the little creatures in this petri dish are called garlic snails and no they're not
delicious escargot one would eat in france rather they're called oxychilus alliarius
and get their common name from the garlic scent that is exuded when they're disturbed
today i'm going to make them a terrarium they can call home in this glass container
here's how i make the terrarium my soil is a mixture of akadama coir vermicast moler clay
and pumice it's a top quality terrarium soil and i add a few inches into the bottom of the container
at this point i like to spray the soil until it's at an optimum level of moisture
this stops it moving around when i'm working
dried leaves are a great addition to a bioactive terrarium as they break down and add to the soil
structure they'll also give the snails somewhere to hide and the springtails and then to munch on
so that's the soil pretty much done and now i'm adding three pieces of cork bark
not really for aesthetical reasons rather the nooks and crannies will give the snails a dry
refuge should they need it it's naturally mould resistant
unlike other kinds of wood and is a great addition to any terrarium
in nature snails like to live in damp places like underneath logs and in rotting stumps
i'm adding this layer of composted bark as a mulch to help recreate this and make them feel at home
now it's time for the plants remember that terrarium i mentioned in the intro
well this is it and as you can see it's lush and untouched by the snails
i'm going to take cuttings from it using the snails new home first up is pilea libenensis
next ficus punctata
this is ficus colombia ficus bleed an irritable milky latex when cut which
is why the snails will leave them alone making them a good choice for this kind of terrarium
that's all of the plants i'm using out there but i want a few more from this mini wardian case
this is a nephrolepis cordifolia duffii runner which is why it's so small
it will fit nicely into the snails container
finally ficus thumbergii the oak leaf ficus
i'll also be adding a few more plants which i'll introduce as they're planted
in first goes the nephrolepis fern which i'll sit in front of the cork bark i plant the
oak leaf ficus next to it with the hope it will make its way towards the back of the terrarium
this gem is one of my favorite terrarium plants miniature ivy botanical name hedera helix minima
the slugs in my garden leave this alone so i'm betting that the snails will too
in go the pilea libanesis cuttings a truly beautiful and reliable terrarium plant
strangely i don't see ficus punctata being used that often
which is surprising because it's small-leafed slow-growing and never fails i'm clearing a
space with the ficus columbia cuttings as i'd rather they rooted directly into the
soil instead of onto the almond leaves which are quite thick and will take a while to break down
i'm repeating myself once again but this is a very reliable terrarium plant
okay we're nearly done with the plants now this is peperomia quadrangularis
i had a slug problem in an old terrarium and this was one of the plants that they didn't touch
last up is nephrolepis exaltata marissa this will grow quickly so i'll pinch out
the old leaves at the base to help it fit in the container deep breath that's the plants
done and the terrarium is looking pretty cool if i were a snail i would want to live in here
hello my gastropod friends time for you to get comfortable in your new home
i can see that you've brought dinner with you
springtails act as a clean-up crew feeding on mould fungi and decaying matter they contribute
massively to the ecosystem and will live in harmony with the snails
i'll feed the snails and springtails different kinds of vegetables like cucumber mushrooms apple
and whatever else we have lying around i'll also add some calcium in the form of cuttlefish bone
so their shells can get nice and strong i find it wholesome looking after these tiny creatures
and i hope that i've encouraged you to perhaps do the same i realize that they're not everybody's
cup of tea but to me they're gorgeous thank you for watching and i'll see you in the next video
you