Tuesday, February 4, 2014

DIY: How to create a terrarium?





I had been meaning to make a terrarium
 for a while now, but I finally got to it last week. But what are terrarium if someone out there is asking.? Terrariums: The terrarium, or garden under glass, is a self-contained environment that produces its own climate.

Read below for the instructions.....

Materials you need:




-A clear glass jar, vase, bowl, glass, 
or whatever interesting glass container you have on hand 
- Rocks, pebbles or recycled glass chunks 
- Activated charcoal (sometimes called activated carbon) 
- Potting soil appropriate for your plants 
- Moss (optional) 
- Figurines, sticks or decorative items (optional) 
- Various small plants 
- A scoop, spoon or shovel 
- Scissors 
- Gloves


1.The container must be glass or another clear
 substance through which light can pass.
2.  There must be a large enough opening to allow for the emplacement of soil and plants. 
3.  The plants selected for a terrarium must have similar environmental needs.
4.  The terrarium must be thoroughly cleaned before use (to prevent bacteria from growing)

 A terrarium does not have drainage holes. 

Therefore, you must supply a drainage layer to 
prevent damage to plant roots. Crushed river gravel works well, but any small stone or bits of broken pottery will work. You want to use 1 to 4 inches of drainage material depending on the height of the container. Generally the depth of the drainage material, charcoal, and soil should equal about one-third the height of the container.
On top of the drainage layer, place a thin layer of charcoal. This will help keep the soil fresh.

The kind of soil used will depend on the type of plants
 you wish to grow (Cacti/succulent soil vs. potting soil). Use enough soil so that you can create a “hole” where you want to place the root ball of the plants. For example, if you are adding a fern to the terrarium that has a 4” root ball, you will need to add at least 4” of soil to the terrarium.

 Remember, plants grow. It is advisable to choose 
slow-growing plants and not to over-plant. Make sure any necessary pruning is done prior to placing the plants in the terrarium and make sure plants are free of insects and disease. Place the largest plants in the terrarium first. Then add the smaller plants. Ground cover should be added last. 

Remember, you are making a miniature landscape, don’t forget to have fun with it and add in small animal figurines.



No comments:

Post a Comment

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...