How To: Care for Terrariums
What Is A Terrarium?
Terrariums are self-sustaining ecosystems in enclosed globes (or something similar). While you can have what’s called an “open terrarium,” which are what you imagine: a terrarium without a seal or lid, terrariums at their core are meant to be enclosed. For any terrariums I make, I use tropical plants because terrariums retain all their moisture and can be anywhere from 70-90% humidity. Tropical plants love the humidity!
Basically, they’re mini rainforests. How cool is that?!?!
Open terrariums are best for plants that don’t thrive in high humidity, such as succulents. You can read about caring for succulents in my previous blog post.
For the rest of this post, I’ll be writing based on the care of tropical enclosed terrariums.
Light Requirements For Terrariums
Terrariums mimic the ecosystem of the rainforest, high humidity and filtered light.
The key to filtered light is to find a place in your home that’s bright but doesn’t have direct sun exposure. You want to create a somewhat warm place for that humidity to sustain the plants within the terrarium. For those reasons, I recommend placing your terrarium near a west or north facing window. This isn’t a perfect solution, though. I honestly have the most success in my south-west facing windows. If your house in on an angle like mine, you should aim for a little bit brighter if you can.
That being said, it’s important to still keep an eye on your terrariums until you know it’s a happy place for them. If you notice the humidity is low, or plants are getting crispy, you should try something with a little less light.
It’s also a good idea to rotate your terrarium every few days to keep the whole ecosystem happy.
How do I know if it’s humid?
In short, you’ll see it. The humidity will create fog and water droplets on the glass.
If you prefer seeing your plants more clearly, you can remove the lid once in a while to release some of the humidity. Be aware that this will mean you’ll have to water more often!
How Often Should I Water A Terrarium?
This entirely depends on your specific terrarium and where it’s placed. Some only need to be watered once a year, for example.
I recently read about a man who hasn’t watered his closed terrarium in over 50 years! Check it out!
To make sure your terrarium stays watered, watch for two signs.
First, you’ll watch that condensation. When that stops appearing, you may need to water.
Second, pay attention to the color of the soil. If it’s dark and saturated, there’s still plenty of water. Once that soil gets uniformly light in color, it’s time to water.
Water it by misting around the edges so the water drips down the sides and into the soil. I suggest rotating while you water to make sure all the soil gets moistened. When the soil is back to that dark color, return the lid and let it be!
