How To Make High Quality Terrarium Soil | UPDATE!
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- Опубліковано 16 жов 2024
- One of the main keys to terrarium health lies in the soil. Getting the right terrarium substrate is easy to do if you follow this terrarium guide! I have experimented with different bonsai soil like akadama, molar clay, lava rock and pumice stone to come up with a high quality substrate for terrarium. I also use coir and vermicast (from vermicomposting) is the droppings of composting worms and acts as a great fertiliser for plants. This terrarium tutorial is suitable for beginner terrarium hobbyists or for people more experienced. I cannot stress how important the correct terrarium soil mix is, don’t skimp this vital step!
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EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES I USE
Akadama - amzn.to/3yY1r78
Coir - amzn.to/2T9AspJ
Molar Clay - www.kaizenbons...
Pumice Stone - amzn.to/3B6yQOy
Sphagnum Moss - amzn.to/3i9427d
Vermicast - amzn.to/3rcg2t2
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What kind of soil do you use in your terrariums?
I use a mix of materials that most people wouldn’t consider: a combination of potting soil (happy frog brand), dead leaves from the forest (not sterilized), and perlite. It drains well enough, and the leaves introduce a whole ecosystem into the terrarium. I’ve never had any problems with pests, and the various fungi and springtail species make sure that I never get mold. The leaves add plenty of nutrients as they decompose, replacing the nutrients that were depleted from the potting soil. I add sphagnum too if I have it, and I continually add more leaves straight from the forest on top of the soil as those that were originally mixed in decompose. This soil mix has proved to be successful, I have a terrarium that’s over a year old using this soil and it’s impossible to keep up with trimming the plants. I’ve seen multiple species of mites and springtails, and I have a thriving population of isopods. It even supports predators; I introduced two ornate harvestmen (Vonones ornata) and found multiple offspring a month or two later. I moved them all to a dedicated enclosure afterwards so I can’t say how they would do long term.
i only used soil mixes for my first couple terrariums. at some point i wanted to make a terrarium with anubias and lilaeopsis brasiliensis and tried aquarium soil since both plants are mostly used in aquariums. i haven't swiched back since. i love using the aqua soil. it is probably more expensive than a soil mix but it seems to be the perfect medium for me. the plants love it and due to the relativley big grain sizes it does not condense. at the same time it provides a good air flow for the roots. also, me not having a big workshop and building all my terrariums in my room i like the fact that i have only one container with soil, it is defently less mess :)
i can only recommend the aquarium soil to anyone!
I use lavarock, spaghnum moss, vermicast, building sand, like a video u upload a few month a go.. but i have a trouble, in a week my moss becoming brown and plant dead.. so wat do i mos supps to do? Change a soil mix, or i wrong with maintenance, i spray my trrium every 3 days, and open the top to change air every 10minutes after spraying.. would u help me
@@aquario3413 I never said to use building sand. If it's what I think it is, it contains salt and shouldn't be used in a horticultural setting!
Also, spraying your terrarium every 3 days will lead to it being excessively wet so hold off that and only spray when needs be.
You can send me photos to my email - worcesterterrariums@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram
Can you make a shopping list please?
Why do you use both molar clay and akadama? Could we substitute one or the other in the amount of the 2 of them together?
In other words, 3 parts of either one of them? I have leca and want to use that, not have to buy yet one more ingredient. What does anyone think?
thanks so much
I wish you’d list the ingredients on the screen during the video, found them in the description tho so thank you
Thank You.
Hi if I can get lava rock, instead of 2 parts vermicast and 1 part clay would I use 3 parts lava rock
The vermicast is for nutritional benefits as he explained…
Where are these soil ingredients bought ?
Hey can I use leca balls as a replacement as moisturizer
Lol replacement for molar clay/pumice
Would this be a good substrate mix for a vivarium that includes frogs?
hello mate, what is your idea about adding some orchid barks and some coil to this mix ? or use focus terrarium soil ready to use ?
without activated carbon ?
If you did have lava rock, would you add three parts, and leave out the akadama and molding clay?
Hi, I’d also appreciate an answer to this question…if I do have lava rock available, which ingredient(s) should be omitted, and what should the ratios be? I’m really loving the videos, and finding the advice helpful with my other plants as well! Subscribed and following on FB 🙂
Lava rock instead of akadama? What do You think. Its cheaper and easier to get in my country…
how the person looks: 🗿
his hobby: 🍀🌱🌳🌿🌸
Hi. Great content so thanks. Before discovering all this. I bought a bag of readymade terrarium mix. It contains perlite, which I agree is a bit naff but not too much so I can live with it. It is fairly light but nowhere near as fluffy as your mix. I would rather use it than waste it so what would be the key components to add. I have some activated carbon and some orchid bark.
Thank you. For a beginner this is very useful info, and as your background shows I know you know your stuffs
Thank you so much for your videos! They’re so helpful.
How do you store your self made substrate mix? Is a closed container ok or does it need to stay dryer in order to last longer?
Probably the best idea is to only mix up as much as you need at any one time. Estimate how much you'll need and then break it down into how much of each ingredient you'll need to make total volume.
You could probably store any excess in any air-tight container with no metal parts (no mason jars with metal lids), but I wouldn't store the moistened sphagnum or coir at all, just rehydrate what you need when you're ready to use it, or it might rot. If you have substrate left over with all the ingredients, maybe you could make another small terrarium with it or use it to propagate root cuttings or moss.
I must marry this man
Does the moss have to be completely dried almost dead or can it be just dry and a little green?
can we use cocopeat?
What are the proportion between all of the ingredients
Does a clay kitty litter work instead of molar clay or akadama?
Lil tip, burn some sticks, add the ashes to the mix
Why tho?
@@Neromace prevent mold and purifies water same as charcoal
@@Blue_cheese. then why we add springtails
Why not just add coal?
@@buddahGump some people don't have easy access to coal, like me
Hello, thank your for your channel! what do you use for a vertical adhesive soil? I cant find it! Thank you
Whats the differens between garden kompost and vermicast
Vermicast is worm droppings. Compost is decayed organic material
Thanks 😊
I made the mistake of using garden compost blended with top soil for my first terrarium (over a gravel drainage layer and charcoal with mesh separating the soil from the drainage layer). It's still healthy a year later, but I think that's IN SPITE OF that soil combination, since the soil itself has dried out and hardened. That despite the fact there's plenty of moisture in the terrarium. At some point, I'll break that terrarium down to do a better substrate.
My current terrarium substrate is a combination of sphagnum moss, coconut coir, orchid bark, horticultural charcoal, and worm castings. So far, so good with that combination.
How much do you use of each?
@@doeslifetastegood8018 1 part coco coir, 2 parts sphagnum moss (cut into as small of pieces as I can manage), 1/4 part orchid bark, 1/4 part worm castings, and 1/4 charcoal. I don't worry about getting proportions exact, just ballpark it. I've seen a number of different blends, but that's the latest one I've tried.
I'm thinking about using unscented clay cat litter in a batch, to see how it goes. I use that blended with organic soil for dirted aquariums, so I suspect it'll work nicely.
@Dawn T thank you so much!! Tell me how the cat litter works if you use it. I heard it's a good substitute for expensive clays in soil, but only if you get the right kind. Supposedly, you can check by letting it soak in water for a few days. If it bulges/ grows larger, it won't work as a substitute.
I don't actually know how reliable my info is though so keep that in mind.
@@doeslifetastegood8018 Yep. Basically, you get the cheap stuff at Walmart. Unscented, baked clay litter. It doesn't absorb, so it's really not useful for actual cat litter, but it works great in aquariums. I see no reason it wouldn't work in terrarium substrate, too.
@@dawnt6791 Actually, I've had over 12 cats in the past 25 years, and I've used the Special Kitty cat litter the entire time.
It does absorb, or else I wouldn't use it. I've never noticed it 'swelling up', but it does absorb.
Where do you find ingredients like molar clay? it really hard to come by in the US
i have about 25 used coffee jars ive collected over 2 yrs.. i've been binge watching your vids for the past two days soaking in your expert knowledge like a sponge
Thankyou 😊
Would sand be a good alternative?
Would clay pebbles/pumice mixed in to the other ingredients work as a substitute for akadama and molar clay?
Thank you
🤝
I used garden compost. Eventually ended up with a tomato plant and a pumpkin vine! I planted those outside, and they grew well until some iguanas got to them.
Edit: Gardening is tough in florida.
I have watched several videos on making terrarium substrate. My intention for the terrarium plants is to strictly use what grows naturally in Washington State rainforests. One of my questions is what is the use of including activated charcoal as a layer above the drainage pumice? Some terrarium hobbyists use it and some don’t. Thanks.
Do you have an alternative for molar clay? Or can I just leave it out? I can’t find any of it in my area. Thanks
Do you recommend a substitute for coir? Or ability to omit? I have a coconut allergy, so trying to cut down on my exposure, this aggravates the skin on my hands.
I have heard that possibly tree fern fiber could work
Use peat moss or NO FERTILIZER potting soil
What would you suggest as the best substrate for an orchid terrarium?
EPIC video!!!
Thanks!
Where can I buy the necessary components for the mix?
Could yo substitute a cat litter for the Moler clay or is it different?
I hear it's the same thing!
thank you for sharing! Is it necessary to add activated charcoal?
Nope!
Thanks! :)
This is not really a question about soil but if you could answer it I would apresiate it.
Why do I see people wett their plants or moss before applying it to a terrarium
I imagine so they plants are properly watered before they go inside the terrarium
Can your soil mix be used for succulents?
hi, i want to buy terrarium soil on online shop. the ingredient is pumice, cocopeat, peatmoss, husk and etc. how do u think?
Hey! What can I use instead of vermicast?
In my country I failed to find it)) or maybe I fooled myself with translation of what it is and it is much simpler to find)
But, please help, is there another choice?
I found mine as "worm castings". As for alternatives, I have no idea! I had no trouble finding worm castings, so I haven't needed an alternative. Maybe a small amount of slow-release fertilizer? I'm in the US.
How much in oz or cup on the measurement of each????
If i’m a beginner and don’t have any money to spend in soil, is it ok to use the regular garden one mixed with some organic matter for nutrients and very fine gravel?
Ummm, you could do, see how it goes!
what is koya? coconut fiber? I can't find koya on google
He's saying Coir, as in coconut coir
He's saying coir, as in coconut coir, but his accent makes it sound like koya
hi great videos love to watch and learn more and more :) my question is i dont have lava rocks but i have %60akadama and 40% lava rock mix would work right. or has to be one of them. there is also . 60% akadama 40%pumice. or 60 to 30 ?
thanks alot for videos :) :)
It sounds like he just uses twice as much akadama as molar clay. If you're using a scoop, should be easy enough.
Use the lava rock mixture, I think he says he prefers lava rock over pumice.
I have a worm farm, is the casting from that ok? Fresh ok? Thanks 😊 ❤️🇦🇺🌿
What about peat
Can you build moss wall with this soil mix?
Hi, in my country, there is no moler clay. What can substitute this?
Akadama, lavarock, pumice
Would it be an issue do you think to use vermiculite instead of lava rocks? Maybe too water retentive?
You could do. I've never done it though so I'm unsure how it'd turn out
is it possible to use fern instead of the fern moss cause i dont have any fern moss near or in my house
What about clay pebbles used in hydroponics, could that work? Same qualities
Could do. I'd use a smaller grained than the ones used in hydroponics
Are you using live sphag, or preserved/dried? Looks like it’s live.
Same question here! I presumed dried since it is just going underground so to speak.
Hey mate, just making my first closed terrarium. Do you have any recommendations fir a good soil supplier, I was hoping you would sell it on your site but no such luck :)
Check out grow tropicals! Go for the desert mix
So your focus here is long term waterability through mediums that can retent only some water but will aerate the rest and not compact, and supplmenting the lack of nutrients with vermicast.
How long does the vermicast last for you until you need to top up?
Yup, Yup, Yup!
Probably a few months before I top dress again.
Koya? Vermicast? What are these words?
The names of soils like what else could they be 💀
He's saying coir
Great video, thank you!
This has been very helpful for me as I collect ferns and well I don't keep out of them in terrariums I have a feeling your soil components would create a good mixture for ferns aswell. I have also wanted to create a terrarium and have never felt confident enough to do it but I think your videos might give me the boost I needed to finally try making one.
Yep it really does! Best of luck if you make one :D
For lava rock is it the same that use in grill or bbq ?
It's the same rock but a smaller grain that I use
Can i use amethyst and mountain crystal in my terrarium?? 😅
Sure, why not? 😁
@@WorcesterTerrariums have any ideea if it will affect in any way something?
I'm sure it'll be fine. My friend uses crystals and his plants never suffer
Can I substitute Molar clay for anything else?
I listed a few in the video but small leca balls could also work
Is it possible for you to provide the spelling of each of the individual soil mix that you are using?
They’re in the bio(:
Is there a place where I can buy terrarium compost
Wonderful video. I use Akadama and Molar Clay kitty litter in my Bonsai soils. IF I use this mix in my Terrariums do I still need to out a drainage layer in the bottom?
Thank you. I’ve over ordered terrarium substrate. Can I use that as a substrate for my bonsai trees when I repot them? Thanks again!
Hi! Thanks for a great video! The problem is, where I live (Croatia), I can't find vermicast. Is there a substitute for that?
Super
🤝🤝
how much of each ingredient do you use?
Can I use this mix for vivariums as well? Or do vivarium require something else?
hy i like this video but i have problem with translate.. could u help me to write what kind of item on soilmix thank u verymuch from indonesia 🙏🏻
Sure! Akadama, moler clay, sphagnum moss, coir and vermicast
@@WorcesterTerrariums thanks for u kindness
@@WorcesterTerrariums i was search in my country but i cant get moler clay 😢 i dont know what name in here
Hello. I really enjoyed your video on soil composition. I’ve built a paludarium with a rain forest theme. I would like to know if I could use the recipe in your video. In addition, I have lava rocks but they were used for the terrestrial part of my paludarium. If I pulverized some lava rocks, could I use them in the soil composition?
is Turface good also? I know its good for bonzai, its like akadama but 10 time cheaper in the US
very interesting video. what do you think about the use of the substrate for aquariums such as aquasoil or similar ? I've seen someone use it in terrariums
maybe it's a silly question
Hi Marco, not a silly question at all. I personally don't use it but I know some people do with success.
marco, i can only encourage you to try it. i switched to aqua soil at some point and do not regret it once since then... yes it might have some different qualities than a soil mix and also the look is quite different but i love to use it...
@@WorcesterTerrariums thanks mate
@@greenmachineaustria thanks mate
Love that you talked about pumice as a sub bc i ended having to do that. i couldn’t find small grain lava rock. The pumice does really stand out.
Awesome! Glad you found something that works
Just get big chunks and a hammer :)
@@CryptoRoast_0 I agree. If you can get larger lava rock, like in garden centers, it's easy to pulverize with a hammer. You can end up with lava rock DUST, which also has its uses.
@@dawnt6791 yep, I put it in an old sock to stop it flying into my eyeballs and give it a few hits 😁
@@CryptoRoast_0 I never thought of using a sock. That's brilliant! That stuff will sure fly when you hit it! LOL
I use Lechuza Pon instead
Hi love the channel and information you give. I've started using vermicast but find it has mites in it when brought. They aren't springtails. Where do you get yours from and does it happen to you too. Thanks
I agree for not using compost or all purpose substrate in terrariums. I have had very poor and depressing results using this kind of soils over a layer of gravel. I will try with this new recipe of yours, I think it is pretty good.
By the way, what do you think about using vermiculite? and do you think that charcoal can be good for terrarium's soil? I gess that you don't like it, but when I started, it was highly recommended for caring about metals toxicity, although I think that it may be another myth...
Yep vermiculite could work but it's mainly water retentive so perhaps as an alternative to sphagnum moss. I do like charcoal but I'm not convinced about its cleaning qualities within a terrarium
@@WorcesterTerrariums great, because I don't find sphagnum in shops near my location. I also have doubts about the charcoal, I have not seen any difference when using it, but this doesn't mean that it's useless. Thanks! I'll be waiting your next video 👍
Hey, I just got into aquascaping and that led me down a rabbit hole ending in bingewatching your videos as well. I really want to get started but I was thinking if I could maybe reuse leftover aquarium soil? I still got some lava rock as a base. Do you have any experience with using aquarium soil or any input about it?
What kinda of aquarium soil you have? Because I feel like the "gravel" like substrate soil is kind of too porous. But if it's like actual soil, I believe itll work as well. But moss doesn't really grow like some plants do (because they don't have roots) maybe more rooted plants would appreciate the aquarium soil nutrients
Can you show me the words of the ingrediënt I'll try to find theseme in Dutch
Thank you for this video.
Thank you for watching :)
Hi...thank you so much for such a detail video. Can i substitute sphagnum moss with peat moss please?
No. Peat moss is unsustainably harvested and is a different texture. I don't know it's water retaining properties, but peat moss is almost like a fine powder and would compact down too much. It would be detrimental to the substrate being able to drain properly.
Great advice...as usual
Thank you very much 😁
Name of music near the end!
Ahhh I cant remember! It was from Epidemic Sound
Also a natural fertilizer for plants is banana peels in water, also tea in water. No chemicals.
Hi ! Great video, is it possible to use white moss instead of sphagnum moss
Thank you so much for this video! I was going to utilize perlite instead of the lava rock you mentioned in your previous video now I definitely will not👍☺
My pleasure! It's a matter of personal preference, perlite certainly is a useful material, I just don't like it xD
Great video! Can I get a list of the ingredients you use for your soil mix? Thanks!
I was literally checking on your soil video and saw this update was just posted. Perfect timing mate!
Haha amazing! Thanks for watching
@@WorcesterTerrariums I watched it earlier and have spent all afternoon trying to source lava rock at a sensible price.
I bought 25 litres of Molar Clay yesterday though.
So much great info! thanks for being you!
I'm about to start a terrarium for the first time, I find your videos so so helpful:) so thankyou for making them . They a very interesting.
I agree with most points presented that compost by itself or even in large parts isn't ideal for your substrate.
One part of contention I have is that neither compost nor vermicast will provide nutrition for your terrarium indefinitely. Sure vermicast is more potent per pound but that by itself only stretches its usefulness out a few times the life of compost. To achieve continuous nutrition you need the extra step of having either a completely (fully hands off) or mostly (minor interventions) closed cycle bioactive terrarium. This is why having a cleanup crew is so important even if it is beyond the scope of this video.
I definitely wouldn't go buy compost for a lot of the reasons listed here but I usually include ~1/4 part of compost from my back yard pile in my substrate mixes to help support the biodiversity by bringing the natural bacteria, molds, and fungi in to jumpstart the isopods I drop in every terrarium I build.
I also don't keep terrariums running for years on end without being touched (aka completely closed cycle). Whether its for cleaning, trimming, or to resupply leaf litter and sticks and other munchables in the terrariums that house my larger isopods. Something is probably wrong if a terrarium goes two years without being emptied out and reworked as I both become better in the hobby and have different inspirations / artistic drive at that state in my life.
You really need to write the names of ingredients you use on the screen
Yea but he puts it in the description
love your videos, thank you. I just bought a prepared terrarium, but I want to start making my own as well
Hi, can I incorporate in the substrate some old dry moss collected in our garden ? Thanks a lot. Nicole
Hi Nicole, I would just stick to the sphagnum 🙂
It should be noted that akadama breaks down over time, so it is not suitable to be used for the purpose of aeriation.
It breaks down much quicker when it's outside and exposed to the elements. After a few years, if the terrarium is still going, it'll be time to refresh anyway.