Gardening

Plants Love Terrariums!

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Photo: http://www.growlittle.com

Terrariums are currently very fashionable (again!) and you’ll find beautiful ones in every garden center and florist shop. These glass containers, with or without a transparent cover, are usually decorated with mixed plantings of small plants, creating the effect of a miniature garden. They’re really quite attractive and probably most people buy one simply for its beauty, but did you know that a well-designed terrarium is easier to maintain than any other indoor planting?

That’s because, in a terrarium, the humidity level is always high. In a closed terrarium, it can even approach 100%. Compare that to the relative humidity found in a normal house which struggles to reach 30%. Since most houseplants prefer a humidity of 70% or more, a terrarium seems like paradise to them, especially when compared to conditions outside the container.

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Terrarium with an episcia and several miniature sinningias.

This extreme humidity greatly reduces watering needs. After all, when a plant grows in open air, most of the water it absorbs is lost to transpiration, so you spend your time watering again to replace it. In a terrarium, though, the transpiration rate falls dramatically. Therefore, the plant uses most of the water it receives for its growth rather than losing its moisture to transpiration and the frequency of watering drops like a stone. An open terrarium (one without a lid) with high sides rarely requires watering more than once or twice a month. And you may only need to water a closed terrarium (one with a lid) once a year and even then, one or two spoonfuls suffice! This is the low-maintenance indoor garden par excellence… at least for plants that like a humid atmosphere!

Locate Suitable Plants

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Naturally small tropical plants are the best choice for terrariums.

Given their druthers, the vast majority of tropical plants we grow as houseplants would rather grow in a terrarium than in the open… but the problem is then, under the extraordinarily good conditions offered by the terrarium, their growth rate explodes and they rapidly outgrow the container, if indeed they weren’t already too big to begin with. Unless you have a huge terrarium, say walk-in size, it is therefore better to choose plants that are naturally small or that you can keep small with the occasional pruning.

Also, when you place a high-sided or closed terrarium in a sunny spot, the temperature inside rises dramatically (think “greenhouse effect”), to the point where the plants will literally cook. That means your terrarium will have to be placed in indirect light. It is therefore logical to avoid plants that need full sun and to choose instead those that tolerate low to medium light levels.

Here are a few plants that adapt to medium to low light and will thrive under terrarium conditions:

  1. Asparagus fern (Asparagus spp.), seedlings only
  2. Baby’s tears (Soleirolia soleirolii)
  3. Bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus), young specimens
  4. Creeping fig (Ficus pumila)
  5. Dwarf palm (Chamaedorea elegans, syn. Neanthe bella), seedlings only
  6. Earth star (Cryptanthus cvs)
  7. English ivy (Hedera helix cvs)
  8. Episcia (Episcia cvs)
  9. Fittonia (Fittonia cvs)

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    Fittonia
  10. Maidenhair fern (Adiantum cvs)
  11. Miniature African violet (Saintpaulia cvs)
  12. Miniature orchids (various species and cvs)
  13. Miniature sinningia (Sinningia pusilla and others)
  14. Moss (various species)
  15. Philodendron (Philodendron cvs), smaller varieties
  16. Pilea (Pilea depressa, P. microphylla, etc.)
  17. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
  18. Rhizomatous begonia (Begonia spp.)
  19. Round-leaved fern (Pellaea rotundifolia)
  20. Spikemoss (Selaginella cvs)
  21. Syngonium (Syngonium cvs), dwarf varieties
  22. Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina), dwarf varieties like ‘Too Little’

Carnivorous Plants

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Venus flytrap

Carnivorous plants also love terrarium conditions and in fact, most will only do will indoors inside a terrarium. However if you want to grow them alongside the terrarium plants described above, you’ll need to choose tropical carnivorous plants, such as tropical sundews (Drosera capensis and others), butterworts (Pinguicula spp .) and tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes spp.). Varieties that require cold winters, like Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula), hardy pitcher plants (Sarracenia spp.) and temperate-climate sundews (Drosera rotundifolia and others) require their own separate terrarium, one where the winter temperature can drop to about 40?F (5?C).

Also, most carnivorous plants require very acid soil (usually sphagnum moss is used rather than true soil) as well as water devoid of any minerals, like rain water or distilled water. For those reasons, you may find it easiest to grow even tropical carnivorous plants in their own terrarium where they can receive the special attention they deserve.

Avoid Cactus and Succulents

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Cactus and succulent terrariums look great, but the plants slowly rot, one after the other.

The worst mistake beginners make is to fill their terrarium with cactus and succulents. Yet cactus and succulent terrariums (c&s terrariums) are what you most often see in retail stores. If garden centers sell cactus and succulent terrariums, how can that be wrong?

You have to understand that terrariums offered in commercial enterprises are made to be sold, not to be viable. The “designers” (I could hardly call them horticulturistsl!) who create commercial terrariums love cacti and succulents not because they grow well in terrariums, but because they don’t grow, or only very, very slowly. That means a c&s terrarium is like a still life portrait: it will remain exactly the same for months on end, a major asset for sales. Eventually, though, the plants start to rot and the terrarium will be removed from display. For the commerce, thefore, ideally you’d buy the c&s terrarium while it still looks good and then by the time it starts to collapse, it will be in your home. That way you’ll figure its decline was all your fault.

What went wrong? A terrarium creates an environment that is simply not conducive to healthy cactus and succulent growth.

First of all, the high humidity prevailing in a terrarium is too much for plants from an arid environment to take, plus there is very little air circulation, both of which tend to lead to rot. Futhermore, the soil remains damp far too long. And to make things worse, it is difficult to find a spot in the average home that suits the light needs of a c&s terrarium. These plants prefer full sun or nearly full sun, but if you place a high-sided or, worse yet, closed terrarium in the sun, the temperature inside will cook the plants. There is a limit to the heat even desert plants can stand!

If you insist on growing succulents in a terrarium, at least use an open terrarium with low sides, something closer to a big dish than a bottle. That will allow air to circulate more freely, removing excess moisture. And temperatures will be lower. Also prefer succulents other than cacti, such as crassulas, haworthias, gasterias, sedums, and echeverias, as true cacti are generally more susceptible to rot than other succulents. Living stones (Lithops and their ilk) likewise tend to rot in terrarium, even low-sided ones.

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Try a cactus garden in a pot with a drainage hole rather tan a terrarium for really good results.

If you really want to work with cacti and succulents, might I instead suggest a miniature “cactus garden*” in a pot (with one or more drainage holes!) rather than a terrarium, because without glass walls to trap humid air, air circulation will be good and heat will not build up excessively. You’ll therefore be able to place such your cactus garden in the sunny spot it prefers. Plus excess water will drain out into the saucer underneath.

*Although called a “cactus garden”, such decorative miniature gardens often contain succulents other than cactus and may not even contain cactus at all!

Gather the Materials

Preparing a terrarium is a breeze, making it a great project for families and for schools as well. You can easily assemble it in half an hour! But first you have to assemble the materials necessary and that can take some time.

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Nearly any glass container will do, but ideally the opening should be fairly large.

First, nearly any glass or transparent container, whatever its form, will make a suitable terrarium: a brandy snifter, a wide-mouth bottle, an aquarium, etc. You can choose an open terrarium (without a cover) or a closed one (covered with a lid or a piece of glass or Plexiglas). You can even make a terrarium in a bottle with a narrow opening… but that’s more complicated and I won’t address that technique here. It is easier to use a container with an opening through which you can easily insert your hand.

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Assemble the materials ahead of time. Photo: makezine.com

Collect all the decorative elements too: driftwood, pebbles, pieces of bark, branches, moss, or others. Wash them well before use. You will find lots of decorations in nature (pebble beaches and forests are ideal places to look). If not, a pet store that specializes in vivariums will likely offer many objects of interest… for a price!

Moss can be very useful in covering your terrarium’s soil. If you harvest moss from the wild, though, it would be wise to plunge it underwater for an hour to drown any unwanted intruders. You will also find dried moss in garden centers.

You’ll also need potting soil. Any commercial potting soil for houseplants will do. You do not need to add activated charcoal, despite of what you see on a lot of Internet sites offering advice on terrariums (all apparently written by people who have never tried actually maintaining a terrarium!). Try two terrariums, one with and one without charcoal, and you’ll see: its use makes absolutely no difference, either in the immediate or years later. And activated charcoal is expensive.

Finally, you’ll need to go shopping for terrarium plants. Some of the better garden centers even have a special terrarium plant section, making your search all that much easier!

How to Plant a Terrarium

It’s best to work with damp soil. So pour the potting mix into a bowl, add a little warm water and stir to make so the water penetrates evenly. You’ll want barely damp soil, certainly not soggy.

Pour the soil into the terrarium. The depth will vary depending on the size of the terrarium and the effect you want to create: at least 2 inches (5 cm), but 4 inches (10 cm) is much better. You can use rocks or other objects to create different gradients, especially in a large terrarium.

Note that you do not need a “drainage layer” (again, lots of “terrarium” websites say the contrary, a good sign they are not good sources of information). There is no possible drainage in a terrarium, period, because glass containers don’t have a drainage hole. The roots of your plants will plunge to the bottom of the container whether you add a layer of gravel at the bottom or not. Thus this false drainage layer simply wastes valuable space that could be devoted to potting soil, a product that at least your terrarium plants will appreciate.

Now unpot the plants. If the root ball is too high for your needs (and it often is), break it up and spread the roots out in all directions to reduce its height.

Dig a planting hole, insert the plant, and fill in with potting soil. Repeat with the other plants. It couldn’t be easier!

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Adding moss and decorations.

To complete the installation, add moss and other decorative elements. Let your imagination run wild: terrariums offer endless design possibilities!

 

When finished, spray lightly with water to settle the soil and place the container in a brightly lit spot, but away from full sun, at normal room temperatures. If you ever see condensation forming on a covered terrarium, remove the top for a few days to allow to excess water to evaporate. And if ever the soil seems downright soggy, absorb any excess water with a cloth or paper towel.

As for Maintenance…

A properly planned terrarium requires very little care. Other than the occasional watering, the only maintenance needed is to pinch or prune plants to control their growth… and sometimes to replace a plant that is really getting too big. You won’t need to fertilize for a least a year, and even afterwards, do so only very lightly. In a terrarium setting, the last thing you want is to stimulate fast growth!

Some terrariums thrive with only modest changes for 15-20 years. Given its minimal care needs, a well-planned terrarium truly is the ideal indoor garden for a laidback gardener!

Garden writer and blogger, author of 65 gardening books, lecturer and communicator, the Laidback Gardener, Larry Hodgson, passed away in October 2022. Known for his great generosity, his thoroughness and his sense of humor, he reached several generations of amateur and professional gardeners over his 40-year career. Thanks to his son, Mathieu Hodgson, and a team of contributors, laidbackgardener.blog will continue its mission of demystifying gardening and making it more accessible to all.

19 comments on “Plants Love Terrariums!

  1. elizabeth bear

    Hi – wondering if conifers work in terrariums

    thanks!

  2. Dear laidback,
    Why do you mention asparagus ferns, seeds only?
    Wife has a mature potted asparagus fern that I was going to split and put into new terrarium.

    • Because mature plants are too large. Even if your wife cuts it back to roots and stub (that will in itself be hard to do: wait until you see the roots!), in no time even a reduced mature plant will send out long stems that have no space in a terrarium.

  3. Stacey Villaroel

    Which plants are in the first picture of the article??

    • Creeping fig (left)
      Asparagus fern (back) with a tiny maidenhair fern in front and a small weeping fig in front of that, but hard to make out.
      English ivy (right)

  4. nancy marie allen

    Thanks for great advice on making and maintaining a terrarium!

  5. helppoheikki

    Sorry, I cannot edit my post, but I will link something that might give readers some food for thought on this matter of capillarity and more importantly, as we all are plant lovers, on false drainage.

    http://croptechnology.unl.edu/pages/informationmodule.php?idinformationmodule=1130447123&topicorder=3&maxto=13&minto=1

  6. Thank you for your reply.

    There is a difference in capillarity between plant soil and gravel, though. Do we agree on this?

    Best wishes,

    Mika Perkiömäki

  7. helppoheikki

    have more or less seriously been into houseplants for only about a year. Now, today actually, I am trying my n00b skills with a terrarium, as I found a used fish tank for a reasonable price nearby. It will be more an open terrarium with two lights.

    I have read about plant terrariums for a while now, and Laidbackgardener (LBG) is a familiar site from my interest in the usual houseplants in pots. However, LBG is the only site where I have seen advice against using a false drainage or drainage layer. The arguments in this article make sense to me, but then, I am still a n00b. But if the soil, especially in a closed terrarium, is kept very humid, wouldn’t that increase the likelihood of root rot? With a drainage layer, the bottom part of the terrarium wouldn’t be quite as humid, right?

    Sorry for the n00b questions, I am just trying to learn. ?

    • No problem: we all start somewhere. The problem with the “drainage layer” idea is that water settling there will simply move up into the plants via capillarity, leaving the soil soaking wet. You simply can’t have water at the bottom of a terrarium unless you intend to grow semi-aquatic plants.

  8. I have more or less seriously been into houseplants for only about a year. Now, today actually, I am trying my n00b skills with a terrarium, as I found a used fish tank for a reasonable price nearby. It will be more an open terrarium with two lights.

    I have read about plant terrariums for a while now, and Laidbackgardener (LBG) is a familiar site from my interest in the usual houseplants in pots. However, LBG is the only site where I have seen advice against using a false drainage or drainage layer. The arguments in this article make sense to me, but then, I am still a n00b. But if the soil, especially in a closed terrarium, is kept very humid, wouldn’t that increase the likelihood of root rot? With a drainage layer, the bottom part of the terrarium wouldn’t be quite as humid, right?

    Sorry for the n00b questions, I am just trying to learn. 🙂

  9. Thank you so much for the great info. My Dad had a beautiful terrarium for years when I was a kid and I always wanted to plant one of my own. Now I’m retired and have time for the beautiful things in life.

  10. Thank you for the thorough article and good plant lists.

  11. It was very informative and fun. I think i will try to grow the very best terrarium i can. It’s new to me, and the experience and advice has helped.

  12. Thanks so much for this wonderful frank myth-busting very insightful article. Your honesty and insights were sorely needed, so sick of the misinformation, so disappointed by it later. Now i know how to do the next one better. God bless and do keep writing… now i must find the Subscribe button 🙂

    New Delhi, India

  13. Thanks for sharing so much useful information in this post. I was tasked with creating a terrarium for a relative. While I know a fair amount about plants, terrariums were new territory for me so this was just what I was looking for. When I had the terrarium complete I included a printout of your post (as relative is not internet savvy) as I handed it over. Hopefully she follows your instructions and is able to enjoy it for years to come.

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