A base layer of vermiculite or pebbles, a soil blend ideal for succulents, some moss, and pebbles to sprinkle in around the succulents make up the basic setup for a miniature succulent terrarium.
To create a miniature succulent world, you may also add some adorable extras like the dinosaurs that came with the kit I’m using or different fairy garden ornaments.
The Base Layer
Vermiculite or pebbles are the initial layer to place into the terrariums. These make it possible for water to drain away from the roots.
Due to the lack of bottom drainage holes in succulent terrariums, this is particularly crucial. You don’t want the roots of your succulents to get water-logged. Since succulents are desert plants, this could destroy them. Visit our succulent care guide for more information.
I had to tilt the terrariums back as I added my vermiculite in order to allow the layer to sit back at an angle because the opening of these terrariums is so near to the bottom.
The Soil
You can add your succulent soil mix after you’ve set down a layer of vermiculite or stones. Vermiculite and dirt were both added using a tablespoon, which helped keep everything quite orderly and tidy.
A succulent-friendly soil mixture will have excellent drainage. Potting soil, turface, perlite, or pumice, combined with potting soil is a wonderful recipe for succulent potting mix. A nice mixture to work with would be one part of each.
The Plants
You may now begin planting your succulents in your pots since they now contain a base layer and soil. I carefully set some bunches of young succulents within each terrarium, being sure to cover the roots with succulent soil.
Decorations
I secured the miniature dinosaurs, which I had to seize before my cat Obie stole them. Getting them in there behind the plants was a little challenging, but the last times I tried, they kept toppling over.
Simply put, I found that after the succulents were set up, I could slide them in behind them.
I would advise practicing with chopsticks if the hole on your succulent terrarium is too small for your fingers to fit through. If I couldn’t fit mine in with the plants or ornamental items, that was my fallback option.
Pebbles and moss are included with the succulent starter kit I am using as well, so I combined some of each to the terrariums to finish them. I placed the moss to the side towards the succulents and poured the pebbles in the back.
This enhances the terrarium’s color and textures while also controlling how much moisture your plants retain. They do appear to aid in preventing the soil from oozing out of the opening.
Can you use a hanging terrarium to grow succulents?
In this simple hanging terrarium design, a single magnificent succulent serves as the main attraction, with nothing else serving as a distraction. To really make the contents stand out, use a geometric hanging terrarium like this Pyramid or Dodecahedron terrarium!
How are succulent Terraniums created?
Because of their modest size, lovely variations, and very simple maintenance, succulents are excellent terrarium plants. This article will teach you how to construct a succulent terrarium and will provide you with a step-by-step list of the materials you’ll need.
Generally speaking, the processes required to create a succulent terrarium are as follows:
- Select a terrarium vessel.
- sanitize the container
- Select and apply the bottom drainage layer.
- Add a filter to help with separation
- Apply a coat of charcoal
- Succulent soil mixture should be added before plants.
- Decorations
Do succulent terrariums require moss?
Sprinkle about sphagnum moss on top of the charcoal or use moss sheets cut to size. Moss plays a role in preventing soil from settling into the gravel.
What do you put in a succulent terrarium’s base?
For succulents, the planting media is essential. Succulents are ideal for terrariums because of their sluggish growth, but if the proper medium isn’t used, the condensation that could form could harm the tiny plants. Fill the container’s bottom with small rocks or gravel. An inch or so of charcoal is placed on top of this layer. This removes any pollutants and odors that may be present in the water. Sphagnum moss should next be added, followed by lightly wet cactus soil.
In the cactus mix, put the little plants, and then compact the dirt around them. To dig the holes and fill them in around the plants, a dowel or stick is useful. Plants should be placed at least an inch (2.5 cm) apart to allow for proper airflow. For the first several weeks, plants may require a Popsicle stick or small stake to hold them erect.
The really enjoyable part now is designing the terrarium. Add some seashells if you want a beach theme, or place some pebbles to go with the succulents if you want a desert theme. There are countless products that can be used to improve the terrarium’s natural appearance. Some growers even include porcelain figurines to heighten the whimsical atmosphere. Just make sure everything you put in the terrarium has been well cleaned to prevent introducing disease.
What is placed within a hanging terrarium?
You might be motivated to create your own hanging terrarium after perusing the ones on our product list! As long as you have the necessary materials and a step-by-step tutorial, putting together your own is rather simple.
You can choose from a variety of hanging terrarium designs, such as globe terrariums, glass terrariums, metal terrariums, and many more. Pick a plant that fits your “thumb” and your sense of style while you’re at it. As a decent “rule of thumb,” we advise succulents for individuals with “greener thumbs” and air plants for those with, well, less green thumbs!
To Make Your Hanging Terrarium, You’ll Need:
You may either purchase one at most craft stores or upcycle an existing glass globe, jar, or bowl to use as the container for your hanging terrarium. Additionally, you can choose from the containers on our list, place an online purchase for it, and have it delivered to your home. Just a thought.
Everything will be fine as long as it is big enough to hold your plants, hangable, and attractive enough to display.
Both are acceptable. The greatest option is always whatever you have lying around and can obtain for nothing. Just make sure to thoroughly rinse and dry it before incorporating.
Your plants will benefit from the water filtering action of activated charcoal when you use it to water your terrarium. Activated charcoal can be purchased online as well as in water or fish tank filters.
Some people omit this step, but we believe it’s quite crucial because it guards against hazardous germs and prevents root rot.
Your decision will depend on the contents of your terrarium. Below, we’ll go through each benefit in more detail.
There will be more information on this, but examples of this could include certain bromeliads, air plants, or other plants that do well in terrariums.
Due to their water needs, mixing succulents with other plants in a terrarium can be challenging. The majority of terrarium aficionados would advise creating a separate succulent terrarium from your other terrariums if you want to grow succulents.
A beautiful coating of moderately moistened sphagnum peat moss is also advised because it helps to limit bacterial growth.
Extras are what truly distinguish a terrarium as being special.
Use materials creatively, such as river rocks, moss, bark, minerals, shells, stones from the forest, flowers, etc. Anything you want to help your terrarium look nice and grow. Please feel free to forage in your yard once more. Unless you want to include something expensive, there’s no need to buy this item.
These are readily available at grocery, big-box, and craft stores. Your mister will be adored by your air plants!
A Step-by-Step Guide to a DIY Terrarium
Add the sand or stones
Consider your vessels and decide how to best get the sand or pebbles inside them if you want to minimize the mess (of course you want!).
If the entrance is broad, use a cup or a little scooper. Use a funnel while navigating a challenging area. (If you don’t have one, making one is simple with poster board or cardboard from around the house.) Sand could be used, but if you do, make sure to thoroughly rinse it. The small plants in your terrarium that you’ll be taking care of don’t like salt.
Depending on the size of your terrarium, you’ll need a different amount, but you only need a thin layer—just enough to allow for adequate drainage.
incorporate charcoal
Keep the coating of charcoal as even as you can. Again, you don’t need a much; instead, distribute it evenly using a funnel or any other equipment that will make this process easier.
Include the soil
You won’t need a lot of soil to keep the roots of your plant secure and rooted because they already have a clump of earth protecting them. Use dirt designed for cacti or succulents if you’d like. According to some terrarium lovers, any well-draining potting soil would work just as well. Once more, it can’t hurt.
Include your focal plants
Plants should be arranged according to how you think they will look the best while also considering where they should be placed in the terrarium to meet their demands.
An air plant, for instance, can be placed wherever you wish since it doesn’t require planting in soil. It only requires air and the occasional misting. However, a bromeliad needs to settle at a location in the terrarium where it will receive the best moisture.
Give your larger plants lots of room; not only do they prefer it, but you’ll also be adding some other cool ornamental items.
In certain cases, it makes more sense to place your focal plants in the terrarium first, then fill the rest of the space with dirt. whichever suits you the most.
Add your further details
Sphagnum moss is a fantastic addition to a terrarium, as we have stated, and the time to introduce it is now. Use chopsticks or tweezers to place the smaller items if your terrarium’s aperture is small. For example, you may use small rocks, bark, twigs, or anything else to make your own private oasis.
Tips for Taking Care of Your Hanging Terrarium
Just make an effort to keep it out of direct sunlight for hanging terrariums, which only need moderate light.
Plants in terrariums only require misting roughly once each week. If you’d like, you can certainly buy a dedicated mister made just for spraying sensitive plants. However, a clean spray bottle will serve the same purpose.
Keep dead leaves and other vegetation off the terrarium floor and add fresh soil as needed to suit your plants’ growth (this won’t be frequently).
It’s time to hang your terrarium once it has been put together! Make sure it is properly hung in your home’s kitchen, sunroom, office, or another space of your choosing (ahem). If you wish to hang it from the ceiling or a wall, you should drill and use a swag hook (particularly if you don’t know where your studs are). On avoid having a terrarium that drops to the ground, be sure to weigh your terrarium and verify the maximum weight on your swag hooks.
Get Your Hands Dirty
Plant care is really therapeutic. You can benefit from the zen-like feelings that creating a hanging terrarium gives even if you have a “black thumb.”
Create some natural elements in your home and enjoy the satisfaction of raising live creatures that make your home more aesthetically pleasing and healthier. Happy gardening!
Need charcoal for terrariums with succulents?
A terrarium can and will run successfully without a coating of charcoal. The important query is whether a covering of charcoal has a long-term beneficial impact on terrarium health.
Sadly, there isn’t any hard research demonstrating how well charcoal filters out harmful contaminants from a terrarium.
It makes sense in theory, and there is anecdotal evidence from seasoned terrarium builders that suggests it’s a useful addition, but like many terrarium-building decisions, it comes down to personal preference and trial and error.
Personally, I find that I utilize it less and less. I opted not to use charcoal in the project for my Essential Guide to Tropical Terrariums and instead used springtails to keep my terrarium clean. It’s still my healthiest, to be honest.
However, if you do decide to utilize it, adding a charcoal layer to your terrarium is a simple modification that I’ve found to have no significant drawbacks.
Charcoal can still be used as a drainage component when creating terrariums with a false bottom. So it won’t be much of a hindrance to your plants if it’s placed between your drainage rocks and your substrate.
Try adding extra terrarium moss instead of charcoal if you’re not keen on that. In any case, moss naturally filters water and is capable of removing contaminants like arsenic.
Is charcoal really necessary for terrariums?
Except for horticultural charcoal, the majority of individuals already have all the materials necessary to create a terrarium. Because it aids in the removal of pollutants and odors, charcoal is a crucial component of any terrarium. You can still create a terrarium without charcoal, but you’ll need to take extra precautions to keep your plants healthy and the environment in your terrarium fresh and odor-free.
How should an open terrarium be watered for succulent plants?
Succulent, cactus, or tropical plant terrariums are like miniature universes. A self-contained plant environment inside of a glass container has a certain allure and beauty, and when set up and taken care of properly, these tiny ecosystems will flourish for years. Taking care of a terrarium may seem difficult, but with a few simple actions, you can make your terrarium happy.
How to maintain a terrarium is shown here. Succulents, cactus, and tropical plants are the three main plant types found in terrariums.
But first, it’s crucial to determine what kind of terrarium you have before we get into terrarium care.
The first kind of terrariums are “open” terrariums, which are the most popular and simple to maintain and the kind we sell in our brick-and-mortar and online stores. You will take care of your plants in these glass containers, which have an entrance for airflow. We will go into care details for open terrariums in this article.
A “closed” terrarium, the second kind of terrarium, is a little trickier to maintain and less typical. This is due to the glass’s lack of a sufficient hole through which to administer routine treatment. These confined terrariums behave more like self-contained universes and are a little more complicated to construct. There are a ton of excellent resources online that explain how to take care of a closed terrarium.
How to Care For a Terrarium with Succulents
The majority of plants found in terrariums are succulents, which have stems that hold water and thick, meaty leaves. This makes a lot of sense because succulents are ideal for small enclosures because they normally don’t mind getting too little water and don’t require a lot of root space to grow. Additionally, a lot of species remain small and compact, enabling them to survive for many years in a terrarium without being transplanted.
- Light: Most succulents demand strong, if not direct, light, with the exception of a few species that can tolerate lower light levels, such Haworthia and Gasteria. Place your succulent terrarium in a bright area, but be careful because glass tends to magnify direct sunlight, which could cause your plants to burn.
- Water: Although drought-tolerant, succulents are quite prone to root rot. You should only water your succulent terrarium sparingly until the soil has nearly entirely dried out, taking into account the lack of drainage holes in terrariums. Using a watering can or a spray bottle, water each plant’s base carefully. The majority of succulents will pucker their leaves slightly to let you know when it’s time to water them. This is an excellent sign that your terrarium needs watering.
- How to fix shriveled leaves? I should water. black, brown, or mushy leaves? You water the lawn excessively. Replace these plants with ones that are similar, but don’t require as much water, and remove the old ones. Winter irrigation should be minimized.
How to Care For a Terrarium with Cacti
All succulents are succulents, but not all cacti are succulents. The majority of people are familiar with desert-dwelling cacti. With a few modifications, you can use the same directions for your succulent terrarium as for a terrarium with cacti:
- Even more so than succulents, cacti frequently decay. Pay close attention to avoid overwatering.
- Cacti require intense light to survive. Direct light should be acceptable for them.
- There are always exceptions to the aforementioned laws. Rhipsalis, Hatiora, and Epiphyllum are examples of “jungle cactus,” which dislike bright light and require more water than typical cacti. Plant jungle cactus in their own enclosure or among other succulents that can tolerate less light for the greatest results.
How to Care For a Terrarium with Tropicals
A completely different game is played in tropical terrariums. We advise selecting species that are tolerant of wetness, such as philodendron, fittonia, and ferns. Remember that tropical plants will ultimately outgrow their terrarium confinement and require transplantation.
How to take care of a tropical terrarium is as follows:
- The majority of tropical plants like medium-bright indirect light. If they are exposed to too much direct sunlight, especially when it is magnified by a glass vessel, they will burn.
- Water: Although succulents and cacti are more drought-tolerant, care must still be taken not to overwater your tropical terrarium. Water each plant’s base with your watering can or spray bottle between waterings, letting the top inch or two of the soil dry in between. To encourage a humid climate, feel free to mist your terrarium in between waterings. Allowing the leaves to gently wilt in between waterings will help you determine when it’s time to water.
- How to troubleshoot crispy brown or wilted leaves? I should water. Are the stems yellow or mushy? You water the lawn excessively. Replace harmed or overgrown plants with equivalent specimens. Winter irrigation should be minimized.
Any inquiries about terrarium maintenance? Share your questions and stories with us in the comments. As soon as we can, we’ll address your questions! Gardening in terrariums is fun!