Light and Placement
• Place the terrarium in an area with bright, indirect light. (Medium Light)
• Avoid direct sunlight, as it can heat up a terrarium and “cook” your plants!
• Full, or balanced spectrum artificial lights, such as LED plant lights, are ideal, because they are consistent, controllable, and do not put off excess heat.
• Keeping terrariums under plant lights helps avoid algae growth. Connect your plant light to a smart-plug or light timer set to ON for 8-10 hours per day.
Watering
• Check the terrarium every few weeks to ensure that the soil is still damp. If the soil appears dry, add water by misting, or gently pouring water into the terrarium.
• Take watering day as an opportunity to clean the inside and outside of the glass with a soft cloth.
• Note that closed-top terrariums can go 3-4 months between misting, but it is still advisable to maintain the terrarium more frequently to provide ideal care.
Balance the humidity
• In a balanced terrarium, the glass should be clear and condensation should only appear near the soil, on the plants, and occasionally around the lid.
• Sometimes it is necessary to release excess humidity. Do so by leaving the lid off the terrarium for a few hours at a time.
• If no moisture is present on glass, check that the soil is still damp, it may be time to add a little water.
Maintenance
• Moss and plants may need to be trimmed every few months. Cut to desired height. Moss trimmings can be left in the terrarium, leaf trimmings should be removed.
• Yellowing new-growth may be a sign of excess moisture. In this case vent the terrarium overnight.
• Trim off dead/deteriorating leaves as you see them appear. It is normal for plants to shed some older growth (lower leaves) in a terrarium environment.
• Visit our Products page for supply recommendations.
Fern Grotto 