A Guide to your Living Ecosystem.
With the right care, your terrarium will remain vibrant and beautiful for years to come.
Light
Terrariums can adapt to a range of lighting.
Keep your Terrarium anywhere from Bright, Indirect Light, to Low-Light conditions.
Avoid Direct Sunlight, which can overheat the vessel and harm the plants.
Artificial Light can be a good supplement if natural light is limited.
Generally, if it’s a spot where you won’t get a sun-tan, you’re good to go!. North-facing rooms
Once your Terrarium has settled, avoid any drastic changes to lighting / temperature
Condensation
Terrariums require minimal watering due to their natural water cycle. Look for condensation inside the glass
Healthy Condensation: Water droplets covering up to 1/4 of the glass is ideal
Excess Water: If the glass is heavily covered in condensation throughout the day or water pools at the bottom, open the lid for a few hours a day to allow moisture to escape naturally.
Too dry: If there’s no condensation and the moss is dry to the touch, give your Terrarium a light mist of water.
Overwatering is the biggest killer of Terrariums. They can bounce back from periods of drought easier than an excess of water, so if in doubt, less is more!
Healthy Condensation:
Most of the Glass should remain clear
No more than 1/4 of the glass should be covered in condensation.
Condensation tends to appear twice a day
Excess Water:
Most of the glass is covered in condensation throughout the day & night
Melting leaves on the plants
Substrate (or ‘soil’) is wet, and dark in colour
Too Dry:
Moss is lighter in colour and dry to the touch
Plants are wilting
Substrate (or ‘soil’ layer) is light in colour
Terrariums are resilient and can bounce back with the right care
Dealing with Excess Water
Remove any dead or dying leaves as soon as you can. If you don’t have a set of Terrarium tools, chopsticks work well.
Place in a bright to low-light spot, away from direct Sunlight and leave the lid slightly ajar for 5-7 days.
Close the lid after 7 days (or when condensation levels reduce to 1/4 of the glass or less).
In 2-4 months, it’s likely you’ll see some new growth!
If your Terrarium is too Dry
Remove any dead or dying leaves
Use a spray bottle to give your Terrarium a light mist of water.
You want the moss and Substrate (or soil) to be moist, but not wet to the touch.
Remember that overwatering is the biggest killer of Terrariums. Gradually add small amounts of water over a week or two, while closely monitoring the condensation levels
Place your Terrarium in a bright spot, away from direct Sunlight and keep the lid slightly ajar while you are in the process of gradually building up the condensation levels in your Terrarium.
In 2-4 months’ time, you’ll see a lush green colour come back to the moss, and signs of new growth!
Temperature
Typical home temperatures work well for Terrariums
Anywhere in the range of 10°C to 24°C is ideal, although they can withstand anywhere between 2°C to 27°C.
Avoid placing them near radiators, fires, heating or cooling vents as this can disrupt humidity levels.
It’s normal to see more condensation than usual at higher temperatures, during summer or when radiators are on, for example.
Pruning & Maintenance
Some enjoy allowing their Terrariums to do their own wild thing, while others enjoy regular maintenance.
Wild
If you choose the natural / no maintenance route, the plants in your Terrarium will grow and fill all of the space, and eventually stop growing - but will stay alive if left undisrupted.
If plants lose leaves, they will either grow new plants, or naturally decompose over time with some help from Springtails.
Pruned
Regular maintenance can be beneficial and increase the lifespan of your Terrarium.
Trim back overgrown plants with Terrarium Tools to prevent overcrowding.
Remove dead leaves to avoid mould.
Bioactivity
Springtails
These tiny Organisms complete your Ecosystem by making it Bioactive. These hexapods love moist environments and feed on decaying organic matter.
They do a great job of keeping your Terrarium clean naturally, while slowly adding tiny amounts of nutrients to the ecosystem over time.
Woodlouse
If your Terrarium has elements of wood, the chances are you’ll see woodlouse in your Terrarium. These Isopods keep your Terrarium clean in the same way as Springtails, by feeding on decaying organic matter.
Woodlice occasionally shed their hard case skin, which you can allow to decompose naturally, or remove.
Nematodes
Nematodes are microscopic creatures that act as a biological control against unwanted pests.
These tiny worms feed on the Larvae of unwanted pests and close their breeding cycle, adding tiny amounts of nutrients into your Terrarium in the process.
Monitor for Problems
Mould or Fungus
If mould appears, increase ventilation by leaving the lid open for a couple of hours a day and allowing fresh airflow.
Repeating this for a week or two often clears mould naturally, however you can speed up the process by giving it a light mist of fungus repellent (widely available in garden shops).
Pests
Fungus gnats are a natural part of the ecosystem, however, long term, they can harm the plants.
The Nematodes in your Terrarium will work to remove the larvae, and you can help speed up the process of closing the breeding cycle by removing adult / flying fungus Gnats when you see them.