Your Guide to Planting Terrarium Kits: Easy Indoor Gardens

Terrarium kits are a fantastic way to bring a touch of nature into your home. Whether you have a green thumb or are a beginner looking to explore gardening, planting terrarium kits can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of planting a terrarium kit and provide tips on how to care for it to ensure its success in the first year.

Choosing a Terrarium Kit

When it comes to choosing a terrarium kit, there are a few factors to consider. Look for kits that provide a variety of plants, rocks, and other decorative elements. One recommended source is Tennessee Nursery, which offers a Terrarium Garden Kit with fresh turkey tails, rocks, lichens, mosses, and plants collected from the mountains and hills of middle Tennessee.

When selecting the size of your terrarium kit, consider the available space in your home and the type of plants you want to grow. Smaller plant terrariums are ideal for succulents and cacti ( TIP: cacti are known for their ability to store water in their leaves, making them perfect for succulent terrariums). Larger terrariums can accommodate a variety of tropical plants.

Additionally, consider the design of the container. Terrariums are typically made of glass or clear plastic to allow light in and create a visually appealing display. Some kits may come with containers, while others may provide plants and materials to create your own terrarium.

Setting Up Your Terrarium Kit

Once you have your terrarium kit, follow these steps to set it up:

1. Select the Right Container

Choose a glass container with a lid to create a mini greenhouse effect. This will help create the ideal microclimate for the plants. The container should be clean and free from any residues that could harm the plants.

2. Prepare the Base Layer

Add a layer of small rocks or pebbles to the bottom of the container. This layer serves as drainage and prevents water from pooling around the roots. The rocks or pebbles should cover about one to two inches of the container's base.

3. Add Activated Charcoal

Place a thin layer of activated charcoal on top of the rocks. This helps to keep the terrarium free from odors and prevents mold and bacteria growth. Activated charcoal can be found at gardening or pet stores.

4. Add Soil

Add a layer of potting soil suitable for tropical plants. Ensure it is moist but not waterlogged. The depth of the soil layer will depend on the size of the container and the types of plants you plan to include. Aim to have a soil layer of about two to three inches.

5. Arrange Your Plants

Now it's time to arrange the plants. Place taller plants towards the back and shorter ones towards the front. Consider mixing different textures, colors, and heights for an aesthetically pleasing display. Ensure there is enough space between the plants to allow for growth and prevent overcrowding.

Before placing the plants in the terrarium, gently remove them from their nursery pots and loosen the roots. This helps the plants adapt to the new environment and encourages healthy growth. Arrange the plants, and gently press the soil around the roots to secure them in place.

6. Add Decorative Elements

Enhance the beauty of your terrarium by adding decorative elements such as small figurines, stones, or driftwood. Get creative and make it your own! These decorative elements can add visual interest and provide a natural-looking habitat for the plants. Place them strategically around the terrarium, creating focal points and a sense of harmony.

Terrarium Care Tips

To keep your terrarium thriving in its first year, follow these care tips.

Lighting

Terrariums thrive in bright, indirect light. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight as it can cause excessive heat and damage the plants. Place them near a window where they can receive ample light without direct exposure. If natural light is limited, supplemental artificial light can be used to provide the necessary intensity.

Monitor the light conditions regularly and adjust the terrarium's position accordingly to ensure the plants receive the optimal amount of light. Different plants have varying light requirements, so research the specific needs of the plants in your terrarium to ensure they receive the right amount of light.

Watering

Watering requirements vary depending on the type of plants in your terrarium. Generally, a light spritzing once every 1-2 weeks should be sufficient. Be careful not to overwater as it can lead to root rot. Monitor the moisture level by checking the soil. If it feels dry, it's time to water.

When watering, use a spray bottle or misting wand to lightly moisten the soil surface. Avoid soaking the soil or allowing water to accumulate at the bottom of the container. Over time, you will develop a watering routine based on the individual needs of your terrarium.

Ventilation

While terrariums are designed to create a self-contained ecosystem, they still require some airflow. Open the lid occasionally to allow fresh air to circulate and prevent the buildup of excess moisture. This will help maintain a healthy balance inside the terrarium and prevent the growth of mold or fungi.

Regularly check the terrarium for any signs of condensation on the glass. Excessive condensation may indicate inadequate ventilation and the need to open the lid for a longer period.

Pruning and Maintenance

Regularly inspect your terrarium for any dead or yellowing leaves. Trim them off to maintain the overall health and appearance of the plants. If any plant outgrows the terrarium, consider replanting or pruning it to prevent overcrowding. Additionally, remove any fallen leaves or debris from the terrarium to prevent decay and maintain a clean and attractive appearance.

Monitor temperature and humidity

Terrariums thrive in temperatures between 65-75°F (18-24°C) with moderate humidity levels. Avoid exposing them to extreme temperatures or drafts. Drastic temperature changes can stress the plants and lead to damage or even death.

Monitor the terrarium's environment regularly and make adjustments if necessary. If the temperature becomes too high, consider moving the terrarium to a cooler location or providing shade during peak sunlight hours. In contrast, if the terrarium becomes too cold, consider adding a heat mat or moving it to a warmer area of your home.

Maintaining the right humidity level is also crucial for terrariums. Tropical plants typically prefer a moderate to high-humidity environment, which can be achieved by lightly misting the plants or placing a humidity tray filled with water near the terrarium. Regularly monitor the humidity level and adjust as needed to ensure the health and proper growth of the plants.

Planting Terrarium Kits With TN Nursery

If you are looking to bring a touch of nature into your home, a terrarium plant kit can be an excellent choice. We offer a Terrarium Garden Kit that includes everything you need to create your indoor oasis. This kit provides fresh turkey tails, rocks, lichens, mosses, and plants collected from the mountains and hills of middle Tennessee.

With our Terrarium Garden Kit, you can create a visually stunning indoor garden that brings joy and tranquility to your home. The kit provides all the necessary materials, including a glass container, potting soil, activated charcoal, and decorative elements.

Choose our Terrarium Garden Kit and create your indoor oasis today!

Fern Moss - TN Nursery

Fern Moss

Fern Moss displays feathery, fern-like fronds and is often found in damp and shady environments. It resembles miniature forest ferns, looking like an assortment of tiny ferns. This delightful and beneficial plant for landscaping projects belongs to the Bryophyte family and thrives in wet and shady environments, making it a perfect choice for various landscaping applications. It is known for its delicate appearance. These plants are widely distributed throughout North America and often add color and beauty to shady, humid gardens. Natural Habitat Of Fern Moss (Thuidium delicatulum) It forms lush, branching carpets on decomposing logs, rocks, and patches of damp soil. They can flourish in various moist, shady environments all year round. They are commonly found along mountain streams and river banks, on hillsides and ravines, underneath trees, and on forest floors. It has feathery triangular fronds arranged in a triple-pinnate structure, with central stems that grow up to 3½" long. The fronds consist of tiny, bumpy leaves that give the fern moss a slightly rough appearance and branch out to create a layered mat with a soft, plush texture. The fronds intertwine to create a colony with a three-dimensional profile. The leaves tend to open in humid air but contract against their parent stem or branch in dry air. It can display a spectrum of colors, changing from golden brown to dull yellow-green to bright, then deep green shade and moisture increase. To propagate themselves, they create sporophytes that mature and release spores that can grow into new plants. As they establish themselves, they grow fibrous rhizoids that attach to their new substrates. These thin, root-like rhizoids anchor the plants and pull nutrients and moisture into the fronds. Fern Moss Adds Graceful Charm It can create a tranquil aesthetic and lend a graceful charm to cultivated areas in your landscape. Gardeners often use it as a ground cover in tree-filled areas. This plant can add color and texture to rock gardens and shady regions while providing winter greenery patches. It is a beautiful choice if you're looking to create a microhabitat for small animals in your garden. Songbirds like swallows, vireos, juncos, robins, and warblers use the fronds in their nests to protect their hatchlings and conceal them from predators. Forest Up Your Garden with Fern Moss Adding Fern Moss to your garden is a lovely way to bring the freshness of the forest into your landscape and enhance your time outdoors. Moss Absorbs Pollutants Moss is known for its ability to absorb pollutants, acting as a natural bioindicator of air quality. It can capture and retain particulate matter, heavy metals, and other airborne pollutants from the environment. This is due to its unique physiology, which allows it to take in water and nutrients directly from the air rather than through a root system like most plants. Moss can be particularly effective in urban areas where it helps to reduce pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and heavy metals, thereby improving air quality.

Best Sellers

Terrarium Plants - TN Nursery

Terrarium Plant Kit

Our Terrarium Plant Kit has a large assortment of fresh turkey tails, rocks, lichens, mosses, and plants you can not buy elsewhere online, and we guarantee it. These hills and mountains are a rich land full of exotic things you can not go out and buy, like lichens, mosses, fossils, odd rocks, and things that Bailey knows would make an excellent addition to any terrarium. She collects each kit, especially for the order placed with items that will do well even in ecospheres. These are terrarium plants only, the kit does not come with the container Jars. Often, it contains lichens, fresh live moss, turkey tail, rocks, Mitchella repens, and running cedar. The items are wild-collected by Bailey, and she takes great pride in her horticultural skills, containing only the highest-quality plants for the kit. Our kit is the price of one item in stores, and we guarantee you won't like it; you will love it! What's impressive is that Bailey chooses each kit by hand. Bailey studied plant science in school and knows what's hot and what's not! We've never had one complaint about our terrarium plant packages other than someone unable to order ten at a time. Container Not Included Plants Only Please do not order over five kits because she works in the warehouse and spends her evenings and weekends collecting rare treasures for these kits. We always have limited quantities of these plants. It is plants only, no container. In today's fast-paced and urbanized world, finding tranquility and peaceful relaxation with nature can be challenging. However, TN Nursery's terrarium garden kit offers a unique opportunity to create a serene oasis right at home, thanks to the assortment of freshly dug plants from the hills of Tennessee. Investing in terraria can bring ty of the outdoor world into your home. Each is designed to be a miniature world you can prune, hone, and shape into whatever you want. After filling the container with the soil, rocks, and moss included in your set, you can add the greenery and ornamental items you love. Over time, you can gradually change your selections to create a more unique space. Create Your Ecosystem With Terrarium Plant Kit This type of set is designed to be its ecosystem. The glass has a sealed cover, so water and air remain inside the container. When you buy it, you can create it so it is completely sealed or open to the elements. Popular Terrarium Plant Kit Options Many different items can be placed in it. Often, people like to include moss, ferns, baby tears, bark, rocks, pinecones, ground pine, and turkey berries. In addition to adding unique greenery, you can customize your glass container by picking specific stones, statues, and decorative items to place inside. For example, many people like to put amethyst, turquoise, and other stones into their own. Place Your Terrarium Plant Kit Container Indoors and Outdoors When most people think of Terrarium Plant Kit, they think of a large glass jar on their coffee table. While these containers are typically placed inside your house, you don’t have to limit yourself to an interior location. If you put the container outside, you can leave it open to the elements so it doesn’t overheat during the day. Your Terrarium Plant Kit can be unique. While specific decorative items, rocks, soil, and greenery are included in each set, you are not required to use the items your set comes with. Instead, you can get creative. Many people customize them by using items they find on their daily walks. If you are hiking in the woods, you can pick up unique types of moss or precious stones. Once you find a particular item you want to include, you can always rearrange your container to place it inside. Terrarium Kits can Be A Fun Family Activity

maidenhair fern - TN Nursery

Maidenhair Fern

The Maidenhair Fern is a delicate, deciduous plant with finely divided, fan-shaped fronds and distinctive black stems, adding an elegant touch to shaded gardens and moist woodlands. It is an aesthetically pleasing plant that offers a range of benefits when used in landscaping. Its unique characteristics and visual appeal make it famous for outdoor and indoor spaces.  The Maidenhair is prized for its delicate leaves and long lifespan. The scientific name is Adiantum SPP, and it's part of 250 species of these plants, including the Northern, Delta, and Southern Maidenhair ferns. The Greek part of the plant's official name means unwetted, and it gets that name from its ability to shed water without getting damp. These plants are native to the Himalayas, East Asia, and the eastern part of North America. Maidenhair Fern's (Adiantum) Leaves  Adiantum spp are prized for their fan-shaped leaves. They are known to make excellent houseplants and usually grow between one and two feet tall and the same width. Their stems are wiry black, while the leaves are bright green. Gardeners can expect them to reach their full height in three years, and with proper care, they can live up to 15 years. Maidenhair Fern Grows Well In Pots  Adiantum SPP grows well in pots, containers, and terrariums and can be replanted as it outgrows its container. It also makes great container plants and can be planted in shade gardens and hosta gardens. The Adiantum SPP is known for its air purification qualities. The leaves draw in airborne toxins and are used as nutrients, helping them clean the air wherever they are planted. They also release moisture, which can help combat dry indoor air. When the Adiantum SPP is grown outdoors, it can help stabilize loose soil and cover wildlife, including frogs, lizards, and birds. Birds will sometimes use the dried frons to line their nests. Companion Plants For Maidenhair Fern  The Adiantum SPP can be grown with other flowers and ferns, including the strawberry begonia, coral bells, ginger, woodland geraniums, bloodroot, hostas, hellebores, and pulmonarias. Gardeners can enjoy the calmness of Maidenhair Ferns indoors and outdoors. They make excellent potted plants and look wonderful around water features and along hillsides. They can also be combined with other ferns and flowers to create eye-catching garden beds. Maidenhair Ferns Are An Excellent Choice For Potted Ferns

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