Terrarium by an Amatuer

Yesterday I made a terrarium. It is in a bowl that I got at Michael's for $12.70. They had a bigger bowl for $16, but I need to fit mine on my desk.

I think it might be a little crowded in there.

I've been doing research on terrariums for about a month now, and there are some super pages out there that have some great advice. If you want some guaranteed success, I suggest looking elsewhere. If you would like to see me outline a process that may or may not work, you're in the right place.

After much research, I decided to make a succulent terrarium. It requires watering and is uncovered, which is what makes it different from the other kind of terrarium. I also found that with succulents, I could do most of my purchasing in one stop at Lowe's. This is the kind of efficiency I spring for.

Anyway, here's the process I followed:

1. Pea Gravel: about $3.65 at Lowe's for an unnecessarily large bag. (If anyone needs some extra gravel, I'm your gal.) I put about 2 inches of gravel in the bottom of the container. This is supposed to help drainage.

2. Activated Carbon: also supposed to help drainage. It's commonly used in aquariums, so I bought a jar at a pet store for $12.70. Then I put a 1/2 inch on top of the gravel.

3. Sphagnum Moss: this layer is supposed to keep the drainage separate from the upper levels. I put about 2 inches worth into the container. It cost $3.97.

4. Cactus Soil: $4.24, works well with succulents. Apply some inches of this atop your sphagnum moss. (This thing is like a 7-layer dip, except pretty to look at and less edible.)

5. Succulents: I spent $5 on the plants. Some of them were on clearance and perhaps I will have to replace them. I'm also pretty sure that I'll have to remove a little bit of the foliage.

Evidently you're supposed to water once a week, or when the soil is dry. As far as I can tell, the soil is not dry yet.

Epilogue
 So the entire terrarium was under $45, and I have enough supplies to make at least one more. (Provided I buy another container and more plants.)

On Day 2 of mothering a bowl of plants, I just worry about it. Does it have enough water? Does it have enough room to grow and mature? 

I will post about more terrarium adventures, I am sure. Especially if they go well.