You Can Do It: Build a Terrarium!

You and your child can have your very own self-sustaining ecosystem and maintain a lovely science experiment/work of art too!

1 – Choose a good container. Kitchen canisters or jars, empty bottles with lids, anything interesting looking, as long as it’s clear glass and can be closed to allow humidity to help your plants thrive.

2 – Choose a few plant varieties that thrive in high humidity and enjoy diffused light. This can include ferns, mosses, air plants, orchids, friendship plants, strawberry begonia, and more. Just be sure to avoid succulents and cactus.

3 – Place a 1” layer of pebbles on the bottom of your jar to allow for drainage, followed by a thin layer of horticultural charcoal, then a layer of potting soil. 

4 – Nestle your plants into the soil so that the roots are covered, making sure that any leaves, petals, and stems do not touch the interior glass.

5 – Very lightly spritz the plants with water (twice is all that’s needed), and place the lid onto the jar. Keep an eye on your little garden because you never want to have water pooling at the bottom of the jar. An occasional spritz or two will do!

How to keep your garden tidy:

Terrariums are tiny greenhouses and condensation will build inside. If you find that too much moisture forms, move your terrarium to a spot with a little less light, or remove the top for an hour or two. 

Once a week or so, clean the inside of your terrarium of water spots or algae buildup using a long- handled fork or other implement with a piece of cloth secured at the end for wiping. Use long-handled tweezers or scissors to prune dead leaves or any plant material from the edge of the glass. Chopsticks work very well when debris needs to be removed from the top of the soil. Give your plants a spritz and then replace the lid so the humidity can build up again.

It's easy!