In this article we will tell you how to grow carnivorous plants in a terrarium. We can indeed make a real little garden with these quite extraordinary plants. We will start by removing the cap and then put the gravel.

Why do we put gravel?

This is not only for the aesthetic side but also to prevent the roots of the plants from going directly into the excess water, since here we are in a sealed environment and there will be no evacuation by drainage as happens for example in the case of pots.

You should know that carnivorous plants are acidophilic, that is to say, they like acidic environments. However, the white gravel is generally made of marble, which is a limestone rock. We must therefore take care to clean the gravel well so that there are no organic elements which could rot and create terrible damage in the terrarium. We can take a spoon that we usually use for the barbecue to make us a kind of tool that will allow us to work well. As carnivorous plants are swamp plants that live in boggy environments, we are not going to use potting soil but rather peat as the soil.

What is peat?

Peat is a natural fossil element, which comes from the decomposition in anaerobic environment, that is to say without oxygen in the water of sphagnum (sphagnum is a moss found in swamps).

Once we have put in place the substrate, therefore the growing medium that will maintain the plants and which will also feed them, we will be able to plant our plants one by one. You can start with pinguicula for example.

How to put the plants there?

There are no special rules for planting plants. After digging the hole, you will have to slide your plant inside. You will need to make sure that the flower does not touch the edge and that the leaves are not buried. The plant must be well in contact with the ground.

Then, it must be packed well so that it can have its roots in contact with the earth and not in contact with the air.

How do plants manage to feed themselves if there are no insects?

Already, you should know that carnivorous plants only use insects as a food supplement. Indeed, there is still food for them in the peat. And once we've finished and closed all of that, it's going to create an ecosystem. There may be small insects that will be born or small gnats. And if ever there is none, in spring and summer we can open the jar so that there is air coming in and possibly insects.

It should be noted that as the peat is already completely soaked with water, it will not be necessary to add water to your terrarium. By closing the pot, we will create a closed ecosystem and little by little, there will be condensation that will form, fog on the glazing and thus create this confined atmosphere that our plants need. When we see a drop in condensation, we can add a little water.