1. Combining the Right Plants
3. Tips on Situating the Plants
4. Ground-Cover & Decorations
5. After Care
Never rush into buying every small plant that you see at a store. Always decide on whether you're going to create a Desert, Tropical or Carnivorous-based display. Combining a desert-dwelling succulent with a moisture-loving specimen will serve nothing but grief for both parties. If you're stuck for a design, fear not - click on the link to see our Terrarium Gallery. The section below will show you which plants are acceptable for each type. If you're interested in making a terrarium for less, click here to have a read on our money-friendly tips of creating an indoor display.
This type will benefit from an open-top and should never be situated in a poorly ventilated or shallow container. Desert terraria (plural of terrarium) will be the easiest to replicate its biome, and is by far the most fun - see the images below for some of our displays!
You'll have the option of creating an open or an enclosed display. We'd recommend the latter as it presents growing conditions in the likes of high humidity, an abundance of moisture and a better water cycle.
N. B. - Although Spider Plants are a great candidate for a tropical display, they'll quickly out-grow their surroundings within the following months.
Tropical / Foliage Ground-Cover Plants
Do NOT incorporate non-carnivorous plants into this type of terrarium (or vice versa), as the poor soil conditions and lack of drying soil will promote an unhealthy specimen.
Most species of indoor Bonsai will be great candidates for this type of display, and can be put in an open or enclosed glass terrarium! Here are our top six;
Creating a moss display is the easiest terrarium to develop and maintain. We'd recommend using an enclosed container due to the species' tendency to become dehydrated in open varieties.
• 'Base' Layer - Add a layer of stones or pebbles at the base of the terrarium. This must be done before any compost is added, and should fill the display's lower 20% for drainage.
Most stone forms are acceptable - ukhouseplants recommends using Horticultural Grit (pictured) along with a few pebbles found outside. Prevent the spread of disease by always washing stones that are brought in from your garden. This section will provide a safe-zone where excess moisture will be collected to reduce the severity of water logging and root rot. Even if the terrarium includes drainage holes, be sure to incorporate a layer of grit to help the growing conditions.
• Soil Regulator - A thin layer of Activated Charcoal will work wonders in all soil types. The carbon will regulate bacteria and fungus located in the potting-mix, significantly reducing the chance of diseases.
Not only this, but it'll also reduce the 'earthy' smell that can be emitted from the compost. Even though this step is recommended and NOT essential, purchasing Activated Charcoal from an online store will significantly improve the overall growing conditions below its soil line.
• Compost - This section is widely up to discussion. Some books and websites will recommend a Houseplant potting mix, whereas others lean towards the 'Make It Yourself' option. ukhouseplants have made countless terraria over the years, and we'd say that it solely relies on the type of display. The table below includes our recommended potting-mixes that are currently on the market in the UK; even if you're located in another country, there'll always be similar substitutes to choose from.
|Terrarium Type||Recommended Compost|
|Desert (Cactus & Succulent)||Use a well-draining potting with a generous mixture of grit, sand & perlite. We'd recommend using a 'Cactus & Succulent Compost' as it's widely available at most garden centres and is relatively cheap.|
|Tropical or Foliage||'Houseplant' potting mixes are best, however, 2 parts multipurpose compost and 1 part perlite is fine, too.|
|Carnivorous||Carnivorous-labelled potting mixes must be used due to the lack of nutrients; using any other soil will burn the roots followed by plant death after a few days.|
|Bonsai||For Bonsai displays, you have the option to use a specific compost (pictured above) or a 'Houseplant Compost' - the choice is entirely up to you! Please note that Jade Trees (Money Plants) will require a Cactus & Succulent potting-mix.|
|Moss||As most species will lack a detailed root system, incorporate just an inch and a half (3cm) of Houseplant Compost above a layer of stones and Sphagnum moss (or Spanish moss). The layer of grit will be at the bottom, followed by some moss and then the thin layer of soil.|
Instead of just adding sand on the terrarium's soil line, why not incorporate it AGAINST the glass, too? As you can see by the image below, we pressed moist sand into the inside of the terrarium to give it an infinite 'deserty feel'.
Stuck on a design? Click here to see what ukhouseplants have made over the years! Terrarium Gallery
• Dig a small trench into the soil to accommodate its rootball and fill or spread the compost into the remaining gaps. It's important not to 'pat' or condense the potting-mix as this will strip the oxygen when watered. A soil that lacks air will result in rot.
• For Cacti, be sure to wear protective gloves or wrap its foliage around with paper to carry. Use a chopstick to spread the soil around its base for support. With rosette-shaped Succulents, such as Aloe, Sempervivums & Haworthia, keep its foliage ABOVE the soil line prevent the development of diseases like Powdery Mildew or Grey Mould.
• Have a look at the image above - to get the most out of your terrarium, it's best to keep the small specimens at the front, and the tall at the back. It'll create a cascading effect where people will be able to focus on different sections of the display without difficulty.
• Incorporate several 'platforms' at different heights by creating a mountainous scene that has vertical stones towards the back of the display. Fill the gaps with compost and be sure to have the soil line higher around the rocks than below (in front). Have a look at the image below for visual comprehension.
This step should be personalised to your taste. Some like to add coloured pebbles and figurines and others add a thin layer of sand to create a tundra appearance. Whichever you choose, never be afraid to spend some thought into the design - here are some of our ideas;
Desert - Cover the soil line with sand and follow the 'infinite desert' idea (Section 2.5). Add some dried bark & flat stones to replicate this climate.
Tropical - Add Sphagnum Moss, ground-covering plants (Section 1) to create a jungle or tropical display. Introduce some slate-coloured stones for texture enhancement.
Carnivorous - Sphagnum Moss is a great idea to prevent droughts and to mimic the bog-like conditions that insect-eating species originate from. Be sure to wash any stones or moss before use to avoid burning their roots. Purchase Dryopteris spores online to add a contrast of foliage.
Bonsai - Incorporate vertical slates or stones to create a mountainous theme. Cover the soil line with small stones (we use Horticultural Grit, pictured above) and some Sphagnum Moss for grass.
Moss - Include some smooth pebbles or stones to complement the shape of its foliage.
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Looking for inspiration? Click here - Terrarium Gallery
Remember, you're not alone - if you need any advice with making or maintaining a terrarium, feel free to send us a message via this link or comment in the section below! The advert below enables ukhouseplants to become self-sufficient with income. The integrity of the website and each article will never be hindered by a flood of uninvited adverts.