A terrarium is essentially an enclosed environment for
growing plants. They are usually made of clear glass or plastic and come in all
shapes and sizes, from mini-terrariums for individual miniature plants,
windowsill sized terrariums right up to large terrariums where you can create
an extensive habitat. Once established the environment in a terrarium requires
only minimal maintenance. The system recycles moisture through the processes of
evaporation and condensation. Due to this recycling of water or enclosed water
cycle the terrarium may not require watering for months or even years in some
cases.
Terrariums can be used to illustrate different environments
such as desert, tropical, temperate or just to grow herbs. The options are
limited only by your imagination as you could design your own terrarium from
scratch using an empty terrarium case and reading an excellent reference book
or doing some online research. You will be able to find out which plants to
use, what substrate they will need for growing. The most commonly used
substrates are: common soil, small pebbles, sand, peat, chips of various trees,
wood mulch, vegetable fibres (of coconut for example), or a combination of
them.
The size of your terrarium can range from a desktop bowl to
an ornate, free standing tank and all sizes in between. Once you have settled
on the size, the selection of plants will determine the type of growing
conditions you must create. As with all living things, light and moisture are
critical considerations when establishing the right growing conditions. Many
desktop displays can be maintained utilizing existing room light while others
may require the addition of full spectrum lighting. Larger terrariums almost
always necessitate specialized lighting conditions that can add to the initial
cost.
Most modern heating systems dry the room air and this will
in turn affect the conditions in your terrarium. Conversely, when air
conditioning is used in hot and humid climates, the room air can be drier. Your
air conditioner works by removing moisture from the air and cooling the living
space.
Plant selection will also affect the type of soil you will
need to use and drainage is another key factor. Anyone who has tried to grow
the average house plant knows the difficulty of maintaining the right moisture
balance for the type of plant you are trying to grow. The right combination of
soil and drainage can make maintaining your terrarium easier.
There are numerous resources to buy plants online in Dubai that
allow the plant enthusiast access to the information needed to create a welcome
growing space. People of all ages can learn much about the vast range of
ecosystems and plant life on this beautiful planet and terrariums plants in Dubai can bring this diversity into your home or office.