Terrarium Care Tips

09.08.2023 - 11:09 / gardenersworld.com

Terrariums, or bottle gardens, are mess-free and easy to care for, creating little landscapes for house plants that are both calming and therapeutic. They’re easy to make, look perfect on a desk or coffee table and make excellent gifts.

Terrariums are fairly low maintenance and the plants growing inside them will largely look after themselves. Closed jars will create their own ecosystem and even become self-watering. Where you keep your terrarium is crucial for the plants’ survival, so it’s worth paying attention to the light requirements of each plant before planting them together. Humidity can also be an issue, with some plants requiring dry environments and others needing constant humidity.

In this short video guide, the experts at Grow Tropicals share their tips for caring for terrariums, including what compost to use and what type of container to use.

More on planting terrariums:

Browse our list of terrarium care tips, below.

Closed terrariums

Place these away from windows or in a spot with bright, indirect light as most problems come from too much light or heat. Sit it 1m from a north-facing window, 3m from an east or west-facing window and 5m from a south-facing one.

Open terrariums

Place on a windowsill or table in full or partial sun. If succulents become tall and straggly, they will need more  light, so move them to a brighter spot. If they get enough light, they may even produce flowers.

Open terrariums

Water succulents and cacti weekly from March to October with a dessertspoon of water per plant. During winter water only every six weeks.

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