How To Make A Terrarium At Home
Today’s blog post we will be talking about how you can make your own terrarium at home in less than an hour with few materials and with out breaking the bank! They are easy to care for, make for great Christmas gifts, and they are the perfect house plant for anyone who is plant-challenged.
With out further a due lets get started!
Cost of the terrarium:
Terrariums can add up quickly and to help save money shopping at consignment shops or any glass containers that you may have laying around at home. It is easy to find affordable yet great looking glass containers jars!
The terrarium plants are generally are small houseplants, which often are affordable so depending on the size of your jars, your project can be made for well under $20.
Picking a Terrarium:
For a Terrarium, anything goes as long as it is glass. You can even use a heavy plastic container that looks like glass but most people prefer the look and feel of glass.
When looking for a jar or container you will want to look for one with a wide mouth. While it is possible to use a container with a small opening. It is much easier to add plants, water, and clean when your container if it has a wider opening.
(Something to also keep in mind; you don’t want your plants touching the sides of your jar; so the wider the bowl the more plants and soil you’ll be able to fit.)
Picking your Plants:
You want to make sure your plants are small enough to fit in your jar.You’ll also want to buy plants that don’t mind a humid environment. This leaves out most succulents and cactus.
When looking for plants, you will want to make sure that the plants you pick like low to medium sun light. You also will want to get a mix of sizes, leaf textures, and leaf colors to add diversity to your terrarium.
Below is a list of some great plants for terrariums:
Prayer plant
Club moss
Creeping fig
Since terrarium’s don’t need draining holes. You will instead need to put a layer of sheet moss in the bottom of your terrarium to soak up extra water.
If you don't have moss, you can also put a layer of stones.
For the soil of your terrarium you will want to add sterile soil-less potting mix on top of your moss or if you aren't using moss, put the potting mix right on top of your charcoal/sand. You will want to add at least a couple of inches.
Terrarium Design:
At this point you will need to think about the design of your terrarium and how you want it to look.
Do you want your terrarium have a back and a front? Do you wan to contour your soil so that it mounds and sinks to creates visual interest?
Have fun with this part, and visually create something you wold love to look at on a day to day basis!
Planting:
Next you will want to remove your plants from their pots. You may find that they are root bound, make sure to break off some of the dirt to help stimulate the roots. You will then want to begin by cutting off some of the roots to help slow down your plant’s growth.
If you would like, you can separate some plants by gently pulling them apart. If you’re not sure about the separation, look at the base of the plant to see if there are several tiny plants all tightly together. Even though it is attached to the plant this can come in handy, and you can gently separate them.
TIP: This may sound like a bad thing although retarding your roots growth helps in the long run of a terrarium.
Use a larger spoon or your fingers to dig a hole in the dirt mix. Place your plant in the hole and gently pat the soil around it.
If your terrarium has a narrow neck, you can use cooking chopsticks or tongs to place your plants and pat them in.
When you do this make sure that there are no air pockets between the roots of the plant and the soil. A great trick to make sure all the soil is tight is to put a cork on the end of a skewer and gently pat down around the plant.
Watering Your Terrarium:
For watering your terrarium use a spray bottle or watering can with a rose attachment on the spout to do so. You want to be sure you are NOT making the dirt soaking wet, just damp. This is one of the number one things that people mess up on with terrarium plants.
Once you are complete with your beautiful terrarium caring for your terrarium is easy! Check every couple of weeks to see if your terrarium needs water, you can do this by checking the soil and if it is too dry.
We hope you have enjoyed this weeks blog post and are very excited to see what kind of terrariums you all create! We would love for you to share them with us and tag us on Facebook or Instagram to be featured on our page!
Below we have added some pro tips to help you keep your terrariums happy and healthy!
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Tips:
Don’t fertilize your terrarium, because you don’t want to encourage growth.
For the glass of your terrarium, you never should use a glass cleaner on the inside of a planted terrarium, as for it will make your very plants sick.
If you created a terrarium that is closed, take off the top at least once a month to air it out.
If you see condensation or have added too much water, leave the top off until it has had a chance to dry out.
Keep an eye on your plants for when they start to get long and leggy. Trimming them back help keep the plants small and avoids them from touch the glass.