What happens if you are a plant lover but you live in an apartment where you don’t have any garden space? For people who still love to tend to plants and watch them grow into gorgeous flowers, but can’t plant something outside, there is always the option of a terrarium. A terrarium is like a miniature garden that you grow under a glass cover. If you think this limits your creative potential, don’t worry. There are a lot of ways in which you can make your terrarium stand out. Today, we are going to take you through the 5 main steps you have to follow if you want to learn how to make a terrarium.
How to Make a Terrarium – 5 Easy Steps
Step 1: Choose the Plants You Want to Use
Of course, the first step you should take consists of choosing what you want your miniature garden to contain. Here, you really have plenty of choices. You might not be able to grow anything you would in a normal garden. However, you will undoubtedly find something you would like to plant. For a covered terrarium, choose small plants that share similar moisture and light needs, such as suitable ferns, fittonia, or mosses. Do not mix desert cacti or succulents into this humid planting. Grow those separately in an open, well-drained container rather than under a glass lid.
Step 2: Choose the Glass Container
The container depends a lot on the type of plant you decided upon. If we’re talking about a rather small one, a fish bowl or small aquarium would work just fine. If you are ambitious and have decided to grow a larger plant, you could go for a large bell jar instead. The trick is to make sure that the roots that will develop in time have plenty of space to grow unencumbered.
Step 3: Buy the Supplies You Need
After you’ve decided on the plant and the container, you are one step away from finding out the full process of how to make a terrarium. Now, you need some supplies, such as soil, gravel, sheet moss, activated charcoal, and gardening gloves. You can even buy some decorations, depending on how you want your terrarium to look.
Step 4: Decide Where You Want Your Terrarium to Live
Choose a stable indoor location with indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight, which can overheat a covered container. Check moisture periodically rather than watering on a fixed schedule; if the glass stays heavily fogged, open the lid briefly to release excess moisture.
Step 5: Plant the Terrarium
In order to complete the entire project, there are some things you should keep in mind. Start everything by putting some gravel mixed with charcoal at the bottom of the container. Then add a suitable potting mix and plant your selections. Moisten the mix lightly; water cannot drain out of a sealed glass container, even when gravel is present. Avoid leaving the roots sitting in accumulated water. Depending on your personal choice, you can add small decorations to make it look like an actual miniature garden.
Leave room for the plants to grow and remove dead leaves as you notice them. A small terrarium is a living planting that needs observation, even when it needs little watering.
Care reference: Iowa State University Extension’s terrarium guide.
