How to Simply make a terrarium in Three Steps
Just what is a Terrarium?
Terrariums are sealed glass containers with plants at its core; it’s a tiny eco system making its own atmosphere, its own world, sealed inside glass. It is a tiny version of our planet and works exactly the same. Moisture evaporates and rises from the bottom of the terrarium. The moisture condenses on the glass roof, forms water droplets and then falls back to the bottom and irrigates the compost and roots of the plants. Once planted, watered and sealed a terrarium doesn’t need any more water and will grow happily for decades.
Today Terrariums are very popular, glass jars filled with soil and plants sitting on someone’s windowsill are not uncommon. I’ve seen them in boutique clothing shops and standing in arms at pedestrian crossings. Also they are so-easy to make and much easier to look after than pot plants. So the excuse “I’m just no good at house plants” is no excuse. And now in this blog you’ll have the knowhow to make one too.
Everyone has a back story, your journey that brought you here. But we’ve seen nothing compared to the terrarium, hands down, it’s had the most adventurous life.
Step One – Get Dirty!
Add the layers to the glass jar.
Place a layer of drainage stone at the bottom. Small stones from a beach or driveway. Add a little layer of charcoal on the pebble. You can buy this in any pet shop. This will neutralise any excess water and stop any fungal growth. Next up is the layer of compost, any potting compost will do nicely and this is the earth, where all things grow.
- Potting compost - earth to make the plants grow, 5 cm in total
- Charcoal – to keep the PH of the container low, no little fungi - 1 cm
- Pebbles to take the excess water away, which help keep everything moist - 5cm
Step Two – Get Green!
Choose plants for the jar .
For your first terrarium, choose succulents or cacti . These are the some of the toughest plants in the world. They will love the heat being cooked up in the glass jar. Firstly pick plants that will fit in the jar, plants just the right size with space at the top for growing. Then place the biggest in the middle and the smaller ones at the edge. A little symmetry is easy on the eye. You can also choose plants that have different colour or texture, or if you’d prefer, plants all the same. Any little cacti or succulent will do just fine. Go mad!
- Tallest in the middle
- Smaller ones around the edge
- Symmetry or beautiful chaos
Step Three – Get Planting
Add plants, compost and water
Place in the smallest plants first, move a little of the compost aside from the spot you’ve chosen. Place in the plant and fill back in the compost around the base of the plant. Continued to do this going around the outside of the glass jar. Then plant the tallest one in the middle. Adding more compost to the base when needed. Finally add a little water around the base of each plant. You’re done. Ready for a little adventure, a walk or clothes shopping.. Okay maybe not, firstly we’ll settle in here on this hot sunny window sill.
- Dig a little hole for the plant and place it in
- Fill back compost around the base of plant
- Continue planting around the edge
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Thirsty work - water in each plant
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