We make a terrarium to boost our ecosystems. In today’s article, we’ll look at the curious world of plant terrariums, which combine creativity with botany to create a miniature green paradise.
We are going to discuss the essential materials and also reveal the benefits of having a terrarium at home.
On this trip to create a terrarium, we’ll dive into the exciting process of building and caring for a terrarium plant.
We will also look at the benefits that inspire people to take on this fun and rewarding activity.
What Plant Can I Use For My Terrarium?
The terrarium’s size, the quantity of light it receives, and whether it is open or closed will determine several factors, such as which plants are best for it.
Bigger terrariums can accommodate somewhat bigger houseplants but avoid fast-growing species or ones with huge leaves that might obscure the light required for smaller plants.
When selecting terrarium plants, search for those that grow in low to medium light. For visual appeal, use a variety of leaf sizes, textures, and colors.
- African violet
- Spider Plants
- Pothos
- Peperomia
- Polka-dot plant
- Small ferns
- Ferns
- Fittonia
- Pilea
- Lucky bamboo
- Cryptanthus
- Nerve plant
- Baby’s Tears
- Prayer plant
- Club moss
- Creeping fig
Benefits Of Making A Terrarium Plant
Terrariums may be used for a variety of reasons. They can be made only for aesthetic purposes, for scientific study, or propagating plants.
Plant terrariums have been a trendy trend as we strive to balance our environments with nature.
These micro-ecosystems provide more than just decorative accents in our environment today; they are portals into miniature worlds where your plants might thrive.
The question is: Why do people love making terrariums, or should we have terrariums in homes, offices, and our environment?
Let us see for ourselves.
Personalized Interior Design
A distinctive and beautiful method to spruce up the inside of your house or place of business is with terrariums. To further fit your tastes and style, try out some original themes and designs.
You may use your creativity to create whatever kind of small-scale environment you choose, from tiny rainforests to arid landscapes.
For Maintaining Small Space For Gardening
Terrariums are a great option for those who are limited in space but need to have plants around their environment.
Having your terrariums makes it possible to incorporate natural elements into compact spaces, such as sinks, bookshelves, and workstations, without taking up a lot of area.
Therapeutic Purpose
Owning a terrarium may improve emotional health since it creates a relaxing environment.
Every stage of the process may be really fulfilling for your health, from selecting plants to positioning ornamental pieces,
Terrariums can help improve indoor air quality to some extent. Still, they may not be sufficient to significantly enhance the quality of air in larger or more polluted indoor environments.
As other house plants, like the snake plant, clean our air and improve the environment, it is essential to have those types of plants at home because of their medical benefits.
Are you interested in knowing the benefits of having a snake plant at home? Click here to read.
Easy To Maintain And Care For
It is rewarding to have or to make a terrarium for yourself because they are great for anyone who wishes to try gardening but doesn’t have much time or expertise.
Taking care of a terrarium is simple. Because they are more enclosed than a typical garden, they need much less maintenance and don’t require frequent watering.
Click here to learn more about how to take care of terrariums.
Educational For People Of All Ages
All ages may participate in the creation and maintenance of terrariums. Cultivating a terrarium is an activity that every one may take part in, young or old.
Proceed to work on this project with the household’s younger members and support their education.
It also creates a useful lesson in plant life as we see how microecosystems grow and balance as plants interact with one another and their surroundings.
The Idea For A Gift
Gifts that are unique and individualized are terrariums, which you may present on various occasions.
We advise customizing them to the recipient’s preferences to make a memorable and enduring present that is really one-of-a-kind.
Types Of Terrarium
It’s important to know the many kinds of plant terrariums you can construct before we walk you through how to make a terrarium.
Your tastes will influence your selection of a terrarium, the setting in which it will be used, and the particular requirements of the plants you want to keep.
Below are the comprehensive types of terrariums to help you choose the right one for your eco-friendly project.
Open Terrariums
As the name implies, open terrariums are not sealed enclosures. They allow for unrestricted air circulation and lack an impermeable cover.
An open terrarium are ideal for plants like succulents and cacti that thrive in arid environments.
Below are the considerations or benefits of having open terrarium plants:
- Less prone to fungus: The circulation of air lowers the possibility of issues caused by fungus.
- Humidity levels: For plants that need consistent humidity levels, these are not the best conditions.
- Regular watering: Because water evaporates more quickly, you might need to water them more frequently.
Close The Terrarium Plant.
These closed terrariums maintain moisture and heat inside a tight area.
The terrariums create the perfect environment for mosses, ferns, and other tropical plants since they close.
Choose plants that will tolerate the naturally damp atmosphere of a terrarium. Avoid cacti and succulents in an enclosed terrarium.
Below are the considerations or benefits of having a close terrarium plant:
- Mold monitoring: In order to prevent issues like mold, humidity regulation is crucial.
- Humidity levels: ideal for species that require constant high humidity, such as tropical plants.
- Watering less frequently: because the terrarium’s humidity is kept constant, there is less need to water it.
Hanging Terrariums
Hanging terrariums are an interesting and imaginative way to display your plants in the air. Ropes, chains, or decorative brackets typically string them.
Below are the benefits of having hanging terrarium plants:
- Space-saving: They are perfect for taking advantage of vertical spaces and are ideal for environments with space limitations.
- Access to watering: You should consider accessibility for watering and maintaining your plants.
- Choice of plants: Opt for plants that adapt well to suspension and don’t grow too big.
Customized Terrariums
Customized terrariums can construct a tiny scene of a garden-style house, a miniature mountain, or whatever else you can imagine. We are eager to see the things you can design.
Below are the benefits of having customized terrarium plants:
- Limitless creativity: They offer opportunities to experiment with small-scale designs and landscapes.
- Lovely Gift: They are unique and lovely gifts for friends and loved ones.
- Fun guaranteed: your children will have unlimited fun creating landscapes that they want.
Materials For Making A Terrarium
Having the appropriate supplies on hand is crucial when creating a terrarium project in order to guarantee a plant-growth-friendly atmosphere and preserve the intended look.
The most interesting part of this is that you can get all these elements easily and use everything you can recycle.
Everything you need to make your terrarium 👇🏻 is explained here.
Gloves
We recommend that you use gloves to handle the materials that we have mentioned to make your terrarium so you can also avoid contact with fungi.
Funnel
- You might find it simpler to disperse the substrate and stone layers if you use a funnel.
Long Pair Of Tweezers
- When arranging plants and altering landscape design components in small places, a pair of long tweezers or equivalent equipment will come in handy.
Glass Container
- Select a transparent container so that the interior can be seen as clearly as possible.
We encourage you to recycle any glass jars you may have sitting around the home to make this activity even more environmentally friendly.
- Make sure that the container has an opening that is large enough to make it possible for simple access during the process of assembling and maintaining your terrarium. It is true even if you decide to keep the container closed after that.
Substrate And Soil:
- Select a terrarium substrate, such as succulents or mixes designed specifically for cacti, that provides sufficient drainage.
- Fertilizer quality also plays a major role in supplying the nutrients required for plant development.
If you are interested in reading more about how to prepare a substrate for a terrarium, click here.
Decorative Stones:
- Little stones or pebbles work perfectly To establish a drainage layer at the terrarium’s base,
- On the other hand, you may utilize large ornamental stones to improve the texture and visual appeal of your terrarium.
Suitable Plant For A Terrarium
Select plants with comparable needs for humidity and light. Because of their versatility and resilience, succulents, ferns, and mosses are popular options for terrarium plants.
You should select plants that are small enough for the glass container. If it grows too much, it will make the terrarium look cramped.
Tillandsia stricta, Pilea seguirta, Cyathus bivittatus, Fittonia verschaffeltii var Argyoneura, and various succulents are used.
Activated Carbon
Suppose you already know how to make a terrarium. In that case, you will understand that this material will keep your miniature garden in good condition, thanks to the fresh soil.
Moss
This organism will help absorb excess water in your miniature natural habitat so the soil is not overloaded every time you water it.
How To Make A Terrarium Step-By-Step
The described procedure is useful for a horizontal or vertical terrarium.
Step 1: Wash the pot and stones to prevent the proliferation of fungi.
Step 2: Once dry, place adhesive tape on the mouth of the jar to prevent the soil from escaping. If you decide to give it a vertical orientation, you can skip this step.
Step 3: Place a thin layer of activated carbon. It will keep the water fresh and combat any bacterial growth in your terrarium.
Step 4: Apply a 1 ½ inch [2.5 cm] layer of small stones, pebbles, or gravel to the container until a base of between 2 cm and 4 cm is formed. The small stone will serve as drainage.
Step 5: Gently flatten the base so that it is level and not uneven. Repeat this step every time you add a new base in the following steps.
Step 6: Place the first layer of soil, trying to cover the entire terrarium. The amount to use should be considered based on the container you have and the size of the roots of the plants.
Step 7: Now is the moment to add your plants. Take the plant out of its old pot and trim its roots.
It is recommended to use those that need a high degree of humidity.
In the containment location that we consider most appropriate, we make a hole in the soil large enough to accommodate the plant roots and plant the terrarium.
It is easiest to work your way from the back to the front of your terrarium.
Step 8: Cover the roots with additional soil. You can add moss to beautify the terrarium. You can complete the decoration by placing stones of different sizes.
No specific design is sincerely recommended for your terrarium. You can place a decorative figure to highlight the beauty of the DIY piece.
Step 9: Water with a spray bottle two or three times or more. The water will allow the plant to be nourished, which will recycle it through respiration.
Once this step is completed, the terrarium can be closed.
How To Care For A Terrarium
After building your terrarium, you’ll need to take good care of it to make sure the plants live there safely.
Sunlight and water are two essential elements for the success of your terrarium. I’ll go over the essentials of maintaining and caring for your terrarium in this part.
Clean The Terrarium Glass Regularly.
The terrarium glass gets dirty from time to time, so it is important to take those off and let the bottle look fine again.
Nevertheless, I have already written an article that discusses how to clean the glass of a terrarium. If interested, click here to read.
Appropriate Watering
By giving your plants the precise quantity of water they require to flourish, proper irrigation helps to avoid both excessive moisture and dryness.
Below are some key points to keep in mind when watering your terrarium:
Plant type: Knowing these specifics can help you design a watering regimen that suits your plants since different plants have different watering requirements.
You can discover instructions for every kind of plant in our gardening section, which you may refer to if you’re unsure about how much water is necessary.
Substrate and drainage: As we’ve already discussed, in order to keep extra water from building up, the substrate must have enough drainage.
Better drainage is especially crucial for enclosed terrariums, so learn to sense humidity to accomplish this.
A dry substrate at a particular depth may suggest that watering is necessary.
Watering methods: The capillary irrigation method is used in certain terrariums, in which water is absorbed via a substance like moss or stones and then reaches the plant roots.
If you would like, you may directly add water to the substrate, being careful not to soak the leaves to avoid issues like rot.
For further control, we suggest employing equipment like droppers or tiny sprinklers.
Pruning And Shaping
This procedure not only regulates the plants’ size and form but also promotes healthier growth and averts any issues.
Pruning for Compact Growth: You may create a more lush appearance in the terrarium by carefully trimming to promote more compact and branching growth. To refocus the plant’s energies and promote healthy development, remove wilted blossoms.
Pruning for Treatment: Frequently check the leaves for illness indicators. If so, remove the impacted leaves to stop the issues from spreading. Additionally, look for indications of insects or other pests on the plants.
Techniques for pruning: To avoid damaging the plants, use clean, sharp instruments. Tweezers with fine tips are perfect for handling small plants or accessing more delicate regions.
Controlling Humidity And Ventilation
Ensuring that your plant terrarium remains in a healthy balance requires proper management of humidity and ventilation.
Monitoring humidity levels: To determine the humidity levels in your terrarium, we advise utilizing hygrometers.
The hygrometers will enable you to modify the environment in accordance with the particular requirements of your plants.
While some succulents can survive in dry conditions, many tropical plants could need greater amounts.
Managed aeration: Open the terrarium frequently to let extra moisture escape and oxygenate the space.
It would help if you also modified the ventilation to match the changing of the seasons.
Plant Rotation: To guarantee uniform sun exposure and avoid moisture accumulation in some regions, rotate plants on a regular basis.
Light Maintenance
Since light is the primary source of photosynthesis, it is essential to the success of your terrarium. Please continue reading to get all of our insider tips.
Location of the terrarium: Choose a spot where it will get the ideal quantity of light; direct sunlight might be too harsh.
Keep in mind that glass is transparent, and if we put it in full sunlight, we could damage the plant.
It is advisable to keep the terrarium indoors to avoid sudden changes in temperature.
Additionally, consider the direction of the sun’s rays to ascertain the effects they will have on various areas of the terrarium during the day.
Sun and shade-loving plants: Understand the light needs of your plants. Some need bright light, while others do well with some shadow.
Seasonal Adjustment: Modifies the terrarium’s location according to variations in the sun’s path throughout the year.
To learn how to care for your terrarium properly, click here to read how to care for it.
Where Should I Keep My Terrarium?
The following advice will help you select the ideal location:
Keep your terrarium where it will receive natural light.
They do best in areas with good lighting, but too much direct sunshine can have a greenhouse effect that harms plants. A location near a window that gets indirect or filtered light is perfect.
Keep your terrarium where there is a stable temperature.
Avoid placing it near sources of extreme heat or cold, such as radiators or air conditioners.
Temperature changes may impact the ecosystem’s delicate equilibrium.
Keep your terrarium away from busy areas.
Accidents are more likely to occur when a terrarium is located in a busy location.
Pick a peaceful spot where you may be appreciated without worrying about falling.
Think about style and decoration while selecting your location.
A rustic terrarium might look great on a wooden shelf. In contrast, a minimalistic one may look excellent on a contemporary desk.
Consider how the terrarium will look in relation to the surrounding area.
Keep your terrarium where it will be accessible for maintenance.
Even though they don’t need much upkeep, terrariums should be kept in a location that is convenient for watering or wiping down the glass as needed.
Placing your terrarium at eye level
It is easier to visualize and appreciate its beauty and intricacy when it is placed at eye level, whether on a table or shelf.
Avoid high or extremely low humidity.
If it is closed, stay away from placing it in high-humidity places, as this may cause excessive condensation within.
Summary
By taking these things into account, you can make sure that your terrarium not only looks great but also gives the plants it holds a healthy home.
Keep in mind that the ideal spot will vary depending on the particular kind of terrarium and the plants it holds.
How Long Does A Closed Terrarium Last?
A closed terrarium is a closed system that maintains equilibrium through gas exchange and water movement.
These systems can live a long time if properly maintained, but they are not “eternal” in the strict meaning of the term.
All systems have components that wear down over time and must be replaced or maintained.
As a result, frequent maintenance and continuous monitoring of the system are required to guarantee that it is functioning effectively.
Final Thought
Now that you know how to make a terrarium plant, it is important to take safety precautions and exercise diligence during this project.
After creating your terrarium plant, it is important to maintain it at that early stage because it just suffers from propagation stress.
Do not overwater them; avoid high-intensity sunlight, high humidity, or a fluctuating environment caused by the air conditioning.
