Pumice stones are excellent for terrarium substrates. They are lightweight, natural volcanic rocks filled with tiny holes. These holes allow pumice to hold water and air at the same time. This makes your terrarium healthy by preventing plant roots from rotting.
How to use pumice in a terrarium
There are two main ways to use pumice stones in your terrarium setup:The Drainage Layer: Place a 1 to 2-inch layer of pure, larger-sized pumice stones at the very bottom of the glass container. This catches excess water so plant roots do not sit in a muddy puddle.
The Soil Mix: Mix small pieces of pumice into your potting soil (using a ratio of about 60% pumice to 40% soil). This stops the soil from packing together too tightly and lets air reach the roots.
Benefits of using pumice
Adds Oxygen: The air pockets in pumice allow carbon dioxide to leave and fresh oxygen to enter the root system.
Releases Water: Pumice absorbs extra moisture when the soil is too wet and releases it back into the terrarium when the soil dries out.
Adds Minerals: Pumice naturally contains trace minerals that act as food for your terrarium plants.Never Rots: Unlike organic materials like bark, pumice is a rock, so it never decays and never needs replacing.
Size: 3mm to 10mm
