Terrarium Care Guide
Everything you need to keep your miniature world thriving.
🌤 Light
Terrariums thrive in bright light but avoiding too much direct Sun. Early morning or late afternoon direct Sun is beneficial.
Place yours on or near a north, west or east-facing window where it will receive gentle, diffused daylight throughout the day. If you are South facing then avoid direct sunlight unless the terrarium is dropped back a little more into the room. The glass acts as a magnifier and can scorch delicate leaves and dry out the substrate rapidly and the enclosed atmosphere can overheat.
If natural light is limited, a full-spectrum grow light positioned 20–30 cm above the terrarium for 6-8 hours a day works beautifully. Signs of too little light include leggy growth and pale leaves; too much and you'll notice yellowing or crispy tips.
💧 Water
Less is almost always more when it comes to watering a terrarium. Closed terrariums create their own water cycle when condensation forms on the glass, trickles back down, and re-hydrates the substrate naturally.
Your terrarium will "show" you when it needs watering as the substrate we use changes colour as it dries out. The substrate will go pale brown from the top down. Once 1-2cm is pale brown just pop the lid off and spray the whole terrarium thoroughly until you see the water start to drip into the substrate.
It can be many months between each watering making them incredibly low maintenance.
✂️ Pruning
Regular, light pruning keeps your terrarium looking its best and prevents any single plant from crowding out its neighbours. Use small, sharp scissors or your fingers to trim back fast-growing stems. Aim to prune little and often every 4–6 weeks is a good rhythm rather than cutting back hard all at once.
Always remove any trimmed material from inside the terrarium promptly, as decaying plant matter can introduce mould. Pruning also encourages bushier, more compact growth, keeping the miniature landscape balanced and beautiful.
🌫 Ventilation
You don't need to open your terrarium but for best results allow some airflow if you see a lot of excess moisture or mould. Prop the lid open for a few hours to allow fresh air to circulate and excess moisture to escape especially important during warmer months.
If you notice persistent white mould on the soil surface or glass, increase ventilation frequency until it clears.