Does all the cold weather have you hoping for spring? If so, you may want to consider chasing away your winter blues by starting a bottle terrarium. In my experience, bottle terrariums are adorable and require little maintenance. They are also fairly simple to assemble. Here’s how to do it:
Supplies Needed
In order to make a bottle terrarium, you will need a clear glass bottle with either a cork or screw top. The bottle may be as small or as large as you like. Just make sure that the bottle’s opening is large enough to work with. Tools that may be used to insert plants into small necked bottles include flexible air tubing, funnels, tweezers, florist’s wire, and bamboo tongs. I’d also suggest attaching a small thread spool to a wooden skewer. It makes an excellent tamper.
In addition to the glass bottle, you will need pea gravel, soilless potting mixture, crushed charcoal, and some miniature plants. I have found that the best miniature plants to use in a bottle terrarium are ones that flourish in moist conditions. Plants that I would suggest using in a bottle terrarium are dwarf aluminum, earth star, button ferns, creeping pilea, and African violets.
Prepare the Bottle
Once you have all your supplies, sterilize and dry the glass bottle. Doing so will help to reduce the chances that mold will form in your bottle terrarium. Next, insert a 1 inch, even layer of pea gravel into the bottle. It will serve as the bottle terrarium’s drainage system.
Continue by mixing crushed charcoal into some soilless potting mixture. The amount of soilless potting mixture and charcoal needed will vary based on the size of your bottle. I would recommend using a mixture that is 5 percent charcoal and 95 percent soilless potting mixture. Personally, I also like to use enough mixture to create a depth of 4 inches in my bottles. I have found that it tends to be enough to accommodate most miniature plants’ needs. Afterward, insert the mixture into your bottle terrarium.
Add the Plants
Proceed by mildly flooding the mixture with water. After the water seeps down into the pea gravel, bust out your miniature tamper and lightly compact the soil. Then create planting holes in the mixture and start adding your plants. I have found that the best way to add the plants is to start at the bottle’s outer edge and work my way towards the center. It greatly reduces the chances that I’ll accidentally knock a pre-existing plant over as I work to fill the bottle. Once you are finished adding the plants, seal the bottle and place it in a well-lit area that does not receive direct sunlight. The plants should start to grow in no time.
Source: Personal Experience
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