Terrariums

Terrarium are glass containers from varying sizes that contains a living self-sustaining ecosystem of soil and plants. Their history go as far back as 1842, when Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward accidentally grew a fern plant from spores that were left in a jar. After that, terrariums became a trend during the Victorian Era, and they allowed transporation of tropical exotic plants from across the globe.

My Terrariums

Here are my terrariums, the oldest one I think I made in 2024.

How do I make one?

Terrariums are very easy to make, but there are some things you have to be aware of before making one, because if you overlook these, you will end up with a dead terrarium in no time.

Image Source: https://www.scapednature.com/

1. Choose your container

The container you choose will influence on the ammount of maintenance and care that your terrarium will need. If you are starting out, I would recommend you choose one that has a sealed lid, preferably with a rubber gasket, as these will not let any moisture get out of the terrarium, which is what causes it to dry out over time.

2. Place the substrate layers

It goes into this order, from bottom up:

1. Drainage layer - this is very important, you need to put a small layer of small rocks or leica balls in the bottom, so that water can gather there in case you overwater, and also because it creates good microbes for the soil.

2. Optional, charcoal layer - You can put a small layer of activated charcoal, this will help purify the water for a while, and it helps with soil fertility.

3. Substrate layer - Now this one is very important, you want to use a soil mix that has a good mix of water retention, drainage, and aeration. You don't want something that compacts easily, like any kind of clay soil or even random dirt from outside. I recommend the pre-made terrarium mix that is sold on SoilNinja, but this website has a good recipe you can follow as well.

4. Surface - I recommend you get small plants that don't grow taller than 20cm, here's some plants that I recommend: Ficus pumila, it's a small vine plant that grows easily and fast, Fittonia, this is a plant very easy to propagate, and it loves terrarium conditions, and I also recommend Nephrolepis exaltata, or other small ferns. Another must have is some moss, I recommend that you try to get some from outside as it grows anywhere and is pretty easy to find, you don't need to buy it online.

5. Extras - If you want your terrarium to thrive long term, getting helpful soil life can help greatly in creating nutrients for the plants. The most helpful ones are Springtails, tiny bugs that will eat any mold that forms, and other decaying matter. But not having them will not prevent it from lasting either, as there is always microbial life present in the soil and other beneficial fungus that will do the same thing, but more slowly.

3. Watering

For watering, you should get yourself a spray bottle, terrariums require very little water, as that water will escape very slowly, or never if it has a good seal. It is better to water too little than too much, the right balance is when the soil feels moist to the touch, but not wet. If your terrarium is watered correctly, condensation should form on the glass during the night, and be clear during the day. If there is condensation all the time, let it air out for a day or two.

David's Latimer Terrarium

In 1960, David Latimer made his terrarium using regular compost and spiderwort seeds. It still lives on to this day, having been opened only once in 1972. Pretty cool, huh?

Image source: BNPS.CO.UK