DIY Medium Open and Closed Terrarium Kit

Product Information

Please choose the option including plants and we will supply three suitable forest plants to suit your terrarium. Varieties include, Asparagus Fern, Peperomia and Fittonia plants. How come? This one-of-a-kind kit involves chia seeds, which will sprout just a few days after planting. This kids’ terrarium is so cute and magical! (Image Credit: SugarBlushStudio on Etsy). Add the same amount of substrate to your bottle as you did stones, so you get nice layers. The substrate needs to be deep enough actually to plant the roots, so don’t be too sparing. This is where I initially went wrong. For the mesh barrier, a carbon fibre window screen is a good option (see list above for link). You have to buy a roll and cut it to the size of your closed glass container. Dig a small hole in the substrate and use a tool to carefully place the plant in the hole and cover up the roots.

As I’ve mentioned, kids’ kits often can put style over substance, and that certainly isn’t true with this kit.The closed terrarium water cycle mimics that found in nature. Once water is added to the terrarium and the lid closed, it becomes continually recycled. Water droplets form inside the glass container due to condensation and the plants giving off water through their pores (stomates) during photosynthesis. Water then runs down the jar into the soil, and the process repeats. In terms of the actual planting, I like to start with the tallest plant as it’ll dictate the layout of the land. Then use the smallest plants as decorative highlights. Terrarium lighting is another big one to consider. You’ll need to provide consistent, even light that satisfies the needs of your tropical understory plants but doesn’t burn them. They’re typically quite delicate, after all. Think of building a scene, like a Mayan jungle setting. Mine totally changed once I added my Buddha figure. Recommended add-on: a set of terrarium tools (tweezers, scissors, fork and shovel). Buy as a set and save 10%.

Why not try adding a cutting to spice it up a little more?Something like Ficus pumila or Peperomia prostrata (String of Turtles) would work a treat and look great. These types of cases are named after Nathaniel Ward (1791-1868), who pioneered the transportation of plants in glass cases with his book ‘On the Growth of Plants in Closely Glazed Cases’ in 1842. During the colonial years, many plants would die when shipped over to Europe from around the world; Wardian case terrariums provided the ecosystem with each plant needed to survive transportation. Jade plants do well in closed terrariums, if you are asking about jade stones, these can also be placed in your terrarium to add colour.Water the terrarium by gently spraying down the sides of the jar and letting it naturally run into the soil. When it comes to watering, you can use the old-fashioned method of adding water when the soil feels dry, but honestly, that’s a bit of a fuss in the confined space of a terrarium. Tools – Not all are essential terrarium tools, but long tweezers help immensely in positioning plants. Then, long scissors are needed to trim them. If you want an inexpensive, simple, and classic terrarium starter kit with quality materials, this adorable moss project is the one for you. And it’ll only look more lush and wild as it grows over time. When it comes to getting lids for open containers, I find getting acrylic disks cut to size is the best option. There are plenty of companies online that can cut something to a precise dimension for a reasonable cost. An acrylic lid looks just like glass and it’s much cheaper and lighter.

Terrariums are made for plants, while vivariums are built to house animals, though both may have the same environments. Of course, being a closed terrarium means you need to be able to seal it (the clue is in the name). It comes in several container sizes, and you even have the option to grab the kit without the glassware (or the plants) if you already have some options to hand. So it’s great for adapting to your needs. Whichever style you opt for, terrariums are a lovely way to refresh and brighten your home and add decoration with beautiful plants which can thrive indefinitely. Just bear in mind that the best terrarium plants are small and slow-growing. Below, we’ve searched high and low for the best terrarium kits – both open and closed – to create your own mini garden indoors. We happen to think they make fabulous gifts, too… Lid– If your glassware doesn’t come with a lid, then find yourself one! ( This shop on Etsy provides custom-sized acrylic lids).If you prefer to go the whole DIY route – as I do – then you’re going to need to source your own terrarium supplies. If you're intrigued by gardening but feel overwhelmed, making your own terrarium can be a fun and easy way to start growing plants. Or if you have experience gardening or collecting houseplants, a terrarium can be a new, more creative medium to test out. "Terrariums add another dimension to your indoor gardening," says Steinkopf, who loves making terrariums. "They have a mystery about them that is intriguing and they contain a 'little world' that fascinates people of every age," she says. Our 10 litre angular closed glass bottle terrarium kit provides a contemporary feel for you indoor garden ecosystem. Enlisting the help of beneficial terrarium bugs and microfauna (bacteria and bugs, in short) completes that final all-important nutrient cycle.

As we’ve touched on earlier, bright indirect light is the name of the game in closed terrarium care. Plenty of energy and none of the risk of scorching. The plants will need at least 2 hours per day of sunlight, but you don’t need to add direct sunlight. My plants are thriving in a north-facing window.

Top 5 Terrarium Kits

For a natural light source, you’ll want your terrarium to be in a bright spot that’s out of direct sunlight. Just don’t choose plants native to arid climates like cacti and succulents… they’re never going to last in the humid conditions of a closed terrarium. Opt for an open terrarium instead. Then, there are air plants that can work in a closed terrarium, but you’ll need to give them additional airflow.