This garden sits right on top

If your flimsy excuses have been putting you off gardening, Surabhi Johri introduces you to the wonderful world of terrariums, your very own table-top plants at home.

Gardens and greenery can be a wonderful addition to your home or office. Green offers a
welcome relief to the eyes focussed on mundane work all day. If lack of space and daily maintenance is keeping you from having green pockets around you, then terrariums are the answer.

Whether you are afraid of not being able to maintain them or have space constraints, terrarium is a great choice. It will neither ask for daily watering nor take up your premium real estate.

When done right, it just needs a window sill or tabletop to sit on, some everyday light and a few minutes of your attention every week to ensure all is well. This certainly is as easy as it gets.

A terrarium is basically a contained environment suitable to grow plants of similar requirement. It is a transparent container filled partially with a growing medium, an appropriate filter layer and living plants that continue to grow and flourish in a balanced environment.

It works on the science of a balanced ecosystem. In nature, a water cycle supports the forest; water from rainfall goes to plant roots, is used by the plant and finally released back from leaves to the atmosphere.

This enclosed environment works similarly, except that the first round of moisture is provided by you and henceforth topped few times a month depending on the plants chosen. Terrariums can be closed lid or open-mouthed.

Open terrariums are easier for beginners and a must for succulents and cacti-like plants. Closed terrariums build up lot of moisture, which works great with mosses and ferns, but requires closer attention.

Inside the terrarium, there is relatively greater humidity. Therefore, humidity-loving tropical plants like ferns, mini palms, mosses, polka dots, fittonia and anthurium are the best.

Choosing plants

If you choose plants that are fond of arid conditions, then go for a soil mix with greater sand content. Of course, this type will need lesser moisture topping up. The rate of growth should also be taken into consideration. Fast growing plants will demand more work and may outgrow the container sooner.

To begin with, pick a moderate or large-sized transparent container, filter growing medium and a selection of plants. The transparent container, usually made of glass, can be of any shape, like a jar, bottle, vase and the like.

One thing to ensure is easy access inside the container for both, establishing and maintaining. Too narrow a mouth will be challenging to work in, whereas a container with a broad mouth will not retain the humidity.

The necessary component of all terrariums is a base layer of gravel followed by charcoal chunks.

The gravel layer is like a basin that holds excess water that, if directly in contact with soil will cause root rot. Charcoal works in two ways, besides being a filter layer, it
absorbs the odour in the contained environment.

The medium in which the plants grow can be your potting mix or a soilless medium made of compost and cocopeat. Since it’s a contained environment, it’s better to go for a clean mix with good amount of organic content. Organic matter ensures slow release of nutrients and moisture.

Purchase plants that are small, healthy, robust and free of disease or infections. Visualise plant placement and then begin with the largest one. Shake off the existing soil in the root zone. Trim the root hairs if needed and then gently fix it in the medium.

Arrange remaining plants and finally, top off with some more soil mix. Shake off spilled soil from the leaves and water slowly while spreading all around the soil surface. Use small quantities of water. The medium should become evenly moist, not dripping. Cover it with sphagnum moss /pebbles or leave bare. Let it sit in indirect bright light. Direct light through glass for too long a period will surely burn the leaves.

During the beginning, keep an eye out for drying or overwatering. Do not water daily. Drying can be easily spotted and rectified, but overwatering can have deadly consequences. Limp leaves and lighter colour of the medium indicate dryness.

Verify this by touching the soil mix at the middle depth. Overwatered surely feels soggy to touch and lower part of plants begin to rot. Besides, there will be excess water sitting in the gravel base.

Once a new leaf unfurls, you know the plant likes the setup as it has resumed its normal growth. From here on, sit back and enjoy. Once a week, check the moisture requirement and ensure the glass walls are clear.

To clean dust or condensation, use a sponge or soft lint-free cloth tied on a stick. Always begin with infection-free plants, but stay vigilant nonetheless. Check under the leaves, a bug or few can be easily cleaned with cotton swabs dipped in a hand sanitizer. But if the infection is more, then getting rid of the infected plant is advisable.

Just like an aquarium or a water garden, the ecosystem of a terrarium also stabilises better with increased volume. Stabilised ecosystem means flourishing environment for the plants.

You can also create sceneries, use adornments, animal and bird figures in your mini forest to enjoy your lush table-top garden.