Dish gardens are arrangements of flowers in a normal planting dish although there are many different decorative dishes. Open terrariums provide higher humidity for plants than dish gardens do.

A terrarium is a living plant growing inside a sealed glass container. In this presentation I will explain all about planting, soil, tools, plants, containers, care and the history of terrariums. Terrariums are often a miniature landscape under glass in the form of a woodland, a desert, a tropical jungle or your own collection of plants.

Terrariums…and how to make them

Terrariums were used to transport plants from one part of the vast Roman Empire to another on large ships. These voyages would take many months to complete.

A quarantine site for diseased plants. A propagation site A teaching tool to study anatomy of plants A gift item and decorating accessory

a true closed terrarium is rarely watered. Let’s examine the rain cycle to see how this

happens.

Water is taken up by the root system of the plant.

The moisture goes up the stem, and into the leaves.

The excess moisture is expelled from the leaves through the stoma, and released into the air. This process is transpiration.

With the addition of heat (room temperature or sunlight), the evaporative (gas) rises to the top of the container.

This gas (water and oxygen) becomes condensationforming on the lid of the container.

Droplets grow, and fall back to the soil. This is called precipitation.

The process repeats over and over.

Terrarium- a covered or closed container used for growing plants.

An open container or dish that can be planted with a variety of types of plants.

The container chosen should be made of clear glass or plastic.

Make sure your container is clean. Choose plants that have similar cultural

requirements. (light, water, and humidity) The water requirement for plants is the most

important of these three.

First, Woodland plants- organic soil, shade loving plants. High humidity and high water needs.

This type of terrariums require little organic matter, porous, well drained soil (cactus mix or sandy soil). They require high light and low humidity.

Tropical Plants. These plants require a sandy soil, with some organic content, high humidity, and shade.

Bog and carnivorous plants. Out of their native habitat, these plants can be difficult to grow successfully. They require high humidity, some shade, and lots of porous organic matter like mosses and barks.

All closed containers should have transparent covers.

Containers with small openings are okay. Containers with large openings without covers can be used but will require more frequent watering.

Open terrariums are drier and less subject to disease.

Many plants are suitable for growing in terrariums.

They are kept small in terrariums by cutting back the tips.

Don’t mix plants requiring widely different conditions.

Cacti are less desirable for terrariums since moist conditions promote rot.

Don’t mix desert plants with moisture-loving tropicals.

African violet (Saintpaulia spp.) Airplant (Kalanchoe pinnata) Aluminum plant (Pilea cadierii) Baby tears (Helxine soleirolii) Begonia (Begonia spp.) Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema spp.) Jade plant (Crassula argentea) Swedish ivy (Plectranthes australis) And many more

The first and lowest layer is pea gravel. This is used for drainage. It should be ½” to 3/4” inches deep. Aquarium gravel works great.

Sphagnum moss- this organic material is usually found in swamps. It is sterilized and dried. The moss is used as a separator to keep the soil and plant roots out of the drainage material.

Horticultural grade charcoal. Charcoal is used to reduce odors caused by oxidizing (decomposing) plant material.

The Soil. The type of soil you use is dependent on the type of plants in your terrarium or dish garden.

Top dressing. This top dressing can be done with bark or gravel, depending upon the type of terrarium or dish garden you have. Its’ main function is to keep moisture in the soil.

Sea shells ImagesSmall toys, like butterflies or even amphibians

Remember to: Clean your container before grading. Make sure plants are planted well, with no root balls

showing. Clean leaves of all dirt and debris. Also, remove any

damaged or dead foliage. Include top dressing for appeal and water retention. Completely mist entire project with water to start

the rain cycle.

A closed terrarium will not need to be watered for four to six months.

Do not replace the cover until the leaves have dried. Open terrariums need occasional watering not as

often as houseplants. Watering should always be light. Its better to be a little too dry than too wet. Many plants out grow the terrarium. With a little trimming these plants can be brought

into bounds.

Frequently pinching out tips before a plant becomes too tall will result in more balanced growth than infrequent, more severe cutbacks.

Do not plan to fertilize for at least a year after planting.

If the plants are yellowish without any reason, fertilize very lightly with a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer at about one-tenth the rate recommended for normal houseplants.