This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Want a new horticultural challenge to do alone or with your family? Why not create a tropical or desert-style glass garden? A challenging and fun project that will provide you with hours of enjoyment.
To make your own terrarium, you will need the following items:
• Transparent glass container with a tight lid (only for a closed terrarium) and an opening large enough to fit a hand or a small tool
• Terrarium potting soil (a potting soil for houseplants or succulents and cacti can do the trick)
• Horticultural activated carbon in pieces
• Clay balls or small volcanic stones
• Decorative stones of various sizes
• Piece of permeable canvas or mosquito net
• Small, well-disinfected tools
• Small clean brush
• Sprayer
• Assortment of small tropical plants, succulents and cacti (your choice)
• Live moss available from florists or garden centers (optional)
• Cardboard tube (roll of absorbent paper) or wide-mouthed funnel
Steps
1. Water your plants the day before carrying out your project (even succulents and cacti) so that the rootball remains well formed during planting.
2. Clean and dry your container properly. Moisten the potting soil, taking care not to soak it.
3. Spread 2 cm of volcanic rocks or marbles at the bottom of the container. This drainage technique ensures good water circulation in the terrarium.
4. Cut the permeable fabric or screen so that it can almost completely cover the drainage material. It should be slightly smaller than the size of the pot so that it does not touch the edges. This membrane is used to separate it from the soil so that the roots cannot obstruct the circulation of water in the container.
5. Spread 2 to 3 large tablespoons of activated charcoal in the center of the canvas. It serves to reduce odors and filter the water before it settles at the bottom of the terrarium.
6. Gently add the previously moistened potting soil to a thickness equivalent to half the height of the root ball of the selected plants. Excessive addition of potting soil considerably reduces space, which harms the proper development of plants.
7. Decide on the final location of your plants before unpotting them. Very gently, remove the plants from their growing container and loosen the roots by reducing the clod of soil by half.
8. With your tools, shape the holes that will accommodate your plants. Place your plants firmly and bring up the soil to completely cover the roots. Pack gently. It is not necessary to level the soil after planting, as the small depressions will be useful to create movement in your work.
9. Now is the time to let your imagination run wild. Using your funnel or the cardboard tube, slide the decorative stones to recreate desert or tropical landscapes. Once your terrarium is finished, clean the container with a small brush.
10. Gently wet (a small glass of temperate water) the edges of the terrarium and fold everything back (if it is a closed terrarium for tropical plants only).
Maintain this little green universe
Nothing is simpler than maintaining a terrarium, open or closed! After completion, check the humidity of the potting soil about once a month and add a small amount of water as needed without wetting the foliage. It is important to ensure that the potting soil dries sufficiently between waterings. These will become spaced out as your closed terrarium matures.
Avoid exposing your plants to the sun. Choose partially shaded places, especially in summer. In winter, a cool location will allow them to take a little rest.
Pruning plants is done only as needed, when the stems become too bulky. Take care to remove dead or diseased leaves to preserve the health of your plants and the viability of your project.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.