Jade plant
Crassula ovata
🐱Cat mild🐶Dog mild
Open succulent terrarium
A mini desert of stones and sand
An open bowl, dry air and lots of light – the easiest composition for beginners.
☀️LightSunny window (south/west) or strong LED
💧Humidity30–50% – keep open!
🌡️Temperature10–30 °C, cooler in winter
🪴Water & substrateA little water every 2–3 weeks, only at the roots
Build
Step by step
Top dressing
Stones, plants
Cactus soil + 50% grit
Coarse gravel
- 1
If the vessel has no hole, start with 2–3 cm of coarse gravel.
- 2
Mix cactus soil 1:1 with pumice or akadama.
- 3
Place larger stones – they create the rocky look.
- 4
Plant succulents with tweezers; keep the root collar dry.
- 5
Top-dress with gravel or sand and wait 3–5 days before the first watering.
Plant list
What to plant
Background
Midground
Zebra haworthia
Haworthiopsis fasciata
Copes with less light.
🐱Cat safe🐶Dog safe
Ox tongue
Gasteria bicolor
🐱Cat safe🐶Dog safe
Foreground
Mexican snowball
Echeveria elegans
🐱Cat safe🐶Dog safe
Common houseleek
Sempervivum tectorum
🐱Cat safe🐶Dog safe
Ghost plant
Graptopetalum paraguayense
🐱Cat safe🐶Dog safe
Climber, trailer
Burro's tail
Sedum morganianum
🐱Cat safe🐶Dog safe
Accent
Living stones
Lithops
Almost dry in summer and winter!
🐱Cat safe🐶Dog safe
Thimble cactus
Mammillaria gracilis
🐱Cat safe🐶Dog safe
⚠️ Common mistakes
- Covering it – humidity causes rot.
- Glued decorative cacti and dyed sand – the plant can’t grow.
- Too little light: succulents stretch and fade.
Member setups
From the community: Open succulent terrarium
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