Creating A Decorative Terrarium Garden

Creating A Decorative Terrarium Garden

Terrariums are an excellent way for newbies or expert indoor gardeners to enjoy gardening on a whole different level. Terrarium gardens are collections of decorative plants small enough to fit and grow in an enclosure. Decorative terrarium gardens help brighten up your living space and can stand in as an enjoyable hobby.

Indoor decorative terrariums are built with enough space to allow you to access and take care of the plants inside. Indoor terrariums are also usually transparent to allow easy viewability. If you want an indoor garden that stands out from any other garden, then it might be the ideal choice for you.

With indoor decorative terrariums, you can go full DIY and create your personalized garden just the way you want it. Creating a decorative terrarium garden can be easy and quite fun based on the tools you have access to.

What Do You Need to Create A Decorative Terrarium?

To build a good substantial house, you need specific tools and materials; the same goes for a decorative terrarium. Getting the required tools and materials before you start making your terrarium would ensure that the entire process is quick and easy.

A Terrarium Vessel

Try to get a terrarium in a shape and size that fits where you plan on placing it. It should always be transparent to allow light to pass through to the plants inside so they can be seen easily. The terrarium should have a big enough opening to allow humidity escape and enable the gardener to care for the plants comfortably.

You could always opt for an already made terrarium or go DIY and make your vessel. Terrariums can be made from repurposed containers; this is an opportunity to let your imagination run wild.

Potting Soil

Plants need soil to grow. The right potting soil choice could make all the difference in growing healthy plants. Depending on your plant choice, get potting soil specific to the plant type so they can grow comfortably. In most cases, regular well-draining potting soil can cater to the needs of most indoor plants. Research plants and their soil requirements before creating your decorative terrarium.

Plant Of Your Choosing

Choosing the plants is hands down the most crucial decision to make in the entire decorative terrarium creation process. Choose a plant that, when fully grown, would fit nicely into your chosen terrarium vessel.

Small Stones

Stones serve two purposes. They help to facilitate water drainage when placed at the bottom of it, and they also help to beautify the entire terrarium layout when appropriately placed.

Gardening Tools

Depending on how much indoor gardening you would be doing, you need to get some gardening tools to make the indoor terrarium creation process more manageable. Essential indoor gardening tools you might need include a watering can, a hand trowel, pruning shears, a hand gardening fork, and any other tool as required for the gardening task at hand.

Best Plants for A Decorative Terrarium Garden

Your plant choice will dictate how much you enjoy having a decorative terrarium. When picking a plant for your terrarium, specific factors must be considered, including the size, humidity, and nutrients. Let’s dive deeper.

Size

Indoor decorative terrariums are usually small, and the chosen plant size is a significant factor. Try picking a plant that wouldn’t grow too big; this could make handling in the terrarium inconvenient. A plant growing bigger than usual in your terrarium could appear to clash with aesthetics. Plants too oversized for their space can negatively affect your plant’s health if not provided room to grow.

Too small growing areas mean that the roots of the plants are restricted, and nutrients would be less adequately distributed, leading to a slowing of the plant’s growth.

Humidity Requirements

Decorative terrariums are enclosed spaces and are considerably humid for plants. Besides, Picking a plant that thrives in high humidity would be ideal. Plants that do not do well with high humidity would have difficulty growing properly in a terrarium. To cater to plants comfortable with low humidity, try choosing one enclosure with an opening to allow excess moisture to escape; that way, you can grow both kinds of plants in it.

Nutrient Requirements

Regardless of how small they are, different plants have specific nutritional requirements to grow well. Try picking a plant that you can easily imitate their natural growing environment in your terrarium. This task would involve choosing a plant that can grow in regular potting soil.

When planted in terrariums, a few plants are known to do well include Mondo grass, cacti, succulents, moss, Pilea Involucrate, Sedums, small Begonias, and ferns.

Decorating A Terrarium

Creating your decorative terrarium after getting the required potting soil, gardening tools, picking a suitable plant, and terrarium vessel shouldn’t take too long.

Follow these few steps:

• Take the terrarium vessel you’ve chosen and fill it up with some stones. Stones should be layered up roughly 1 inch from the bottom of the container.
• Add activated charcoal to the small, layered stones at the bottom of the terrarium vessel. The activated charcoal in the terrarium vessel should be spread thin. Activated charcoal can be essential in fighting bacterial growth in the soil water.
• Place a suitable amount of potting soil into the terrarium container, make sure the terrarium vessel is not leaking as it is strong enough to hold the soil. Add enough potting soil to allow your plant roots to grow suitably. The amount of soil added would depend on the size and shape of the terrarium. As a rule, try adding about 3 inches of potting soil into the terrarium and spreading it out evenly.
• Next involves planting your chosen plants. Planting is a simple process, just precisely how you would repot the plan in a typical potter. Firstly, prune the plant’s roots gently after pulling it out of its present pot, then create a hole in the terrarium soil that can fit the plant’s roots comfortably. Try adding plants to the terrarium singularly and in a gentle manner to avoid killing the plant.
• An extra step would depend on your personal preference. Add an extra layer of small stones to the potting soil to help beautify the terrarium. You can also add other ornaments to the terrarium to complete the look.

Caring For a Terrarium

After your decorative terrarium has been created and you are happy with how it looks. It is essential to place it in a suitable area where it can receive indirect sunlight. Also, Placing your terrarium under direct sunlight may dehydrate the plants and soil in it. It is a good idea to place the terrarium safely away from children and pets to avoid spillage. Ensure you water the terrarium regularly but not excessively. Water the base of the terrarium, whenever the soil looks or is dry, should be done every one to two weeks.

Conclusion

Terrariums are a much-needed addition to any gardening ensemble with suitable materials and a little patience; it can help show off expert gardening skills. You can spice up any space with a terrarium from the bedroom to the kitchen countertops or even your home office. Moreover, let your living space stand out with well-taken care of a decorative terrarium garden.

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Published at Mon, 22 Nov 2021 12:51:20 -0800