No time to care for house plants?Are flowers constantly fading? Do you forget to water them? Or maybe just laziness? Then pay attention to a closed ecosystem that does not require care. Interested in such gardening apartment? See how to make a perpetual terrarium from a conventional light bulb or cans.
A bit of history
It all began in the 1960s.David Latimer, who lives in the UK, came up with the idea of making a garden in a bottle. He took a forty-liter tare from under sulfuric acid and began his experiment. Of course, it did not work out right away. David put a bottle of ivy, I saw, chlorophytum, but they died.
А вот опыт с традесканцией увенчался успехом.The gardener poured the plant only two times: when planting and in the 70's. After that he tightly corked the bottle and never opened it again. And for almost 50 years Tradescantia has been safely living in its pristine ecosystem.
We choose plants for the terrarium
Before you make an eternal terrarium, you need to choose plants that will be able to live in it. Otherwise, everything can turn out, as in Latimer's experiment.
So, what are the requirements for the inhabitants of a closed ecosystem?
- It should be dwarf plants, if you decide to stay at a small capacity.
- Shadow-loving. Since the ecosystem will be grown in a glass container that absorbs light, the plants must easily tolerate its shortage.
- Moisture-loving. In closed terrariums, condensation forms on the walls from time to time. Hence the increased humidity. Therefore, plants should be suitable for such conditions.
Before making an eternal terrarium, choose green inhabitants that meet these requirements. These are succulents, ferns, cacti, mosses and aquarium plants.
Which capacity is suitable for an eternal terrarium?
It is better to give preference to glass containers,They are deep enough for the roots of the selected plants. There are special cases for closed ecosystems, but it is possible to do with improvised materials. For the terrarium suitable ordinary banks of different sizes, lampshades, flasks, aquariums, incandescent lamps and other vessels that can be hermetically sealed.
How to make an eternal terrarium in a bank
It is better to take the can with a screw cap. Thoroughly wash and wipe dry.
In the bank we fill in a centimeter-two drainage (expanded clay,pebbles, activated charcoal or something). Then about the same amount of soil. Slightly sprinkle with water. Using tweezers we lay plants and decorative elements. Ideally, one third of the bank should remain unfilled, you can more. The main thing is that the plants do not reach the brim.
Now you can screw the lid. For tightness, it is better to go through glue. Now you can decorate the lid and admire your ecosystem.
How to make an eternal terrarium of a light bulb
First we will prepare a light bulb.With the help of the pliers, carefully remove the central contact and fill with ceramic. We do not touch the plinth. Using a screwdriver, we destroy all the "insides" and remove them from the bulb. The base is ready.
Now you need to make a holder for the terrarium. For this purpose, a stone or thick wire is suitable. We glue the light bulb to the fixture and wait for it to dry.
Then the technology is the same as with the bank. Only when falling asleep and drainage is better to use a funnel or paper, twisted into a tube.
When all the plants are laid and a little watered, you can clog the light bulb. As a cover, a cork of wine, an acorn or a piece of wood will suit.
If you make an ecosystem as a gift or simply notarranges appearance, it's time to think how to make an eternal terrarium beautiful. Close the socle cap with lace, ribbon or jute, paint the glass with acrylic paints, add other decorative elements, and your craft will be transformed.
