Practical Exercise No. 2.

7
Preparation of Terrarium
A terrarium is a glass bowl of 2530 cm diameter having an air tight lid. Plants are
grown in this bowl and bowl is then termed as terrarium. If instead of a bowl as
mentioned above a glass jar or a bottle is used then it is termed as jar or bottle
gardening. However the rincile remains the same. !hus these are miniature
greenhouses in which small landscaes are lanned.
Principle"
In a terrarium when lants are laced it becomes an enclosed environment as the
lids are alwa#s closed. Plants reare their foods through hotos#nthesis in
resence of water and carbon dio$ide and give out o$#gen. !his o$#gen is used in
resiration during which carbon dio$ide and water in the form of vaour is
released out. Although resiration ta%es lace at night& the carbon dio$ide released
from resiration is used u in hotos#nthesis at da# time. 'aours then again form
water b# condensation and this water is absorbed in b# the soil again and thus
rec#cling of carbon dio$ide& o$#gen and water ta%es lace in the bottle.
Requirements-
- Containers(" )lass bowl with an air tight lid or glass bottles of various shaes and
si*es ma# be used .
" Instruments(" If bottles are narrow mouthed then a few self made instruments are
needed but in wide mouthed bottles wor%ing is eas# with hands onl#. +oon
attached to a stic%& emt# cotton reel& wire ,thic%-& songe or cotton or funnel& stiff
aer gravel & forces& rubber tube sra# ,for watering-& umbrella stic%& small cor%
,of a bottle-& .lade& 500 ml lastic wash bottle& 5cm aluminium angle& wire to
reare instruments b# hands.
- Plants(" /rotons& Pilea& 0racaena& 1erns& Peromea& .egonia& Phetonia& 2realis&
/hloroh#tum ,sider lant-& +elaginella& etc. 1or big bottles 3aranta &
Aglonema & 0ieffenbae%ia& Aralia& etc. can be used4 but as the# grow ver# fast the#
re5uire regular runing.Plants should be semishade loving and avoid flowering
lants because the# need direct sunlight for flowering.
" Soil:- )arden soil& cowdung manure& leaf mould manure& sand& eat moss&
charcoal bric% owder& etc. 6ogen and .avistin ma# be used to sterili*e the soil to
be used to avoid infection b# insect est or fungus.

Procedure:-
.efore using an# container it should be thoroughl# washed and then rinsed with
fungicide and esticide containing dilute solutions . !hese should then be dried in
sunlight before use. Plants to be used should also be died and rinsed in the same
wa# as above just before lanting.A comost is made of e5ual arts of good garden
loam& leaf mould or cowdung manure& Peat moss and sand. !his comost should
be sterili*ed to revent fungal growth. 1irst a 2.5 cm la#er of a mi$ture of crushed
charcoal ,which hels to %ee the soil sweet- and gravel in e5ual roortions is
laced for drainage. Add this la#er with the hel of the funnel made u of stiff
aer.7ow the comost soil mi$ture made earlier is made slightl# moist and oured
inside with hel of a long tube funnel. +i*e of this la#er deends on the height of the
container and the t#e of lants used. After soil is oured in& it is moulded into
desired landscae with the hel of the for%. A sloing comost offers increased
disla#. A 25 litre bowl needs 5"8 cm drainage material and 90"92 cm of comost
soil la#er .:ith hel of soon attached to the stic%& its are reared at desired
ositions. 7ow with hel of long handled tong forces the lants are laced into
them.
.efore lanting& the lants are sra#ed or immersed in fungicide and esticide
solution .
Planting is referabl# done from outer eriher# and big lants are laced on
bac%side and small lants on front side. A soil is firml# ressed using bottle cor%
attached to steel rod. !hen ut little water with the hel of sra#er or oil bottle to
remove ever# bit of soil stic%ing to the side of the container .Avoid e$cess watering
and wie the dust on the container with hel of the songe. !he bottle is then
covered with a lid.
fter care ("
!he container should alwa#s remain covered& once lanting is done. However in the
interval of 2 months& bottle must be %et oen for 2"3 hours& for sul#ing fresh air.
:hile oening& bottle must be covered with cloth to revent infection. :atering
should be done onl# after wilting of the lants. 0uring watering add fungicide and
esticide and li5uid manure to water. ;ight is necessar# for bottle garden but direct
sunlight is harmful. +o %ee the bottle where more sunlight is available. 0ead leaf or
overgrowth from a lant can be removed with the hel of the stic% to which a bro%en
ra*or blade is attached. A stic% with some cotton at one end soa%ed in alcohol is
inserted in the bottle to brush against insects if an# .