CARING FOR YOUR TERRARIUM
CARING FOR TERRARIUMS
‘A little land of plants to watch, love and enjoy’
A terrarium is a miniature garden usually housed in a glass container using plants that have approximately the same survival needs.
OPEN OR CLOSED….
An OPEN terrarium is without a cover allowing plenty of air flow and some water evaporation with carefully selected plants with similar requirements.
A CLOSED terrarium has a lid and is a perfect little moist, humid ecosystem making it a little easier to care for.
WATERING
It’s important to water your terrarium only when required.
One of the most common reasons terrarium plants die is due to over watering and plant roots sitting in pools of water. Most open terrariums only need watering approx. every 3-4 weeks depending on their position in the room, how warm or sunny or cool it is. Open terrariums need watering to keep the soil moist but not wet.
Soil colour is a good guide to tell when your terrarium needs watering – when the soil goes lighter and is dry to touch, it could be time to water.
Water over your hand slowly spreading across the whole soil surface rather than dumping the water all in one spot. Use about 2/3 cup water at a time. If there is water pooling at the bottom of your terrariums, water less. Be careful to not over water as it is almost impossible to drain your terrariums. Your plants will die if submerged in water!
Closed terrariums need less watering as they are a closed system and create their own moisture cycle. A good guide is to water only once every six months. The soil moisture and colour is a good indication if watering is needed. After watering, make sure foliage is dry before putting lid on. If there is no condensation or the plants are looking droopy, a very small amount of water is needed. Some condensation in a closed terrarium is perfect and means the little ecosystem is working well. If the glass has large condensation droplets on all sides, your terrarium is most likely too wet! Wipe down the sides with a paper towel, take the lid off for a couple of days or a week and let it dry out a little.
It’s a good idea, once a week, take the lid off for around half an hour to give your terrarium some fresh air.
POSITION & CARE
Most terrariums requires a semi bright spot, out of direct sunshine to avoid burning plants through the glass. Occasionally turn the terrarium to keep the plants growing straight, otherwise they may grow towards the direction of the light. Every now and then, the plant may need a trim which encourages bushier growth. Carefully remove any dead leaves. As with most indoor plants, try not to place in a too hot or too cool spot.
Plants in an open or closed terrarium can live happily for many years. However, they are not meant to live forever. You will sometimes get a few dead leaves. This is normal and they just need to be cut off gently. If a plant dies, it may be because it is at the end of its cycle of life rather than a problem and so has to be replaced. Diseased plants should be removed immediately so as not to spread disease. Replace a plant with another that has the same survival requirements.
FERTILISER
The plants in your terrariums do not need regular fertilising as they need to grow slowly and not too big. Only fertilise with a tiny amount of a good natural organic fertiliser very occasionally. Make sure the fertiliser does not touch the plants.
Verde has suitable fertiliser instore that is perfect for your terrarium. Any leaf colour changes or yellowing is most likely due to water problems rather than needing feeding or it could possibly be natural senescence.
Enjoy your little world of plants!
If you have any questions, just get in touch.
