Do you want to create your own tropical terrarium? It is possible and quite easy if you follow all the following steps well.

The material needed to compose a terrarium

• Glass jar with cork, glass or wooden lid

• Universal potting soil

• Pozzolan or clay pebbles

• Activated carbon

• Sphagnum

• One to three tropical plants (Ficus Microcarpa, Fittonia,. ) or carnivorous

• Ball Foam

• Decorative Pebbles

• A few tools: A soup spoon, chopsticks, a pair of scissors, a brush

1. The choice of the glass jar

The jar used must not be chosen at random, it must be adapted to the plants you select. If you use a jar that is too narrow, your plants will not be able to flourish in it or you risk repotting them a few months later in a larger jar. The glass must be completely transparent and not very thick in order to let the light through. On the other hand, the opening must be wide enough for handling, when installing the plants and then for maintenance. If it's a jar found in your attic, remember to rinse it well and clean it with a clean cloth.

2. The steps to follow

The basement: Drainage

The drainage system is very important for all plants, but even more so for a terrarium, because, having no possible evacuation of water, drainage becomes fundamental. It thus avoids that the roots are directly with the water.

You can use pozzolan (volcanic rock), gravel or small clay balls to do this. Spread this drainage layer evenly about 1.5 cm in height.

Soil: Substrate

Before adding the potting soil, we need to create an insulating layer with sphagnum moss, which will separate it from the pozzolana and absorb as much moisture as possible (up to 8 times its volume!). Sphagnum also prevents the development of bacteria thanks to its very high acidity level.
You can then incorporate the soil using a funnel or a small shovel. You will stop when your jar is 1/3 full.

Choosing plants to compose your terrarium

Before integrating your plants, imagine your miniature landscape from the outside, understanding that a terrarium should be admired from the front and not seen from above. It is therefore ideally necessary to combine 1 tall plant and 1 or 2 small plants.

You can also create a small hill, with for example 2-3 cm of soil in the front and 4-5 cm in the back.

Dig with a tablespoon where you want to plant your plants.

Scrape the root ball of your first small plant, paying attention to the roots in order to remove a good part of its substrate, moisten it if the roots are too dry then plant it in your terrarium. Be careful, the leaves of the plant should not touch the wall of the jar. Repeat the operation for all your plants.

Also add a moss ball which will not only bring a hilly side to your indoor garden, but above all will allow you to check the humidity level of the terrarium. As soon as the moss turns yellow, it's time to water it.

Finally, finish with a decorative touch by integrating a few small pebbles or pebbles that you have cleaned beforehand.

There you go, your wet terrarium is ready :)

Note: Although the terrarium is almost self-sufficient and requires very little maintenance, the few small actions to be taken afterwards are very important, so don't forget to follow our practical care guide here.