Succulent terrariums are a fun and creative way to display beautiful succulents in your home or office. These mini indoor gardens are easy to assemble and care for, providing a slice of nature in your living space.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to create your own stunning succulent terrarium, from choosing the right container and plants to layering and decorating With just a few simple steps, you can put together a living work of art that lasts for years to come.
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
The first step is gathering the basic supplies you’ll need for assembling your succulent terrarium:
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Glass container or jar – This can be any shape or size, as long as it’s made of clear glass and has an opening at the top. Look for interesting bowls, vases, or apothecary jars.
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Drainage material – Coarse sand pebbles marbles, or gravel create a drainage layer at the bottom.
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Activated charcoal – Helps filter the soil and prevent rot. You can find this at garden stores.
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Potting mix – Use a fast-draining cactus & succulent soil blend.
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Succulents – Choose 2-4 small succulents that will fit nicely in your container.
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Decorative additions – Small rocks, shells, moss or twigs can help decorate.
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Tweezers or chopsticks – For carefully planting.
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Spray bottle – For watering your planted terrarium.
Step 2: Prepare the Glass Container
Before layering materials inside, prep your glass container by washing it thoroughly. Make sure it is fully dry before adding soil or succulents.
Consider whether you want to leave the top fully open or just partially open. Closed terrariums hold in more humidity while open tops provide better airflow. Leaving the top partially open can provide a good balance for many succulents.
Step 3: Add the Drainage Layer
Start by adding 0.5-1 inch of drainage material like pebbles, gravel, or marble chips to the bottom of the container. This will help excess water drain out of the soil, preventing sogginess.
Gently pour in or spoon the drainage material until it forms an even layer across the bottom of the terrarium.
Step 4: Add Activated Charcoal
Next, sprinkle a thin layer of activated charcoal over the drainage layer. Use 1 teaspoon or less and spread it out evenly.
The charcoal helps filter impurities from the soil and provides a clean, healthy environment for the succulent roots.
Step 5: Add the Potting Mix
Now you can add your specialized succulent and cactus potting soil. Pour it in on top of the charcoal to create a 2-3 inch layer.
Make sure the mix is slightly compacted to avoid having soil shift around after planting. You can gently pat it down with your hands or the back of a spoon.
Step 6: Style the Landscape
Before planting succulents, take a moment to add any hardscape or decorative elements you want for your terrarium. Think pebbles, sea glass, driftwood, sand, moss-covered rocks, mini cacti figurines – get creative!
Arranging these elements first provides a template for planting your succulents around. They also add visual interest and texture to bring your terrarium to life.
Step 7: Plant the Succulents
Now comes the fun part – selecting and planting your succulents! Carefully remove each plant from its nursery pot, gently loosen the roots, and plant into the soil.
Use tweezers or chopsticks to help move them into place and bury the roots under 1/2 inch of soil. Make sure any decorative rocks or accents are positioned how you want them before pressing soil around the plants.
Leave an inch or so between plants for proper growth room. Plant your largest, showiest succulent first as the focal point, then add smaller accent plants around it.
Step 8: Add Finishings Touches
Once all your succulents are planted, take a step back to evaluate your terrarium. Make any last tweaks to the placements or positioning as needed.
You can add a top dressing of sand, fine gravel, or preserved moss around the planted areas to help cover up soil and give a natural look.
Finally, use a spray bottle to mist the terrarium and water your new plants for the first time. Avoid over-watering or making the soil overly saturated.
Choosing the Best Succulents
With thousands of succulent varieties out there, how do you pick the best ones for your terrarium project? Here are some top options:
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Echeveria – Rosette shapes provide colorful ruffled leaves. Great focal plants.
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Haworthia – Unique spike-like leaves offer fun textures. Stay small.
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Sedum – Trailing stems like Burro’s Tail or Coral Reef are perfect fillers.
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Sempervivum – Hens and chicks have cute rosettes in mix of colors.
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Aeonium – Interesting shapes and variegations. Do well in partial sun.
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Senecio – Trailing succulents like String of Pearls/Tears/Dolphins make excellent accents.
Go for a mix of textures, colors, and shapes for an eye-catching succulent display.
Caring for Your Planted Terrarium
Succulent terrariums require minimal maintenance, but there are a few care tips to keep your plants healthy:
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Place in bright, indirect light. Most succulents need 4-6 hours of sun.
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Water only when soil is completely dry. Overwatering leads to rot.
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Use a spray bottle and mist soil lightly. Avoid wetting the leaves.
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Open the lid for airflow if condensation builds up inside.
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Remove any dead leaves or plants immediately to prevent mold.
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Wipe salt deposits from the glass with a damp cloth to keep clear.
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Rotate periodically for even sunlight coverage.
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Repot annually in fresh soil to provide nutrients.
With the right plants, soil, and container, you can easily create a gorgeous living succulent terrarium to enjoy for years. Have fun designing a mini indoor garden showcase with your favorite succulents.
FAQs About Creating Succulent Terrariums
What is the best soil for a succulent terrarium?
Use a fast-draining cactus and succulent soil mix, or make your own mix with equal parts potting soil, coarse sand, perlite, and gravel.
How often should you water a succulent terrarium?
Wait until the soil is completely dry before watering again. This could be weekly, bi-weekly, or longer. Mist lightly rather than soaking the soil.
How do you layer a succulent terrarium?
Start with drainage material like gravel, add activated charcoal, then your soil mix. Style with decorative accents before planting succulents as the top layer.
Can you use an open container for a succulent terrarium?
Yes, open containers are preferred for succulents to provide airflow and prevent excess humidity. Partially open lids also work well.
How do you decorate a succulent terrarium?
Add visual interest with small pebbles, sand, sea glass, preserved moss, driftwood, shells, mini cacti figures, crystals, or any small, natural decorative elements.
What size container is best?
The size depends on available space and how many succulents you want to plant. Small single succulents look great in tiny glass jars. For multiple plants, use larger bowls, hurricane vases, or apothecary jars.
Can you plant succulent cuttings in a terrarium?
Yes! Succulent cuttings and propagations transplant well into terrariums. Plant them the same as rooted succulents. The high humidity helps establishment.
With this complete step-by-step guide, you have everything you need to plant and care for a gorgeous succulent terrarium display. Get creative with your container, succulent choices, and decorations to make your own living art piece. Enjoy your mini indoor garden for years to come!
Step-by-step Instructions and Plant Selections, Too
A terrarium is a closed glass container in which a gardener grows small and usually slow-growing plants. Essentially, it is a mini-indoor garden. To make your terrarium, you only need a few useful garden items. However, you might want to buy a glass container that is made just for them. You can use any glass such as a Mason jar, a large bowl or a repurposed fish tank.
Once planted, a good terrarium should need almost no additional care other than very occasional watering. Plants give off water that runs off the sides and back into the soil, where roots can take it up. The terrarium will form its own ecosystem within the container.
The original terrariums were planted in bottles. Much like a ship in a bottle, people were amazed when they saw these gardens. Some people like the way that the plants couldn’t fit into the bottle because the neck was so narrow that a person’s hand couldn’t fit. That can be part of the terrarium’s charm.
Your terrarium can have a theme. Terrarium plants may be chosen to look like miniature jungle plants or desert plants. Your terrarium could be a fairy garden or a cottage in the woods. Pick plants that are different in shape and color from each other if you don’t want a theme.
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