Welcome, Guest
Username: Password: Remember me
  • Page:
  • 1
  • 2

TOPIC: Terrariums

Terrariums 4 months 1 week ago #3869962

  • Born confused
  • Born confused's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Junior Buzzer
  • Junior Buzzer
  • Posts: 20
  • Well said received: 29
  • Points: 176
Hi folks - some friends showed an interest in my new hobby of creating terrariums, so thought I'd post some instructions for anyone who'd like to try. They're expensive to buy, but surprisingly cheap to make yourself! Have fun!

Making Your First Terrarium

What You’ll Need:

Tools

Some basic tools – here is a pic of what I use. They’re only really needed when you’re using a container with a narrow neck. I found the long-handled tongs in a pet shop, sold for use with aquariums.



Materials

Glass container, with or without a top

Clean gravel or small stones. For a prettier effect I tend to go for coloured gravel or even glass pebbles, available almost anywhere. But if you’re near a beach or river, smooth washed pebbles are easy to find.

Activated charcoal (Sold in Pet Stores for use in reptile houses, or online)

Terrarium plants

Sterile potting mix

Sheet moss, often called Sphagnum moss, available quite cheaply from Garden Centres or Pet Stores, or online.

Other types of good-looking moss for filling between plants. This can be quite difficult to find in shops. Can be bought online, but quite expensive. I suggest gathering your own. A walk in the woods or by a river can be productive, or if you have a garden try checking the more shady areas – you could be surprised!

Decorative elements (optional). I like to theme my creations by adding small figures, etc. Check the pics at the end.

Instructions

Choose a Container

Choosing your container and plants is half the fun of making a terrarium. There are many specialized terrarium containers that you can buy, even some that look like miniature Victorian greenhouses or conservatories that sell for a small fortune.

But you can use almost any transparent container with or without a lid to create a terrarium. I find mine mainly in Charity Shops or at Car Boot sales!

A wide opening allows you to fit your hand into the container to add drainage material, soil, plants, and decorative elements (shells, figurines, or ornaments), but a narrow opening is probably better for a sealed terrarium, and the tools shown earlier will help to work with this type.

Choose the Plants

Most garden centres stock miniature plants for terrariums, and they are also available cheaply online. Choose plants with various foliage forms and heights. Most small plants will do well in a terrarium, but here are some examples of commonly used ones:

African Violet, Pothos, Small Ferns, Fittonia (comes in many colours!), Prayer Plants, Creeping Fig etc. Succulents also do well in a terrarium.

Add Drainage Layers


A terrarium container does not have drainage holes, so you’ll need to create a drainage layer to keep water away from plant roots. Start with a 1 -2 inch layer of gravel or crushed stone at the bottom of the terrarium. A tall, narrow terrarium will require a deeper layer of drainage stones than a broad, shallow container.

Add Moss and Potting Mix

Then add a layer of sphagnum moss over the stones to keep the next layer, the potting soil, from being washed down into the drainage layer.

Next, add a 1/4-inch to a 1/2-inch layer of activated charcoal on top of the stones to help with drainage and control any odours.

With a large spoon or small trowel, add slightly damp potting soil on top of the moss. Do not use a potting soil mix with fertilizer already added as terrarium plants don't need the extra fertilizer, what they need comes from natural decay.

Add as much potting mix as you can—at least a couple of inches. Make sure to keep the soil level low enough so that the plants will fit inside the container with room to grow.

Prepare the Plants

Before planting, decide on the design of your terrarium. Choose the spots where you'll place tall and short plants and where you'll create mounds and dips in the soil to create interesting contours.

Remove the plants from their nursery pots. If a plant is rootbound tease the roots apart or use a pair of small garden snips to trim off some of the longer roots. Removing some roots will slow a plant’s growth, which is essential when growing plants in the confines of a terrarium. Also, trim off any yellowed or damaged leaves.

Shake off any excess soil left on the plants. Use a long spoon or your fingers to dig a planting hole for each plant. Place each plant in its hole and gently pat the soil down to eliminate air pockets and secure each plant firmly in the potting medium. If the terrarium has a narrow opening, use chopsticks or long tweezers to place the plants into the terrarium. Put a cork on the end of a skewer or chopstick to tamp down the soil.

At this stage I like to fill the spaces between the plants with the more good-looking mosses. When you start to collect some, you’ll be amazed at the varieties available!

Decorate

Then just get creative and decorate the inside of the terrarium with small figurines, shells, decorative stones, or anything else that comes to you!

Water the Terrarium

Use a spray bottle or small watering can to water the plants so they are just damp, but not soaking wet.

Use the spray bottle to clean off any dirt clinging to the glass sides of your container, which you can then wipe clean with newspaper or a paper towel. Never use glass cleaner on the inside of a planted terrarium because it can harm the plants.

And that's about it! Have a go, and if you do, please post your work here. Here are some pics of my efforts so far. Sorry about the quality - not a great photographer.


Attachments:
The following user(s) said Well Said: cahoots

Please Log in to join the conversation.

Terrariums 4 months 1 week ago #3869973

  • Pats
  • Pats's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Admin
  • Admin
  • Posts: 4652
  • Well said received: 1715
  • Points: 108888
  • Honor Medal 2010
They look lovely.smile.png
The following user(s) said Well Said: cahoots, Born confused

Please Log in to join the conversation.

Happy to help.

Terrariums 4 months 1 week ago #3869979

  • Aida
  • Aida's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Buzzer
  • Platinum Buzzer
  • Posts: 897
  • Well said received: 1279
  • Points: 52959
  • Honor Medal 2010
Delightful. Thank you for showing them to us
The following user(s) said Well Said: Born confused

Please Log in to join the conversation.

Life is like a cartoon. As you grow older you understand the meaning behind the exaggerations.

Terrariums 4 months 1 week ago #3869999

  • Amandine
  • Amandine's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Gold Buzzer
  • Gold Buzzer
  • Posts: 191
  • Well said received: 231
  • Points: 2156133
  • Honor Medal 2010
What a lovely hobby. smile.png
The following user(s) said Well Said: Born confused

Please Log in to join the conversation.

Terrariums 4 months 1 week ago #3870012

  • Assemble
  • Assemble's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Expert Buzzer
  • Expert Buzzer
  • Posts: 141
  • Well said received: 180
  • Points: 5658
  • Honor Medal 2010
I used to make these for my kids when they were younger, fill them up with plants and create a mini landscape then they'd populate them with Lego men or plastic dinosaurs or whatever. A nice way of having plants in their bedrooms without too much mess or fuss about watering
The following user(s) said Well Said: Elizabeth, Born confused

Please Log in to join the conversation.

Terrariums 4 months 1 week ago #3870043

  • Born confused
  • Born confused's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Junior Buzzer
  • Junior Buzzer
  • Posts: 20
  • Well said received: 29
  • Points: 176
Thanks Assemble - my grandkids love them too!
The following user(s) said Well Said: Amandine

Please Log in to join the conversation.

Terrariums 4 months 1 week ago #3870644

  • Genny
  • Genny's Avatar
  • Visitor
  • Visitor
Oh, Born Confused, these are beautiful. You might just have inspired me.
Thanks,
Genny

Please Log in to join the conversation.

Terrariums 4 months 1 week ago #3870672

  • Born confused
  • Born confused's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Junior Buzzer
  • Junior Buzzer
  • Posts: 20
  • Well said received: 29
  • Points: 176
Thanks Genny - please have a go and post any results you are happy with here - love to see them!

Please Log in to join the conversation.

Terrariums 4 months 6 days ago #3871021

  • Elizabeth
  • Elizabeth's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Expert Buzzer
  • Expert Buzzer
  • Posts: 93
  • Well said received: 117
  • Points: 2089
  • Honor Medal 2010
Something I have done is bought the living plants intended for aquariums. They don't need to be submerged in water, just their roots, so I have put them in a small bowl with coloured pebbles and water. I have placed this in the centre, with other plants around it. If you can find a small 'wishing well', that would look even better.

Please Log in to join the conversation.

Terrariums 4 months 6 days ago #3871027

  • Born confused
  • Born confused's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Junior Buzzer
  • Junior Buzzer
  • Posts: 20
  • Well said received: 29
  • Points: 176
Interesting Elizabeth - I'll have a look at aquarium plants. One thing though - are there issues with too much condensation from the open water source in the terrarium?

Please Log in to join the conversation.

  • Page:
  • 1
  • 2
Moderators: mikePatsMoonlitRoads63
Time to create page: 0.076 seconds
Powered by Kunena Forum

Over 50 forums just for seniors Join Free here!

Buzz50 is one of the few sites where the forums are strictly restricted to those who are over 50 only.

Our senior forums are run by over 50s purely for over 50s to enjoy. If you like serious or even light hearted discussions then this is the place for you.

Buzz50 uses cookies, by using the site, you agree to these cookies

Click the button below to hide this message: Learn more

I understand