Creating a Terrarium: Garden Under Glass
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Garden Under Glass
When creating a terrarium, remember the three basic types. The easiest is the open-air, or dish, terrarium that is an open environment. Its opposite, the closed environment, is more difficult. The third is a vivarium, an animal terrarium where plants are joined by a live creature inside like a turtle, a lizard, etc. Do some research, however, before you create a self-contained vivarium. Make sure the animal can survive the atmosphere you are providing.
Location You do not want direct sunlight hitting your terrarium, as the glass will amplify the heat. Do it safely. You can test the terrarium temperature for a few days by placing a minimum/maximum thermometer in it. This will help you prevent having to relocate the terrarium after you have done all the work to make it suit you. Lighting If you do not have sufficient sunlight, you can use fluorescent tubes, just a little above the tank cover. The plants should be no more than seven inches below the tubes. Avoid spotlights as the heat magnification will be too high. If your plants develop pale, yellow leaves with burnt edges, there is too much light. If frail and thin leaves, the light is insufficient. Adjust your lighting to the needs of the plant. The ideal terrarium temperature is below 95°F. You also need to keep your terrarium containers clean and free from extra dust so that it does not reduce the light that the plants need. Replace the bulbs as needed. Using Orchids for Your Terrarium If you decide on planting orchids in your terrarium, you should choose the varieties that like low light, average heat, and high humidity. Examples of such orchids are the jewel orchids, psygmorchis, Dracula, cochleanthes, etc. If you are not certain about sizes, ask the nursery where you buy them which orchids will be suitable for the size of container you have. If you are planning on filler plants, place the larger ones in the back, the shorter ones in the middle, and the orchids in front. Remember not to overcrowd. Using Cacti for Your Terrarium Some cacti that you can use for your terrarium are sea urchin cactus, pygmy cactus, bunny ears cactus, etc. They have to be small cacti. If you are in doubt, ask your local nursery which ones are suitable for terrariums. It is very important to test the soil for dryness prior to irrigating them. Whereas other terrarium plants may require irrigation weekly, your cacti may need it just once monthly. Your cacti will also require indirect sunlight. The top layer for cacti is a special mixture of two parts of cactus potting soil for every one part of sand. You will need about four inches for this top layer. Maintenance Do not directly spray your terrarium container if you think such cleaning is necessary. Spray a dry cloth instead and then wipe the dirt off. You also need to prune plants that are getting too close to the cover. Do not let your plants grow taller than four inches below the top of the terrarium. Watch out for dead leaves and plant stems that need to be trimmed. After creating a terrarium, keep up with maintenance! More on Creating a Terrarium!
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