In recent years, we have seen a strong comeback in terrariums, these small decorative plant gardens in a glass container that can be hung or placed on a piece of furniture. Although it is possible to use tropical plants in miniature format to compose terrariums, it is often cacti and succulents that take the spotlight. In addition to being cute as hell, terrariums are quite simple to make and don’t require a lot of maintenance. It’s even a very interesting activity to do with your children to introduce them to the pleasure of gardening and exercise their creativity. Here’s how to create your terrarium at home.
To start your project, go to your favorite garden center to collect all the materials needed to create your miniature garden. Craft and DIY stores can also offer you certain decorative elements that will allow you to personalize your terrarium even more.
You will need:
- The glass container of your choice. The larger the opening, the easier it is to place plants and other decorative items inside.
- Soil for cacti and succulents
- Sphagnum moss
- Small cacti or succulents
- Pebbles (For the background)
- Sand, small rocks, colored beads, or other to cover the soil
- Decorative elements of your choice: pieces of wood, shells, figurines, etc.
How to make a terrarium – the steps
Once all your materials are gathered, all that’s left to do is create the layers and set up your terrarium.
- Place a 2 to 3-cm layer of pebbles at the bottom of your glass container. The stones will help catch excess water.
- Add sphagnum moss to the gravel bed. This layer of approximately 2 cm will act as a filter.
- Place a layer of potting soil for cacti and succulents. Your layer of potting soil should be thick enough to contain the entire root ball of your plants.
- Then plant your plants, starting with the largest. As much as possible, avoid letting the leaves touch the edges of the pot. Make sure you choose plants that have the same water and light requirements. Cohabitation will be healthier.
- Lightly pack the soil around the roots and add a little more if necessary.
- Cover the soil with sand or small decorative stones and insert your decorations until you are satisfied with the result.
- Place your terrarium near a well-lit window, but out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources.
- Wait a few weeks before watering your creation again.
Maintenance of terrariums
Maintaining your terrarium is quite simple. Simply water when the soil is dry and remove any dead or wilted leaves as soon as they appear. If some plants grow very large and start to take up too much space in the container, you can prune them.
If you wish, you can change your terrarium over the seasons. Add a small garland of LED lights and cover the soil with artificial snowflakes for the holidays, for example, or replace the shells that embellish your creation with chocolate eggs and colored stones for Easter. Don’t hesitate and have fun!
