Tutorial: Terrariums

When my daughter came home from college in May she asked if we could make terrariums. I have wanted to do this project for awhile, but I have never had much success with terrariums. Every single one has been filled with dead and/or molded plants within weeks.

But since I don't get the opportunity to do many projects with my kiddo anymore, I decided to make one more attempt at creating a healthy terrarium.
Before we got started, I watched (and re-watched) this video by my friend Anne from Anne of Green Gardens. Anne was my inspiration when I made my fairy garden village, so I thought her guidance would boost my confidence with terrariums and it did.

Materials

• Ball 1 gallon glass jar or other large glass container
• Miracle-Gro potting mix
• activated filter carbon
• sheet moss
• clay hydroballs or small pebbles
• succulents - I used Donkey Tails and Parva Echeveria
• mixing bowl
• wooden spoon
• small rocks or other decorations (optional)

Directions

You may be able to find most of the materials (carbon, moss, clay hydroballs and maybe even a container and plants) at your local pet store.

Before you begin, wash and dry your container and rinse the clay hydro balls or pebbles.

	Place about an inch of carbon at the bottom of the jar.
	Add about an inch of clay hydroballs or small pebbles.
	Next you will be adding a couple inches of potting mix. I put the potting mix into a bowl and blended it with a handful of the carbon before adding it to my jar.
	It's time to add the plants. This can be a little tricky depending on how wide the opening to your jar is. Take your time and be patient. Try to position your plants so they are not touching the glass.
	I used the end of a wooden spoon to help me dig little holes for the plants and move the dirt around.
	Finally, add a layer of sheet moss around the plants.
	If you want, you can decorate your mini-world with colored rocks or other small items. I used a little quail figurine.

My daughter added a little Yoshi and some glass gems. He looks pretty happy! We lightly watered our plants and left the lids open for several days.

The trick with closed terrariums is finding the right balance. They need light, but not too much light and moisture, but not too much moisture. Keep a close watch over your little environment until that perfect balance is reached. If you see any mold or excessive condensation, remove the lid and let things air out a bit.

What's your secret for the perfect terrarium?