In the glass ambience of the terrarium, succulents set impressive accents in living rooms and offices. For the ambitious hobby gardener, it is a matter of honor to put together and plant the bizarre plant community on their own. These instructions explain how to skillfully set up your individual succulent terrarium.
How to set up a succulent terrarium?
Setting up a succulent terrarium is possible with a glass container, succulents, cactus or succulent soil, drainage material (pebbles, decorative sand or expanded clay), a drainage layer, a layer of soil and possibly decorative items. The plants should then be sprayed with lime-free water.
Material list and preparatory work
The spectrum of suitable vessels for a succulent terrarium is broad. The spectrum extends from the small glass ball to the room-filling glass box. Thanks to the wide variety of succulent species, there are no limits to the individual composition of an adequate planting. The following materials are required to implement your creative ideas:
- Terrarium, decorative glass or mini greenhouse (€239.00 on Amazon)
- Succulents of your choice
- Cactus or succulent soil (not potting soil)
- Pebbles, decorative sand or expanded clay balls as drainage
- seasonal or permanent decorative items
Before setting up the succulent terrarium, please clean all materials with hot water. The succulent soil should be sterilized as a precaution. To do this, fill the substrate into a fireproof bowl and place it in the oven at 150 degrees for 20 minutes.
Planting a terrarium with succulents – this is how it works
If all the materials are ready, you can give your creative ideas for planting a tangible form. How to properly plant a terrarium with succulent plants:
- Pour a layer of expanded clay or decorative sand on the bottom of the vessel as drainage
- Spread the succulent soil over it and spray with lime-free water
- Unpot and plant each plant
- For a good soil seal, press the substrate lightly with a spoon
- Spray the substrate and succulents again with soft water
Because the roots of young succulents are delicate, dig a small hole for each plant. The existing planting depth should be maintained as far as possible. Before arranging further decorations in the terrarium, spread a thin layer of sand or pebbles on the succulent soil. In this way, you prevent the succulent leaves from coming into direct contact with the moist substrate so that no rot can form.
Tip
So that your succulent terrarium turns into a blooming work of art in summer, it's important to have a cooler winter time. The majority of the plants only produce their flowers when they overwinter in a bright location with 15 degrees Celsius from November to February.