By creating a closed terrarium, you will have a real indoor garden that lives completely autonomously, an ecosystem that will be similar to a real miniature planet. 

Except that, unlike our planet Earth, the environment you are going to create will be completely protected from pollution. 

The breathing mechanisms of plants in a closed terrarium.

Two mechanisms are at work in a closed terrarium. 

• Plant transpiration.
• Photosynthesis. 

Plant transpiration. 

Once the jar is closed, plant transpiration will generate evaporation, then condensation of water. Quite quickly, we will notice fog appearing on the walls of the jar, which will turn into real little water droplets. These droplets will then fall to the bottom of the jar and create precipitation, similar to rain. The plant roots will then be able to collect the water that has accumulated at the bottom of the terrarium. This water rises through the plant's stem to the leaves. It will be released through very small openings located on the leaves. Thus, we observe in the terrarium a real, practically endless water cycle. 

The humidity level, or air humidity level, is around 100 in an apartment or house, while this level is around 30 percent. However, for indoor plants to grow well, they would like to have around 70 to 100 percent.

This explains why plants love to grow in such a humid atmosphere, provided that, of course, you put in plants that like humidity. Carnivorous plants will also love this environment. It is a real little paradise for them. 

This type of terrarium will not require much watering. Two to three waterings per year are more than enough. 

Be careful not to put cacti or succulents in it, because they will undoubtedly die within a few weeks; they will not withstand the humidity level inside the jar. 

Photosynthesis. 

Photosynthesis occurs during the day, because it needs sunlight. Four elements are essential for it to work properly. You need water, light, carbon dioxide, and chlorophyll. If even one of these elements is missing, photosynthesis cannot take place. 

Plant leaf cells contain chlorophyll in small sacs called chloroplasts. When exposed to sunlight, chloroplasts separate hydrogen molecules and oxygen molecules, which form water molecules. They thus produce carbohydrates, that is to say sugar, by combining hydrogen with carbon dioxide, and they release the oxygen they do not need.

In this way, they provide the energy necessary for the plant's growth and release oxygen into the atmosphere, which allows the cycle of life to continue. At night, on the contrary, plant leaves release CO2. 

This is how plant respiration works. It is these tiny solar power plants, chloroplasts, that have been sustaining forests, ocean plankton, and all living beings, including us humans, for billions of years. The energy produced in this way is amazing because it does not pollute. It has a completely carbon-neutral balance, unlike oil or coal. 

Between plant respiration and photosynthesis, you now understand why the environment you have created in a jar is completely self-sufficient. 

We will first cover the creation of a terrarium in a jar. 

Then we will explain in detail how all these little things we are going to put inside will be able to survive in a completely enclosed space. 

The essentials.

We will need several essential elements to make a terrarium. 

• A jar: Of course, the first thing to get is the jar; its size does not matter, since we will adapt the size of the plants to the size of the jar, it just needs to be able to be sealed hermetically. 

If the jar you have chosen does not have a lid, you can put plastic wrap over it, and on top of that, a little fabric that will look nice at the bottom of the jar. 

• Rocks.

• A small screen: which will be placed on top, to prevent the soil from falling to the bottom of the rocks. 

• Soil and charcoal or peat: The role of charcoal and peatis to prevent the plants from rotting in this humid environment, because the constant moisture means that the peat does not decompose or turn into mineral matter, even after a long period.

• Plants: The choice of plants is important. You need to choose plants that like to live in humidity. 

So, you have a choice. You can put in ficus, spider plants, ivy, a type of plant that loves humidity. These are phalaenopsis.

• Moss and gravel: You will need to put a little moss at the end and probably some decorative gravel. 

The process.

We will start our terrarium by putting the rocks at the bottom of the jar. 

Then, we will need to adapt the screen to the size of the jar by cutting it; this will allow the soil to fall to the bottom into the rocks.

The next step is to carefully place the soil on top of it. 

You can add the decorative gravel all around the jar, and a little charcoal in the middle. 

Then comes the time to put in the plants. We will start with the tallest one, which we will place in the middle.

Once all these steps are done, spray generously to thoroughly hydrate the terrarium. 

Leave the jar open for a few hours, to allow the exchanges to take place, before permanently closing the jar. 

Our final recommendations.

For its proper growth, the terrarium must, of course, be placed in light. But be careful, not in direct sunlight. Otherwise, as you can imagine, the walls of the jar will create a magnifying glass effect and it will become a real oven inside that will completely burn the plants. 

Congratulations, because you too will have brought life by creating your own terrarium in a closed environment. In addition to the satisfaction of making the terrarium, you will see how observing the growth of the plants can be a source of relaxation in this world where everything is just stress and a constant race.