Owning a terrarium is a pretty low maintenance job and it’s really easy to take care of a terrarium. It’s what makes them so popular! However, terrariums and the succulents that often go inside them are not indestructible despite what you might think.
WHAT TERRARIUM MISTAKES TO AVOID
And so, we’ve put together a list of the 5 most common terrarium mistakes we see so you can avoid them!
TOO MUCH LIGHT
We’ll admit a terrarium does look gorgeous when placed on a window sill. Especially when the sun starts streaming through the glass terrarium. However, glass can act as a magnifier and can cause the plants inside your terrarium to burn. So it’s best to keep them out of direct sunlight. Additionally, temperatures can rise dramatically within the terrarium, causing too much moisture, especially with enclosed terrariums. So try to limit the amount of direct sunlight your terrarium gets.
TOO LITTLE LIGHT
With that being said, we don’t suggest you keep your terrarium in the dark either as plants do need some light to survive! Terrariums are often filled with low-light plants but that shouldn’t be confused with a no-light plants which pretty much don’t exist! Make sure your terrarium is getting some light to allow it to thrive.
TOO MUCH WATER
It is so easy to over-water terrariums, especially if you’ve got other plants. If you have a closed terrarium, you can water once a month. Open terrariums benefit from being watered every 3-6 weeks. One way to prevent over watering is by using a spray bottle instead of pouring water into your terrarium.
TOO CLOSE TO HEAT SOURCES
Be mindful of where you're placing your terrarium as too much heat can kill your plants. It’s best to avoid areas such as close to radiators or fireplaces as you’ll see a rapid deterioration in your plants.
CHOOSING THE WRONG PLANTS FOR THE TYPE OF TERRARIUM YOU HAVE
If you have a closed terrarium, choose plants that like to be moist. For example, if you put succulents in a closed terrarium, it’s too humid for them to thrive. So succulents would do best in an open terrarium or a closed terrarium where you can take the lid off frequently. Cacti on the other hand, would thrive in a closed terrarium.
