You can easily prepare a small garden in a glass container. It’s a fun project for both adults and children. The main topic of today’s article is growing both cactus and succulents in a terrarium.
It’s possible to grow cactus and succulents in a terrarium. However, succulents don’t like damp conditions so you do need to be careful. With a couple of adjustments to the traditional terrarium, you can grow cactus and succulents in a terrarium!
Below, we’ll look at how to grow cactus and succulents in a terrarium. Let’s learn how to make a small garden in a glass container properly and keep your plants happy.
Table of Contents
Can You Put Cacti And Succulents Together In A Terrarium?
With the help of a terrarium, you can bring the beauty of a thriving garden indoors.
It’s a self-sustaining ecosystem within a usually enclosed and transparent container, thus it’s the perfect decoration piece for the home that will embellish your living space and impress your guests.
Although terrariums aren’t very demanding, they still require some care and attention. And if you make the right adjustments, you can put cacti and succulents together in a terrarium. And they will thrive!
Proper plant selection is the key to a successful terrarium. Usually, smaller plants that prosper in humid conditions and enjoy moist soil as well as regular exposure to indirect sunlight, can live in terrariums.
However, you can also grow cacti and succulents in a terrarium. Just ensure you pick a container without a lid. That way, the humidity will be much lower than it would be if the container was closed.
Once you find the perfect container, follow the next steps on how to set it up properly.
How To Grow Cactus And Succulents In A Terrarium
As we mentioned, cacti and succulents don’t like damp environments. However, you can still grow cacti and succulents in a terrarium successfully if you make the following adjustments.
Step 1:
Fill the bottom 2 inches of your glass container with gravel to produce a water drainage chamber.
Step 2:
Top the gravel with 1/2-inch of activated charcoal to stop odors. You can easily find activated charcoal in the aquarium supplies section of local pet stores.
Step 3:
Top the charcoal with 2-4 inches of sphagnum moss to stop the soil from going down into the gravel.
Step 4:
Add a few inches of fast-draining soil mix that has about 1/3 pumice or builder’s sand.
Step 5:
Plant your cacti and succulents. However, make sure they’re not touching the sides of the terrarium or one another. Give your plants some space for future growth.
Step 6:
Take your decoration game to the next level by adding some rocks, plastic animals, toys, figurines, and other treasures. Just make sure that whatever you pick won’t degrade or corrode in damp conditions.
Step 7:
Put your terrarium in a spot that gets a lot of bright, indirect sunlight. Avoid bright windows because the direct sun could destroy your plants.
Step 8:
After you plant your cacti and succulents, don’t water them for a whole week. Otherwise, you can cause root rot. When the soil is fully dry, water again.
Last Tips
Let’s wrap up this article by suggesting you place a fan or blower near your terrarium. That way, you will increase circulation and help prevent excess humidity.
Also, add fertilizer once a year. Do you have other tips on how to grow cactus and succulents in a terrarium? If so, drop a comment below, and let’s chat!