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  • Choose plants & a container. Trim plants as desired & make sure they are free of insects & disease.  Decide how you want to arrange your plants before you begin.

  • For smaller containers you may want to have a funnel available to add the rock, charcoal & soil. You can make your own by rolling up a piece of paper so that one end is larger than the other. If your container has a narrow opening you may want to consider having tweezers or chop sticks handy for plant, moss & decoration placement.

  • Add about ½” to 1” of rock to the container. The amount may be more or less depending on the size of the container. This creates a “drainage system” for the plant’s roots.

  • Add a thin layer of horticultural charcoal which keeps the terrarium fresh.

  • Wet sphagnum or angel moss & squeeze out excess water. Place the moss onto the charcoal layer covering the entire surface area. This will form a barrier that will keep the soil from falling down into the rocks. It will also aid in maintaining the soil’s moisture.

 

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Soil Terrarium Instructions

 

  • Add about 1” to 3” of soil depending on the container size. The soil layer also does not have to be perfectly flat. You can create “hills” to add character to the landscape. · If the container is filled too high with soil there will not be enough space for the plants to grow.

  • The depth of the rock, charcoal, moss & soil should be about 1/3 of the container’s height.

  • Place the plants in the container so they are nestled together but not crowded keeping in mind that they will grow. Don’t overplant & make sure to add the largest plants first. Ensure that leaves are not touching the side of the glass. This will cause the leaves to rot from the condensation.· Cover the roots of the plants with more soil. Pat the soil down being careful not to crunch the roots. For containers with smaller openings you can use a wine bottle cork stuck to the end of a skewer or attached to another type of stick to pat the soil down.

  • Arrange decorative or live moss covering the soil.

  • Add extra rock, figurines or other decoration to create your own miniature landscape.

  • Give the plant some water to keep the plant from going into shock from transplanting.

  • Place your terrarium in a location that has bright but indirect sunlight. Florescent lighting works well too. Direct light can burn the leaves through the glass.

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