Terrarium care tips
Terrariums are a great hobby to have! They provide a unique way to enjoy plants and create beautiful pieces of art that also add greenery to your home. Plus, they are low-maintenance. Here are a few tips on how to keep your jar in a good condition.
How does it work?
A closed terrarium is essentially an isolated ecosystem that is contained within a sealed and transparent container. The environment inside the terrarium is self-sustaining and contains the essentials for the plants inside to thrive in the form of moisture, oxygen, light, and soil, allowing the plants to grow.
The big three questions:
How much water?
Where do I place it?
Does it need repotting?
Watering
You should never pour water into your terrarium. Overwatering can cause mould and fungi to grow as well as risk killing the plants within. It is important to observe the jar regularly if you want to ensure that your terrarium has an appropriate humidity level. Check for condensation each day and, if you don’t see any, spray inside the jar lightly with water. If your terrarium is persistently experiencing so much condensation that you can't see inside (like in this image), it's best to open the terrarium for 30 minutes a day (until it settles down) to allow for airflow and reduce the amount of moisture inside.
Where to put your terrarium.
Your terrarium can be placed almost anywhere indoors. Just make sure to avoid direct sunlight and keep it away from heat sources, to keep your jar at a steady temperature. You can often place it in low light areas, as long so the plants used in the terrarium don't require more light, though this can sometimes cause elongated or sparse growth.
Do I need to repot it?
Your terrarium is a complete system that needs very little maintenance. As your plants grow, you can trim them, replace some of them, or just leave them to grow. Generally speaking, your terrarium should not require much repotting, since the system itself should provide the best environment for your plants and trimming them back to maintain a small size is preferable.
A few tips to keep your terrarium happy:
Regularly inspect it for mould and dead leaves.
To keep the terrarium free of fungi and mould remove, any dead leaves. The same goes for any decorative items that may. have become mouldy over time.
Trim plants to avoid overgrowing.
Gently prune your plants to maintain their size and shape that way you avoid one plant taking over and dominating the rest.
Your terrarium needs to breathe.
It is beneficial to let your terrarium breathe periodically and exchange air. To do this, simply remove the lid each month and leave it open for a few hours.
Watch out for a summer heatwave.
In the summertime, your terrarium may need to be watered more frequently. Check to make sure there's adequate condensation more frequently. On very hot days your moss may start to dry out so it's advised to mist it occasionally.
