Tips to Trim Terrarium Plants

Plants

• Small plants offer more options than large plants. A few large plants dominate the terrarium, whereas a variety of small plants allows for creative design around other elements such as rocks or a miniature statuary. An herbal terrarium may contain mints, chives and other moisture-loving plants. Tiny ivy plants creep over and around other plants, sometimes climbing terrarium walls. Some plants such as ferns thrive in the protected, temperate terrarium climate. For an enclosed terrarium, choose plants that enjoy humid conditions and grow slowly, requiring little trimming. An open terrarium such as a dish terrarium evaporates more easily and suits cactus or succulent plants and plants requiring access for more frequent trimming.

Tools

• A small wood dowel, sharp cutting blade and scissors handle most terrarium trim chores. For small space access or narrow openings, check out specialized tools at craft shops or garage sales. Terrarium enthusiasts use dental tools or clay-shaping tools as shovels, probes and cutters. Long tweezers grab small debris behind plants. Medical or craft scissors with slender handles and tiny scissor blades slide through narrow terrarium openings and quickly trim off plant ends. Look for dissecting scissors for maneuvering in small spaces. Use a hemostat or other long-handled clamp to hold a contrary branch while you trim with scissors. Chopsticks and other utensils separate plants for trim sessions. Many hobby items such as crochet hooks and fly-tying pliers are handy terrarium helpers.

Trim

• Trim off old or diseased leaves as soon as they appear. In the damp environment, they spread mold or fungus disease quickly. Nip the tips of small plants to encourage bushy growth. Use your forefinger and thumb to nip off the ends of branches and they will form side branches. The lateral growth turns a spindly mint or other plant into a shrub. Use small scissors to trim off overgrown herbal branches and use the edible leaves as fresh kitchen herbs.

Shape

• When distorted branches grow out from a plant, cut them off, preferably removing them back to a main branch. Restore the shape by trimming or scissoring other errant branches. When ivy or other vines grow along the terrarium floor as groundcover, snip them away from fragile plants that could be overgrown by the vine. Use household scissors or narrow-tip garden shears that cut cleanly without pulling and uprooting the plant. Trim off plant parts that fold against the terrarium wall as this may encourage disease.