighten the lid on your terrarium and you’re done!
I have decorated my Terrarium with seashells. You can add some whimsical touches... I have some ducks surrounding it and a macaw perched on the glass container!
Light: Place the terrarium in bright, indirect sunlight. Avoid direct sunlight.
Water: When the terrarium is first planted, add only enough water to moisten the soil. Within the enclosed terrarium, the water recycles itself; it’s taken up by the plants, then transpired into the air. The transpired water moistens the soil, and the cycle continues.
Ventilation: Condensation will build up if too much moisture is present. To reduce condensation, remove or open the lid for a few minutes until the condensation clears.If your lid has vents, take note that leaving vents open will allow moisture to continually escape. In this case, check the soil regularly and moisten when dry. Avoid overwatering and add only enough water to moisten the soil.
