It was gifted to me and I love it! There seems to be moss, wood, some succulent and one other plant in it.
I'm worrying about root rot since there isn't any drainage. So how do I care for it so it stays alive? Help is much appreciated ☺️
Right now I am keeping it on the windowsill and it's getting a lot of direct sunlight. I sprayed some water into the glass instead of watering it.
by wheretfismypen
9 Comments
The succulent just won’t survive
Terrariums are self sufficient and feed by photosynthesis. Usually, you don’t do anything and just let them thrive on their own. Bright, indirect light is best. Don’t have it in direct or too bright of light though, it will burn. The humidity inside is great, as you can tell by the condensation inside the jar. It looks healthy! Here are some tips
Watering:
Closed terrariums: Generally require less watering as they create their own humidity. You might need to water them only a few times a year, if at all. Use a mister and just give it a few squirts of water to the inside of the jar.
Terrariums don’t need drainage because you should never have that much water that it needs to drain. A little goes a LONG way in a terrarium.
Signs of dryness: Look for dry, light-colored soil or crispy brown leaves.
Avoid overwatering: Too much water can lead to mold and root rot. Terrariums stay moist by the humidity it creates.
Other Care:
Ventilation: Even closed terrariums benefit from occasional ventilation to release excess moisture and introduce fresh air. Opening once a month or two would be okay.
Cleaning: Remove any yellowed or dead leaves to prevent them from rotting and potentially harming other plants.
Pest Control: Inspect for signs of pests or mold and take action if necessary.
Pruning: Trim overgrown plants to maintain a healthy balance within the terrarium.
Temperature: Keep the terrarium away from extreme heat sources like radiators or heating vents.
Good luck!! You now have a beautiful terrarium that will give you joy for a long time to come!
The windowsill is a good spot since it’s considered “filtered light”, the window breaks down the rays of light and makes it an indirect light source so where you have it now is perfectly fine! As long as it’s not out in direct sunlight, it’s okay 👌 🙂
If for whatever reason the light coming in is too harsh, you’ll notice some browning on the leaves or extreme dryness in the soil (drying out too quickly) and you can move it back some but the windowsill should do fine!
You’re doing great so far! Good luck!
It’s very cool. I hope you have good luck with it.
That pointy plant is a succulent. Succulents are desert plants. It will die and rot in the jar. Succulents don’t like to be moist, or wet, and get watered very infrequently.
Pull out the succulent! It looks like a Haworthia and as others have said its a desert plant. You could add a tiny fern instead.
Yeah snag that succulent out of there and plant in something that will allow it to dry out between waterings. The rest will likely thrive in a wet environment from the looks.
I don’t have a succulent in a terrarium, but I do sometimes keep succulents in enclosed containers when I’m too tired to repot them. They can sit in the enclosed container without watering on (so long as there is still moisture in the container) for months without real issue. I only pop it open once every few weeks/months to spray some water when it’s totally dry. I’ve tested this on haworthias, string of ruby necklaces, burro tails, and aeoniums.
I think this terrarium situation is difficult because it is neither completely open nor entirely enclosed. It’ll take took long to dry out for the succulent and it doesn’t have the benefit of an closed terrarium which can be self-sustaining.
Save the haworthia. He can’t live in there. He doesn’t want a moise environment, he wants free draining soil, moderate light, and probably a nice terricotta pot.