How to Make a Plant Terrarium
How to Make a Plant Terrarium in 6 Steps
The ecosystem of a plant terrarium—essentially a plant in a closed system—is truly a wonder of nature. With a little care, you can bring this mini-world to life in your own home or office. Here are six steps to help you create and maintain your terrarium.
How to Make a Plant Terrarium in 6 Steps
Instructional video on how to make a plant terrarium
Supplies:
- Glass terrarium with lid
- Substrate (A)
- Coconut tablets “ground” (B)
- "Moss" decoration (C)
- Mini plants (D)
Step 1: Unpack & Clean
Place the glass on a stable, flat surface and remove the lid. Carefully remove the terrarium plant set and the glass from the packaging, and thoroughly clean the inside with soapy water. Rinse thoroughly and dry the glass.
Step 2: Add substrate
Carefully fill the terrarium with a layer of substrate (A)
Step 3: Preparing the soil
Use the coconut discs to make a growing medium. Use 75 ml of water per coconut disc. As the coconut expands, this yields 150 ml of growing medium per disc. (B)
Step 4: Apply the soil
Apply a layer of growing medium about 4 cm thick (B)
Step 5: Planting the seedlings
Make a small hole in the soil and place the plant (without the pot) into it. Press the coconut fiber soil around the plant (D) so that it stands upright and is secure.
Step 6: Decorating
Once all the plants are in place, cover the soil with moss (C) and press it down gently. Use pebbles, wood, or anything else you like as decoration.
Conclusion: Follow-up Care
After decorating, lightly rinse or wipe the inside of the glass with water. Then place the terrarium in a well-lit spot, leaving it open for five days. On the sixth day, you can put the lid on and enjoy your beautiful mini-ecosystem!
Please note: Sometimes the cork may not seal the glass completely, leaving a small gap between the cork and the neck of the bottle. We want to reassure you that a cork that doesn’t seal completely is not a problem for a bottle garden. In fact, a minimal air supply can actually be beneficial for the ecosystem inside your bottle garden. This small amount of air circulation helps maintain a natural balance, keeping your plants healthy and regulating the moisture inside the garden 😉
Looking to buy an ecosystem plant with a light?
Would you prefer a complete set that includes a glass bottle and a cork with built-in LED lighting?
Ecoworld®
Handmade, Unique, and Sustainable
Meet Ecoworld , a product that combines traditional craftsmanship with sustainable practices. Each glass piece is hand-blown in Egypt using recycled glass. This process ensures that every terrarium has its own unique characteristics. No two terrariums are alike, so you’re bringing something truly special into your home.
The beauty of imperfection
Minor imperfections such as air bubbles or irregularities are not flaws, but evidence of the traditional, hand-blown process. These characteristics make each terrarium unique and give it an artistic look that you won’t find in mass-produced items.
The value of owning something unique is emphasized, as is the positive impact on the environment when choosing products made from recycled materials.
The artisanal process
Share the story behind each terrarium, from the recycled glass to the skilled hands of artisans in Egypt. Describe the traditional techniques used and highlight the authentic, handmade nature of your products.
Don't have a green thumb? That's no problem with our maintenance-free plant terrarium. Each terrarium is a closed ecosystem made from hand-blown recycled glass. The mini plants come straight from our own nursery. Plus, the terrarium sparkles day and night thanks to the built-in LED lighting in the cork.
Why Choose Ecoworld ?
Frequently Asked Questions About Plant Terrariums
In a closed terrarium, marsh-like plants such as ferns or mini houseplants thrive best, while an open terrarium is better suited for mini succulents, small cacti, or air plants. For an ecosystem in a glass jar, plants that thrive in high humidity and can survive without additional nutrients—such as ferns, carnivorous plants, and mini houseplants—are ideal. Check out all our terrarium plant sets for more inspiration.
Our plant terrariums come as a DIY (Do It Yourself) kit.
This ensures that the plants remain in good condition and undamaged during transport. If we were to assemble the terrarium beforehand, everything would arrive all jumbled up.
The terrarium comes with a booklet and a clear instructional video. Assembly takes just 5 minutes and is a fun, easy task! 😊
A well-set-up plant terrarium requires minimal care. Important tips include: place your terrarium in a bright spot, rotate it twice a month, and maintain a stable temperature. In a closed ecosystem, depending on its size, it may sometimes be necessary to add 5 to 10 cl of water if the soil feels dry, up to 2–3 times a year.
In a bottle ecosystem, plants produce oxygen and glucose during the day through photosynthesis. At night, the plants reabsorb this oxygen. This balanced process continues as long as the ecosystem receives sufficient daylight.
Condensation in your terrarium is a sign that it’s too hot and the ecosystem can’t release the heat. To fix this problem, open the jar or bottle for about 12 hours to let the heat escape.
A closed ecosystem is usually self-sustaining, but if the soil or plants look dry, it’s a good idea to add a small amount of water. The exact amount varies, but aim for 5 to 10 cl of water, no more than 2–3 times a year.
If your plants grow too tall and no longer fit inside the terrarium, you can easily trim them. You can carefully trim the leaves or stems that are growing too tall with a pair of scissors. This isn’t necessary, as letting them grow won’t harm the plants. But if you prefer to keep the plants smaller, this is an easy way to trim them to the desired height.
Setting up a plant terrarium is a fun and creative project. You can find step-by-step instructions on exactly how to do this at this link: https://staging.vdvelde.com/planten-terrariums/#maken … We’ve even created a helpful video where we demonstrate the process step by step.
The amount of soil you received is precisely measured for our larger plant terrariums. However, if you purchased a smaller terrarium jar, such as a Weck jar or a Corky jar, the soil may indeed seem like a bit too much. In that case, you can use just half of the soil, for example. This is more than enough for the plants to grow well and feel at home in the terrarium.
If you see a mushroom growing in your plant terrarium, there’s no need to worry! This is actually a sign that your ecosystem is functioning properly. Mushrooms grow as a result of the healthy balance of moisture and organic matter in your terrarium.
If you’d rather remove the mushroom, you can open the jar, take out the mushroom, and then leave the lid off the terrarium for about 12 hours to allow excess moisture to escape. After 12 hours, put the lid back on, and your ecosystem will continue to thrive in a healthy and undisturbed manner.
Mold in a terrarium is usually caused by:
✅ Insufficient light
✅ Too much water when setting up the terrarium
What can you do?
1️⃣ Move the terrarium to a brighter spot
2️⃣ Lightly spray the mold with water to rinse it away
3️⃣ Leave the cork off the terrarium for at least a week so it can dry thoroughly
Do you want to remove the mold right away? If so, carefully scrape it off and leave the terrarium open for 12 hours to allow excess moisture to escape. Then put the cork back in place, and the ecosystem will recover on its own.
Follow these steps to keep your terrarium in top condition!
I'm sorry to hear that the LED light in your cork lid isn't working or is flickering.
In most cases, this is simply due to dead batteries. Try replacing the batteries first. If the problem persists, please feel free to contact us. We will then provide you with a suitable solution.
The soil does indeed come in compressed tablets. As soon as you add a little water to the soil tablet, it turns into soil. Follow the steps in these instructions to ensure your plant terrarium is a success: https://staging.vdvelde.com/planten-terrariums/#maken
It’s best to assemble the plant terrarium as soon as possible. If you’d rather not do this because it’s a gift, temporarily remove the plants from the packaging, place them in a bright spot in your home, and water them a little bit twice a week.
Store the bag of moss in the refrigerator for the time being.
When it's time to give the plant terrarium as a gift, put the plants back in the box along with the moss.
This way, the plants, the moss, and—of course—your beautiful gift will stay in top condition.
It’s okay if the cork lid doesn’t seal your plant terrarium completely. This won’t affect the quality of the ecosystem. A small gap won’t interfere with how the ecosystem functions; it will continue to work properly and maintain its natural balance. So your terrarium will continue to function perfectly well as an ecosystem.
Did you know that the Ecoworld terrarium is made from sustainable recycled glass, handcrafted in Egypt? As a result, each piece of glass is unique and may feature certain distinctive effects or minor imperfections, such as air bubbles. These characteristics make each terrarium special and contribute to the product’s authenticity and charm.
Don’t worry about these minor imperfections; they are not a sign of damage. In fact, our glass is EU-certified, which means it meets the highest quality and safety standards. These unique characteristics are part of the handmade production process and highlight the care and attention that went into creating an eco-friendly and Fairtrade-certified glass.
We hope you’ll appreciate the small imperfections and air bubbles in the glass, knowing that it’s a handmade, Fairtrade product.
Read more about Ecoworld here.
If the plants in your bottle garden start turning black, there could be several reasons for this, often related to the water balance or humidity inside the glass. Here are some common causes and solutions:
1. Overwatering: If the plants have been overwatered, this can lead to root rot or blackened leaves. Be sure to follow the watering instructions exactly and avoid overwatering.
2. Excessive humidity: If the environment inside the bottle garden is too humid, the plants may have trouble breathing, which can cause discoloration. Open the lid occasionally to allow for ventilation and help balance the humidity.
3. Light balance: Make sure the bottle garden is placed in a bright spot, but avoid direct sunlight. It’s also important to rotate the bottle regularly so that all the plants receive light evenly.
4. Leaf care: Gently remove any black or dead leaves. This gives the healthy parts of the plants more space and energy to continue growing.
We recommend following these steps to resolve the issue. If you have any further questions or if the problem persists, please feel free to contact us!
It may seem like the cork doesn't fit properly, but don't worry! Each cork is carefully fitted to the bottle beforehand before it is Shipped. This means that the cork and the bottle are always a perfect match.
Tips for properly inserting the cork:
- Twisting motion: Try placing the cork on the glass with a gentle twisting motion. This will help it settle into place just right.
- Tip for a loose cork: Drip a small amount of water onto the cork (note: avoid getting water on the LED lights). This will cause the cork to expand a few millimeters, allowing it to fit securely in the glass.
If it still doesn't fit properly or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. We're happy to help!