Nurture your terrarium in Singapore – a guide for base (soil) of terrarium

Do you feel like your room needs some colors? Then you might consider you will need a terrarium in Singapore to fill that space. If you have made up your mind to build a terrarium then creating a mesmerizing display for your terrarium would be necessary as you are using it to prettify your room. They don’t need maintenance as most of the outside gardens, but that also depends on the soil you have chosen.

of course, you can buy any type of soil you have your eyes on and save yourself from hard work but the wrong kind of soil will get you in trouble.

Which soil to choose for your terrarium

Certain types of soil that are enclosed in a container do not offer the required air to the plants which may affect the plant’s life. Therefore, it is important to choose the right soil when making a terrarium in Singapore.

The ideal components for your terrarium in Singapore are these:

•  Drainage
•  Activated charcoal
•  Moss
• Potting Soil

Drainage

Starting from the drainage which is the most important feature of the soil. Excessive water present in the soil can suffocate the plant.

Think of this as if a person is kept in an airtight room and the water is kept poured in an excessive amount, at one point the room will be filled with more water and less oxygen and it will suffocate that person.

Similarly, if a terrarium has a poor drainage system it will result in the suffocation of the plant and destroy its root. Yes, plants breathe through their roots.

Even though some people prefer crushed pots, marbles or granite because they are proven to be more effective than any other material. But, it is purely your choice to choose in between them.

The first layer should always be a layer of any of the materials mentioned above to ensure smooth drainage of excessive water. And always remember that your gravel is nicely cleaned before embedding, otherwise, it can damage your plant roots if they contain any kind of bacteria.

Activated charcoal

The main purpose of the charcoal is to purify water. Few people choose to put in activated charcoal and few does not, it purely depends upon you.

Carbon present in the activated charcoal can absorb all the harmful chemicals and thus purify the water. So, it is placed after the drainage material.

Bog moss

The main purpose of bog moss is to separate soil from activated charcoal. The layer of bog moss is laid after activated charcoal to save the soil from mixing into activated charcoal and gravels.

Always place bog moss in such an order that it covers all the area of charcoal and there is no charcoal seen from above. This activity can help prevent mold.

Potting soil

Now comes the final layer of potting soil which can be any ordinary soil that is used for plants. Make sure that layers other than potting soil do not cover a third fourth of the volume of the container.

You can also prepare your own soil by mixing sterilized soil with peat moss and vermiculite, but make sure to mix them with equal distribution.