Making a Terrarium

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Part of The Young Citizen: The Magazine for Young People

Title: Making a Terrarium
Year: 1940
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Fulltext: October, 1940 THE YOUNG CITIZEN' WORK AND PLAY SECTION MAKING A TERRARIUM WOULD YOU like to have a terrarium? It is built in an ai.r-tight co)ltainer, and Of course you would, if you saw one so depends upon the condensation of moisthat you could realize how attractive it ture for its development. Any· type of is. · container will do, just so it is of clear, But, you arc asking, what is a terra- uncolored glass and has .a glass cover. rium? Well, terrarium is the proper, Candy jars, fish aquariums, or. even ~ dignified word for glass garden-even a large glass dish will serve. miniature glass garden. You might call A terrarium must have a glass cover it a plant box, or anything else, but it is so that moisture will accumulate propera tiny garden just the same. And you ly. A.piece of window glass will do. A can ha. v e it shop·_. keeper ;~~~~~~~:: r~ - :71~5~~115 r:a:~ your ,<chool, the right or where ever (.' shape and size you want it. r for you. There is '.! In making hardly any your g lass expense in garden, you making one, must first visand certainly u a 1 i z e the no trouble. m i n i a tu r e It may be picture you of any size- ~· wa nt. Then from a tiny k duplicate it as gold-fish bowl best you can · to a · 1 a r g e ,. w i th yo u-r aquarium. It ' moss, plants, may be used Visualize the miniature picture you want; then-duplicate and .rorks. on a desk at it with mou, plants, and rocks. Make l t your home or on the library table, or as spotlessly clean inside. Then sprinkle a an attractive centerpiece on the dining thin layer of powdered charcoal on the room table. Or it may be on your teach- bottom to insure sweetness. Next put in er's desk at school, or in one of the school a few pebbles. Then comes the soil. room windows. If you care to do so, you may line the It is simply a miniature garden, or a sides of your terrarium with flat moss, beautiful tiny woodland glen, with such which can be gathered in the woods. Or things as mossy rocks, little ferns, and you may use a layer of dry sand between wee, briHiant flowers· growing in a glass the pebbles and charcoal and the top soil. container. (Please turn 1o· pa9e 393.) Octoher, 1940 MAKING A TERRARIUM (Continued from page 389) A leafy loam makes good soil. This you can find around almost any shrub. Dry out this soil by heating it in your oven for an hour at a temperature of about 250 degrees. This kills certain bacteria that might be present. Screen the soil next and sun it. An inch or two of soil will do for ·your purpose. With the earth placed, add the rocks, being sure to have them of a size in proportion to your garden scheme. Select thrifty pl an ts. They must be dainty. It is not always necessary. that they be rooted, for ~any plant slips thrive well under glass. But artistry and imagination must be used in the planting. Ferns are especially effective. Variegated Wandering Jew is good, and colorful coleus is attractive. Begonias are particularly suitable. Various species of both of these are found in all parts of the Philippines. Your garden should be planted so that it is attractive from ~ll sides, as you will want to turn it around to catch the light from time to time. Experiment with different types of plants, and, although it is more interesting to gather lovely things in the woods, any THE YOUNG CITIZEN garden will afford you many suitable subjects. After the gar den is planted, sprinkle it lightly with water. Remember that too much water is worse than not enough. These glass gardens literally take care of themselves, once they are properly planted. Moisture collecting on the sides of the container seeps into the soil, and it is seldom necessary to water more than once in six weeks or two months. At first your garden· may have a steamy effect. Remove the top cover for a little while and then replace it. After the plants have been under the glass for some time, a few of them may look moldy. This indicates too much moisture, and they should be aired again. If they seem to wither, a bit more dampness may be necessa~. If they mildew or sh!)W a very dejected droop, it is best to remove them. Once the garden is well established, however, it will thrive with tropical luxuriance, and almost without attention, for months at a time. A word of warning:Never leave your terrarium in strong sunlight. It needs air occasionally to keep it fresh, and once in a long time it 393 INVISIBLE OCEAN (Continued from page 384) inside. We can store compressed air in tanks, and use it for many purposes. In the airgun, the bullets are shot by compressed air instead ·of gun powder. In a suctionpump, the air is· compressed. It exhausts the air pressure in the pipe above the water, and the pressure of the air on the water outside the pipe forces it up inside. QUESTIONS I. What ·is the commonest but at the same time the most valuable thing in the world? 2. To what extent is air used in the world's activities? 3. What must all plants and animals have? requires the lightest kind of sprinkling, but not too much water, not too much air, and, not too much sunlight. The terrarium prefers to be let alone most of the tim~. And in .this it has the advantage over other gardens. It thrives best where it is reached by filtered light. If planted artistically, a terrarium will be an endless source o"f delight to everyone who sees it. And it will last for two or three years.