Terrariums usually require no care, but sometimes they need a helping hand. Read on to learn about the most common problems.
Spinning your terrarium
Sometimes you want to rotate your terrarium around so each side gets enough sunlight! Doing this ensures the prettiest growth and will prevent moldy spots.
The plants/moss are looking bad.
While it might be sad to see your terrarium not flourishing, it can usually be fixed quite easily!
Too little Water
Does the terrarium feel dry to the touch? If so add some water.
Too much light
If the plant leaves & moss seem scorched, and the yellowing is worse on the bright side of the terrarium then you will want to place it in a more shady spot.
Too little light
If your moss is doing great, but the plants are declining then it is a sign of too little light. Moss excels at lower light levels but most tropical plants will need some of those juicy sunrays.
Tip! If you see the leaves of plants reaching for the light, you should probably place it a little bit closer to your window
Combating mold
Mold can happen for a number of reasons, usually a combination of too much water and too little light is the main issue. Test to see if your terrarium is too wet, is the water level touching the soil? If so, leave it open for 24 hours and check again.
Tip! Add springtails to prevent mold and make the terrarium completely bioactive.
The plants are outgrowing the container
If your terrarium is doing well, like really well, you probably will have to give it a haircut sooner or later. Using some regular scissors you can easily snip off the tallest plants.
Tip! Propagate the cuttings to create even more plants.
Do you have any other issues or want advice? Reach out to us and our terrarium experts will help you out.
]]>1. Pick an open container
First comes the selection of your container. There are a few things to consider, mainly the size & shape. Think about the plants you plan on using. For a closed terrarium it is important that the terrarium is completely closed, this way no moisture can escape. For an open terrarium, obviously it should have an opening.
2. Making a false bottom
To make sure the roots of your plants won’t be sitting in the water we will start out by creating a false bottom (drainage layer) with the clay balls. We do this so the roots will never sit in water, as this will kill any succulents and cacti. The water can leak through to the drainage layer and slowly evaporate without drowning your plants.
3. Create a filter layer
Next comes a layer of sphagnum moss, this acts as a barrier for the substrate. It will prevent the soil from falling into the drainage layer. Make sure to spread it evenly. After that we will add the activated carbon, this acts as a natural filtration system. The carbon absorbs any chemicals, mold and other nasty stuff.
4. The substrate layer
Now we will add the substrate mix. We recommend to add more soil to the back to make it higher, this creates a sense of depth and will make the terrarium look larger when viewed from the front.
You can buy the materials here.
5. Planting your terrarium
Now the real magic happens! It is time to put in decorations. You can use cacti, succulents, sand, rocks or anything you think will look good. Let your creativity run wild! These plants are all suited for open terrariums.
6. Caring for your terrarium
Caring for an open terrarium can be a little tricky. The biggest issue is watering too much, and risking root rot. Succulents and cacti prefer lower humidity. We recommend watering a little bit around the base of the plants, so only the roots get wet. Water once every 1-2 weeks in spring and summer, and once every 3-4 weeks in fall and winter. Put your terrarium in the brightest spot in your house, this will ensure that when you water it evaporates as quickly as possible. That’s it!
Once you are done, share your creation with us! We love to see what you made. Tag us on Instagram @Sybotanica and we will repost it in our story. If you have any questions about terrariums or plants reach out to us at info@sybotanica.com or via the green "?".
]]>**Don’t feel like reading? Watch our video!**
We have a quick and easy guide, and go more in depth below.
The quick and easy guide:
1. Add clay balls (1+ cm high)
2. Add Sphagnum moss
3. Add Activated Carbon
4. Add Terrarium Substrate
5. Add rocks & wood (if you have any)
6. Add plants
7. Add moss
8. Finished! Spray the terrarium down, or add water. Wait till you see small layer of water at the bottom. Place the lid on and you're done! For extra care tips read this.
So, to start off, what is a terrarium?
That's a great question. A terrarium is a completely self-sustaining ecosystem.
The water from the bottom evaporates up onto the glass, after which it falls down onto the plants and the roots. Just like in nature. This means that there is (almost!) no care needed.
Setup
To get started, It is best to organize all your stuff nicely. To build a closed terrarium you need the following:
And optionally you can also use:
The false bottom
OK, to start off, we're going to start with the soil layers as previously discussed. Let’s put some clay balls in!
The reason we put in the clay balls is to create a drainage layer and the goal of this layer is to have the water sitting at the bottom and not touching the soil of the plants and the terrarium, because then it would cause rot and other nasty issues.
So to start off you can use either your hands or you could choose one of our handy spatula tools. Make sure to create a flat even layer and after that we can go on to the next part.
Now comes a layer of Sphagnum Moss. The reason we put Sphagnum Moss is to create a barrier between clay balls and the soil. Otherwise the soil would start slowly falling through the clay layer, risking your terrarium becoming moldy.
Tip! We recommend using tap water that's been left out for about 24 Hours or some distilled water you can buy at the grocery market.
Next up is the carbon, so we have Activated Carbon Pellets here. What this does is, basically it filters out all the nasty chemicals that are in the water that would otherwise harm your plants.
So you want to wet the soil first. As you can see, it's quite wet, and when you squeeze it, it's sticking together and not falling apart immediately.
So we're going to start putting the soil in.
And now is a great time to think about how you want your terrarium to look.
Tip 1! Make one edge of the terrarium higher the create the illusion of a hill
Tip 2! The moss & plants are going to be quite a big higher than the soil, make sure to leave some room
Tip 3! Tip: Make sure you add enough soil for the roots of the plants
Rocks & wood (optional)
Rocks and wood can really help in creating that natural terrarium look. However just plants will also look amazing.
Tip 1! Place larger plants at the back, and smaller ones up front to create a sense of depth
Tip 2! Add the largest piece of wood or rock first as these will define the shape of the terrarium
Plants
To know which plants are suited, we advise to use google. As a rule of thumb, any humidity loving plant that does well in shade-part sun will do amazing.
Tip! Remember to experiment as well. You can always remove any plants if they are not doing to well
To place your plants in the terrarium, make sure to remove all the soil that is around the plants roots as these can sometimes contain fertilizers from the nurseries. These fertilizers could be harmful for your terrarium.
Moss
Next up is moss! You can rip the sheet moss and also the cushion moss into pieces to create perfect amounts for the space of your terrarium.
Cleaning & placing your terrarium
There are only a few steps left, And that is the placement of the Terrarium. A microfiber cloth works best at making your terrarium look clean. So the best spot is probably a window that doesn't get any direct sunlight, but gets bright light every day, because obviously the plants still need light.
Tip 1! If you see the leaves of plants reaching for the light, you should probably place it a little bit closer to your window
Tip 2! If you get yellowing plants, or the moss is turning brown, then it's probably a better idea to place it in a spot with a little bit less light.
Tip 3! Add springtails to prevent mold and make the terrarium completely bioactive.
Finishing notes
Lastly make sure to spray your terrarium down one more time, or add some water. Make sure there is a little pool of water in your drainage layer. That’s it. On goes the lid!
All of these items can be found here.
Questions? Feel free to reach out! We are always ready to help you out.
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