How to Make Cactus Terrariums

Cacti do well in terrariums.

A terrarium is a self-contained ecosystem of plants and dirt that can be a decorative addition to any home. Cacti are a popular choice for terrariums because they require less water than other plants and can be kept in simple sand terrariums. Cactus terrariums are easy to build.

Things You'll Need

• Container
• Gravel
• Soil
• Sand
• Cacti

Instructions

1. Select a container for your cactus terrarium. Your terrarium container can be nearly any type of open container, such as a fishbowl, aquarium, jar or shoebox container. Air flow is the most important thing a container for a cactus terrarium needs, so the container must have a wide opening at the top, even if it is a jar or fishbowl.

2. Fill the bottom of the container with two to three inches of gravel. This gravel will allow for drainage and can be any color or shape, even colorful aquarium gravel.

3. Mix some soil and sand together to create a one-part sand to two-part soil mixture. Add a layer of this soil mixture on top of the gravel. Use about the same thickness as the gravel. This soil layer will also assist with drainage in the cactus terrarium.

4. Add a layer of sand on top of the soil layer. This sand layer will form the decorative layer at the top of the terrarium.

5. Select plants for your cactus terrarium and plant them in the sand layer. Try a diverse group of cacti for balance. Mix short, wide, tall and skinny cacti together with other succulent plants. Air plants, which do not need a substrate of any kind, can also be added to the terrarium and planted like normal cacti. In time, your cacti will root through to the soil layer.

References

• Cacti Guide: How to Not Build a Cactus Terrarium
• CBC News: A Garden in a Globe

Resources

• Storm the Castle: How to Make a Terrarium