Complete Succulent Terrarium Guide: From Setup, Arrangement to Maintenance

At Happy Succulent Care, we're all about keeping things low-key and easy-breezy when it comes to gardening. That's why succulent terrariums are our new indoor plant obsession. They've got that effortlessly chic natural vibe on lock while asking next to nothing from you in return.

Curious to try your hand at making your own miniature indoor Eden? We've got you covered with this complete guide on how to grow the perfect succulent terrarium. Let's dive in!

Key Takeaways:

• Create a Low-Maintenance Succulent Terrarium: Use a glass container, succulent plants, well-draining potting soil, and decorative elements.
• Benefits of a Succulent Terrarium: Adds greenery to indoor spaces and serves as a decorative piece.
• Care Tips: Water sparingly, provide adequate light, and avoid common mistakes like overwatering or using the wrong soil.

Prepare to Build a Succulent Terrarium

Choose Your Favorite Theme

Gazing into a well-crafted succulent terrarium is like peering into a serene greenery mini world. It's a meditative experience that can transport you from the stresses of daily life to a peaceful oasis of green tranquility. The interplay of light through the glass, dancing across the varied surfaces of the succulents, creates an ever-changing display that's both soothing and invigorating.

Many terrarium crafters opt to build around a theme, perhaps a sunny beach, a whimsical fairy garden, or a rugged desert scene. If you want to go this route, you can gather miniature figurines, rocks, driftwood, and other accessories to accent your creation and bring your vision to life.

Selecting the Perfect Glass Container

When it comes to choosing a container, you've got lots of creative options! You could go for traditional glass containers like vases or bowls. Or get creative with old spice jars, apothecary bowls, funky vases, or lanterns - they can all make for stunning terrariums. Scouring thrift stores and estate sales is a great way to find unique containers on a budget.

The key is selecting a container that provides enough space for your succulents to grow for one year round, so you don’t need to rearrange them soon. Aim for something at least 2-3 inches deep so the roots have room to spread out and drainage.

The Best Succulents for Terrarium Arrangement

Now for the fun part - choosing your succulent terrarium plants! We suggest sticking to compact, slow-growing varieties that can thrive in the humid micro-climate and tight quarters. A few of our favorite terrarium MVPs:

• Jade Plants: These low-key succulents are terrarium champs with their small stature and minimal water needs. They'll keep their deep green color all year too.
• Zebra Plants: You've gotta love the striped leaves on these guys! Their vertical growth habit means they stay nice and tidy in tight spaces too.
• String of Pearls: Let those pearl plant strands spill over the sides for an organic cascading look. Such a vibe!
• Echeveria: With their rose-like shapes and vibrant colors, echeverias are the perfect focal point. Varieties like 'Lola' and 'Lauii' do well in terrariums.
• Crassula: From the classic jade plant to unique styles like 'Gollum' or 'Buddha's Temple,' crassulas add whimsy with their branching patterns.

The key is grouping together any resilient, low-light tolerant succulents. Just avoid any vigorous growers that might take over the whole terrarium in a month.

Feeling bold? You can even mix in some non-succulent companions like air plants, moss, or small ferns. Just be mindful that they'll require a bit more hands-on moisture monitoring.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Succulent Terrarium

Alright Succulent Parent friends - it's your showtime! Let's walk through exactly how to construct your dream succulent terrarium.

1. Start by grabbing a clear glass vessel with a wide opening at the top.
2. Add a drainage layer: Pour a 1-2 inch layer of pebbles, gravel, or crushed stone into the bottom of your container. This helps any excess moisture properly drain away from your plants' roots.
3. Create a filter layer: On top of the pebble drainage layer, add a thin covering of a filter material. A coffee filter, moss, or even landscape fabric works great for this. It allows water through while preventing your soil from washing down.
4. Prepare the planting mix: Now for that all-important soil layer! Use a cactus or succulent-specific potting mix, potentially mixing in some extra perlite or coarse sand for even better drainage. Those succulent roots hate sitting in soggy soil.
5. Get planting: Using a long pair of locking tweezers, gently position and plant your succulent varieties into the soil bed however you'd like. The tweezers prevent damaging delicate leaves and stems. Got larger clusters? Carefully break them apart to spread around.
6. Add decor: With all your plants in place, top dress the scene with a decorative layer like colored gravel, aquarium sand, shells, or figurines. We're loving the black lava rock look right now - it's a new trend!
7. Finishing touches: Lightly mist everything down with a spray bottle to help settle the soil. Now's the time to also tuck in any larger accent pieces like driftwood or rocks.

And that's it - you did it! Take a step back and bask in your own lush private little indoor oasis.

Advanced Terrarium Care: Keeping Your Miniature Garden Thriving

We promised you a low-maintenance gardening situation and we're gonna deliver! Here are our top terrarium care tips for succulent gardens that basically tend themselves:

Providing Adequate Light

Providing adequate light is crucial for the health of your succulent terrarium as succulents thrive in bright, indirect sunlight. If your succulents aren't receiving enough light, they may stretch and become leggy, resulting in weak growth. To ensure they get the right amount of light, position your terrarium near a window where they can receive bright, indirect sunlight for at least 6 hours a day. Be cautious of direct sunlight as it can scorch the leaves of your plants.

Proper Watering Techniques

That classic "soak and dry" method is perfect here. Give your terrarium a good water soak directly into the soil based of each plant using mini watering can. Allowing any excess moisture to fully drain out through the pebble layer below.

Use your finger to check if the soil is dry before watering again. This way, you ensure that your succulents are getting just the right amount of water they need to thrive.

Maintaining Proper Air Flow

Most open terrariums won't need much air circulation, but if yours has a lid, be sure to take it off for a few hours every week or two to allow some fresh air exchange and prevent stale air.

Pruning and Maintenance

Pruning and maintenance are necessary to keep your succulent terrarium looking its best, involving the removal of dead leaves and occasional trimming. Gather the essential tools for maintenance, such as a small paintbrush for delicately cleaning off dust and debris without damaging the leaves.

Next, carefully inspect your terrarium for any dead or decaying foliage that needs to be removed to ensure the health of your plants. Regularly monitor the growth of your succulents as they may require periodic trimming to maintain their shape and avoid overgrowth that could hinder airflow or sunlight penetration.

Pest Control and Fertilizing

Keep an eye out for common houseplant pests like fungus gnats, mealybugs, or spider mites. But that closed terrarium environment acts as a great pest barrier too! For fertilizing, just a very light succulent fertilizer during the spring/summer growing period can give your plants a nutrient boost without overdoing it.

Our Last Note

And that's all honestly about it! Can you think of an easier way to inject some lush, lively greenery into your home or office? We can't either.

With such simple care requirements, succulent terrariums really are one of the lowest maintenance ways to enjoy some lush greenery indoors. As long as you let that soil dry out adequately between waterings, your miniature garden will be thriving with next to no effort on your part!

Now is the time to hop aboard the succulent terrarium train. Let Happy Succulent Care be your guide to creating a miniature plant world that somehow bring beauty and relaxing to your home.