Houseplants Feature: Planting a Terrarium

Publish Date: 22/08/2019 10:39

A throwback from the 70’s, terrariums have made a huge comeback and are really popular once more. We sell them in our houseplant department, but you can easily plant your own! Here’s how:

A terrarium is a glass container (usually sealed) which contains soil and plants. A closed terrarium (for example a glass bottle with stopper) has its own micro climate as the moisture from the soil and plants evaporates and causes condensation on the inside, then runs back down to the soil.

Terrariums like this are pretty much self-sufficient. Tropical foliage plants are ideal in this situation.

Other terrariums are open and have a wider top. These are ideal for cacti and succulents as they prefer a drier atmosphere and a good air flow.

To make your own terrarium, you can use any glass container or jar.

Start by adding a layer of washed gravel at the base of the container, a few centimetres deep.

Then add houseplant or cactus compost (around 10cm).

Select “tot” (small 5cm pots) houseplants, cacti or succulents and carefully plant in the compost, making sure you leave space in between so they can grow.

Firm the compost around the plants and add a thin layer of decorative gravel over the top to complete the look.

Water plants a tiny amount and bear in mind they may need pinching back or dividing in the future once they start growing