Things You'll Need:
- Sterile potting mix
- Coarse sand
- Cacti
- Succulents
- Rocks
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Step 1
Fill the bottom of the desert terrarium with potting mix. Combine one part sterile potting mix with one part coarse sand or perlite. Sterile potting mix can be purchased at greenhouses and many garden centers. The potting mix must be 3 inches deep for a 1 gallon terrarium or deeper in larger terrariums.
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Step 2
Plant a few cacti. Cacti are the quintessential symbol of the desert and are essential to a desert landscape. All cacti have the same basic requirements, so choose your favorite varieties. However, at least one blooming variety is a good way to add color and interest to your terrarium.
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Step 3
Add a few succulents. Succulents generally require a little more moisture than cacti, but most will do fine in a desert terrarium due to the lack of drainage and high humidity. In fact, cacti actually have to make the bigger adjustment; succulents fit the desert motif perfectly and add variety.
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Step 4
Create a sand floor. Once all of your plants are planted, spread a layer of sand over the top of the potting mix to give the landscape a desert look. The sand also reflects light back up to the plants.
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Step 5
Place a few rocks around the landscapes. Rocks provide the baron look necessary in a desert landscape. Choose rocks with hard edges, because in the desert there usually is little water to make rocks smooth.
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Step 6
Leave the lid off. Unlike other terrariums, it's crucial to leave the lid off of a desert terrarium because the lid will trap in too much moisture and humidity for cacti and succulents.
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Step 7
Put the desert terrarium in direct sunlight. Normally, terrariums must not be placed in direct sunlight because this causes too much heat to be trapped in. However, cacti and succulents tolerate more heat, though you should leave the lid off the desert terrarium, allowing heat to escape.
