How To Make A Self Sustaining Ecosystem With Animals
Make an easy terrarium from scratch that will sustain itself! Very little upkeep is required once you’re finished. Easiest houseplants to maintain!
He looks almost like a beagle now (he’s a Brittney). Anywho, he decided to hang out with me while I made my terrarium. He’s so dopey without hair!
So this has been a project in and of itself, and I’ll provide detail in a future post on all the things we did to customize this shed, each a project in itself. We ordered this shed from the Amish in Lancaster County, PA back in 2014. We took a long drive out, design sketches in hand, and they were so willing to accommodate our very specific design! Basically, we wanted one side to house all the yard equipment and general storage, while the other side would be dedicated for me as a potting shed.
Self Sustaining Ecosystem Archives
After six long years, we have FINALLY completed my side of the shed. It is so comfy out there to read, paint, write, or use it as an actual potting shed!
So, building a terrarium… it really is one of the easiest gardening projects you can take on, and the plus, if you buy the right terrarium, your little ecosystem will be self-sufficient, requiring very few to no waterings. I had one terrarium that went 6 or 7 years without me needing to water it! It ended up getting so overgrown that I decided to redo it… which will be a future blog on how to restart a terrarium!
For this terrarium, I chose one that has been sitting in my basement for years because it was going to take a bit more effort than a straightforward terrarium. Why? Because it needed to be stained and shellacked.
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So the first step was determining what color to stain it. My husband said I should go dark, but first I test stained it where it wouldn’t be seen once the terrarium was built.
Honestly, I wasn’t a HUGE fan of any of them. The one on the right was a bit too reddish orange. I made a toolbox in this color a couple of years ago, and I had to figure out a way to tone down the intensity. The one in the middle could be nice, but I worried it was still too light. So, although it was a bit darker than I wanted, I went with the dark walnut on the left.
Next, it needed to be shellacked to protect the ball from the moisture that would circulate through the ecosystem. Again, this dried very quickly in the summer sun.
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While the base and ball were drying, I built the terrarium. Okay, so the key to a healthy and successful terrarium is charcoal. Not the charcoal you get for the grill, but charcoal meant for terrariums.
The charcoal purifies the water as it cycles. So, the water evaporates, creates droplets of water on the upper glass, which falls back down onto the plants, drains through the soil, is filtered through the charcoal, evaporates, and starts the cycle again.
…and took a BIG whiff. It smelt like the clean earth of a forest floor. No moldy smell, no pungency, just good, clean air.
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Now that I’ve drilled that home, the next step is the layers of a terrarium. I place medium to large stones, glass pebbles, or large marbles on the bottom of the terrarium.
You can use any color choices you want! I’ve gone from bright and funky, to subtle and sophisticated. It’s all on how you want it to look! For my base layer, I chose medium sized black, glass pebbles. On top of this, you sprinkle the charcoal. You want it to fully cover the stones, but you don’t need it an inch thick. Just a full covering of the base stones.
I chose this blend of soft purples and pinks to contrast the black of the glass pebbles. I found this mix so pretty. It has so many colors, but it’s still subtle (unlike the neon green I’ve used in the past!). The next couple of layers, you have some flexibility to play. You can put textural reindeer moss, which comes in a ton of different colors. You can use this to add a pop of color. Sometimes I put it at this level, but, as you will soon see, I chose to put some reindeer moss at the top.
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Not a required layer, but I have always put a layer of sand next. Again, think of the layers we’re laying down as the whole filtering system of your ecosystem. I chose black sand, so the purple glass pebbles weren’t detracted by something else.
On top of this goes the soil. I like to add “things” to my terrariums. Sometimes I add a rock that I gathered from one of our vacations. I’ve collected rocks from Maine, from Ireland, from each coast of England when we walked the coast to coast. Let me be clear, though, I have never taken a rock from a protected or endangered area! Othertimes, I’ve added weird metal items we’ve found on the local beach. Our favorite beach area has a bay side and an ocean side ~~ some really neat things wash up on the bay side! Sometimes we have no idea what it is, but it’s just neat looking. So, I use it.
This is all about your creativity, even if you don’t think you’re creative! For this piece, as I said, I decided to put some reindeer moss on top to add a pop of color and to complement the purple pebbles I used.
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This terrarium is pretty small once all the layers are added, so it’s not going to fit a lot of plants. Because I have years of experience with terrariums, I know not to add a punch of plants that will smother each other and become an indistinguishable jungle. Therefore, I decided to choose one plant to highlight and fill the rest with moss.
The colors compliment the purple and pink pebbles! I gave the roots a really good spray of water before planting it. From there, I carefully planted my moss around it. Firming it down and around the hypoestes.
Now that everything is planted, using a spray bottle, generously spray inside the terrarium. Once the base and ball are dry, place the terrarium on the base and the ball on top. And voila! You have yourself a terrarium!
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Join me soon for when I build a screen door for my shed! After bringing the terrarium inside, I returned to the shed to find some large black stinging bug flying in the middle of my shed 🦟. I DO NOT DO LARGE STINGING BUGS, so I hightailed it . Don‘t judge! But, now I need a screen door to keep all the creepy, mean, stinging bugs from harassing me while I work!One of the biggest things that has kept me occupied during this crazy pandemic has been gardening. Working outside with your hands while listening to music or a podcast creates relaxing, refreshing experiences — especially when they’re hard to come by. And it’s always exhilarating to see sprouts peeking out of the dirt for the first time!
The other day I remembered the moment I felt in love with watching plants grow, and now I want to share that experience with you. In elementary school, my teacher had the class make their own ecosystems in a bottle — we were amazed! We each made a sealed, self-sustaining moss terrarium and I kept mine for several years, watching the moss slowly overtake the bottle.
Rocks are important for drainage; they allow excess water to pool at the bottom of the jar. Rocks also provide something for the moss to grow onto. Moss is incredibly hardy and can grow on just about anything, as anyone with a brick patio can confirm.
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As explained in Step one, moss doesn’t need much to grow, so the soil is not vital to the survival of the moss. But add some if you like — I did!
To make sure there will be enough water for the ecosystem to survive, dip each piece of moss in water and then lightly squeeze excess water out before placing into the jar. Do your best to have the moss sections form a flat layer over your base.
I found a couple nice-looking rocks to add to my mini ecosystem as decoration and to give another surface for the moss to eventually grow onto.
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I happened to have the lid for my jar handy, so I used it to make an air-tight seal. If you don’t have a lid, then covering the opening of your jar with plastic wrap and using a rubber band to hold it down works just as well!
Place your mini ecosystem in a sunny spot and watch as your moss grows over time! You will also see the ecosystem’s water cycle in real time as the sun evaporates extra water and then condenses on the sides of the jar — only to drip back down to keep the moss hydrated.First of all
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