Terrariums

The path

1. 1
   Level 1Free

   Jar Gardens

   Two sealed jars, one with a scene

   15 Steps, about 24 minutes each. Anyone with a windowsill and a jar. No gardening experience needed.

   1. Chapter 1: First jars. A quick moss jar, your materials and plants chosen, and your first closed terrarium built and sealed.
   2. Chapter 2: Settling in. Your terrarium read, balanced and tidied through its first weeks, with any mold dealt with.
   3. Chapter 3: Design a scene. A second terrarium with rocks and wood designed as a little landscape, settled and finished.

   1. 1
      Make a moss jar

      A small jar of moss and stones, sealed and on your shelf.

      A closed terrarium is a sealed jar garden that waters itself. Water evaporates from the soil and plants, condenses on the glass, and drips back down. With the right balance, a sealed jar can thrive for months with almost no care.

      A moss jar is the simplest terrarium. Moss loves humidity, grows slowly, and needs little light, so it's very forgiving.

      The detail beginners miss is the drainage layer. Without a layer of gravel or LECA (clay balls) at the bottom, extra water has nowhere to go and the soil turns soggy and sour.

      Here's an example. A small jar with a lid, washed in hot water and dried. A 2 cm layer of LECA. A 3 cm layer of substrate, patted flat. A cushion of moss pressed onto the substrate. Two small stones arranged on top. Misted three times. Lid on. Set on a shelf in bright, indirect light.

      Right is a small, sealed jar with moss pressed firmly on soil. Buy moss from a garden center or terrarium shop. If you collect it outdoors, take only small amounts, only where it's allowed, and never from parks or protected land. Wear gloves when handling dried sphagnum moss, which can carry a fungus that infects cuts.

      Terrarium Tribe
      Show your group
   2. 2
      Choose your jar and spot

      A jar for your first full terrarium and the right spot in your home picked.

      Kraft Stories
   3. 3
      Get your layers ready

      Drainage, barrier and substrate measured out and ready to build.

      Ome Design

   See all 15 Steps

   1. 4
      Pick your plants

      Two or three plants for a closed jar, plus moss.

      Leafy Place
   2. 5
      Build your first terrarium

      Your first closed terrarium, planted, misted and sealed.

      benjiplantTerrarium Tribe
      Show your group
   3. 6
      Read the condensation

      A check of how foggy the glass gets, and the moisture adjusted if needed.

      Leafy Zen
   4. 7
      Watch for mold

      Any mold or rotting leaves found and removed.

      Leafy Zen
   5. 8
      Trim and tidy

      Plants trimmed back from the glass, and the jar cleaned up.

      Leafy Zen
   6. 9
      Find the right light

      Your terrarium moved to the best light in your home, and a note of how it's growing.

      Leafy Zen
   7. 10
      Two-week check

      A healthy, balanced jar after two weeks, with a photo to compare.

      Kraft Stories
      Show your group
   8. 11
      Design a scene

      A sketch and a collection of rocks and wood for your second terrarium.
   9. 12
      Build the hardscape

      Layers in, with rocks and wood placed into a scene.

      Biome in a Bottle
   10. 13
       Plant the scene

       Plants and moss added around your hardscape, misted and sealed.

       Leafy Place
   11. 14
       Settle the scene

       Your second terrarium checked for moisture and mold after its first days.

       Leafy Zen
   12. 15
       Show off your jars

       Both terrariums photographed together, with one shared or given away.

       Gardenista
       Show your group
2. Level 2Unlocks after Level 1

   Bioactive Worlds

   A jar with a cleanup crew and slopes

3. Level 3Unlocks after Level 2

   Paludariums

   A tank with land and water

Where it ends: jar gardens that last for years

Free lessons in Jar Gardens come from Terrarium Tribe, Kraft Stories, Ome Design, Leafy Place, benjiplant, Leafy Zen, Biome in a Bottle, Gardenista. We link to their work and never copy it.