Succulents make great plants for terrariums, because of their small size, beautiful varieties and rather easy care. In this post, you will learn how to make a succulent terrarium and find a step by step guide on what you will need to make your own beautiful succulent terrarium.
In general, to make a succulent terrarium, you will need to follow these steps:
- Choose a terrarium container
- Clean the container
- Choose and lay the drainage layer on the bottom
- Add a filter for separation
- Pour a charcoal layer
- Add succulent soil mix, and then add plants
- Decorations
Step 1: Choose a terrarium container
Succulents, including cacti, come from very hot parts of the world. This means that they require proper air exchange and low humidity levels.
Because of this, you must choose an open container to make a succulent terrarium. A little enclosed terrarium with an opening might be also suitable for fewer smaller plants. Some of the terrarium container shapes you can choose from are:
- Aquarium jar
- A large cup or wine (possibly stemless)
- Soup bowl
- Geometric shaped containers like this
- Wardian case with an opening window
- Footed glass bowls (fruit bowls for example)
- Desert/trifle/compote bowls
- Glass orbs like this
And many more…When choosing a container for your succulent terrarium, make sure it is a mostly open container. Don’t choose cloche, lidded cookie jars or similar for your succulent terrarium. They won’t allow proper air exchange, and will kill the plants quickly.
Step 2: Clean the terrarium container
Before you start making a succulent terrarium, it’s important that you wash your chosen container with hot water and soap. This will help remove any chemical residue and dirt, to prevent any mold formation and rot in your plants. Wash and dry the container, and then you can start assembling your terrarium.
Step 3: Add the drainage layer on the bottom
Adding a layer of drainage on the bottom of a terrarium is important. Filler will catch any excess water, if you accidentally overwater your plants. It will also help structure your terrarium properly.
There are different drainage options you can choose from. You can pick from different materials, depending on your overall design. In general, you can choose from:
- Sand – there are different color options that you can pick from, such as this blue decorative sand.
- Rocks, gravel or pebbles – choose from river rocks, lava rocks, speckled dotted rocks, and decorative rocks of various colors
- Bark chips – for a forest or woody theme
If you decide to add stones, make sure to wash them as well, to get rid of any chemical residue. Dry before using.
Step 4: Add a filter for separation
To divide the drainage layer and charcoal that you will add next, you should ideally put a small filter that will prevent contents from mixing and ruining the design. Not only will it help to keep the design together, but will prevent the soil/potting mix from seeping into the bottom layers.
When choosing a filter, make sure it’s thin and can pass water. Some examples are a coffee filter, cheesecloth, gauze, construction paper and more. Don’t use plastic dividers or similar. Just lay a thin filter on top of your drainage layer.
Step 5: Add charcoal
The next step would be to add a charcoal layer. Charcoal will act as a purifier, and will prevent fungus growth or rot. It will also help remove bad smells in a terrarium and keep it fresh. Add a thin layer (to cover the surface) of horticultural charcoal like this.
Step 6: Adding soil and plants
The next step would be adding potting soil and your chosen plants. Make sure you are using succulent potting mix like this. It can also be a citrus and palm mix, but succulent potting mix is the best choice. This soil should be light, drain fast and allow proper aeration.
Add some potting mix, before you can start adding your plants. Make sure plants are healthy, remove any dead leaves and shake off any soil from its roots. Spray the soil lightly, as well as your plants’ rootball.
If you haven’t decided on which succulents you will use in your terrarium, look for some inspiration. Try to always choose smaller and slower growing succulents.
Some great succulents for terrariums are: hens and chicks, jade plant, echeveria, aeonium, panda plant, zebra plant, dwarf aloe, Mammillaria cacti and so on (more ideas in this post).
If your plant is too tall or large, you can prune it a little. Same is with the roots – if they are too long, you can cut some without an issue. However, make sure to disinfect the scissors with fire or rubbing alcohol first to prevent infections in your plant.
Place your plants in the soil and then keep adding soil to cover the roots completely. Don’t add too much soil after putting the plant in place. The main goal is to make sure the plants’ rootballs are completely covered in soil.
Step 7: Adding decorations
After you add your plants, you can start adding decorations too. Apart from decorations, you can add rocks or gravel on top of soil as well, for decoration.
For decorative pieces, let your imagination take over. There are different decorations you can choose from, from figurines to fake plants. Depending on your theme and design, you can choose to add preserved reindeer moss of specific color, or add small objects.
If you would like some inspiration on what you can put in a terrarium besides plants, see this post (new tab). Or, maybe for your next project you would like to create a terrarium with fake water (read more here in a new tab).
How to water succulents in a terrarium?
Succulents come from hot parts of the world and store water in their cells. Therefore, they don’t need very frequent watering, but that varies with the season.
When they are properly watered, succulents are firm and their leaves look full and juicy. But when underwatered, they start bending and lose firmness.
Water your succulents in a terrarium once a week in summer and once in 2 weeks in winter. Between the seasons, water every 10 days or so.
Succulents need proper deep watering, but then need to dry out completely. To achieve this, water with around a quarter cup of water for smaller and medium containers. Alternatively, you can also heavily mist the soil.
Summary:
After you make your terrarium with succulents, place it in a bright spot without direct light. Don’t water your terrarium plants for a week, as you have properly sprayed the rootball and the soil. Allow proper ventilation, but don’t put in a spot where drafts are common.
If you would like to read more information on terrarium creation and care, see this resource page.