A Fusion Terrarium: Everything you need to know about a closed terrarium

A Fusion Terrarium is a ready-made closed terrarium that you can find in various supermarkets. It is developed by Fusioncolors, the parent company behind the brand The Green Bottle Garden. All terrariums are hand-assembled from natural materials and living plants. Thanks to its closed ecosystem, the terrarium requires virtually no care after initial setup.

In this blog, we explain how a Fusion Terrarium works, why the cork should not be placed on the glass initially, how to care for the terrarium, and what to do if you see, for example, mold, condensation, mushrooms, or flies.

What is a Fusion Terrarium?

A Fusion Terrarium is a mini-ecosystem in glass. Inside the terrarium, plants, soil, moss, water, and air work together in a natural cycle. The water evaporates, condenses against the glass, and is then absorbed again by the soil and plants. This creates an almost completely self-sufficient ecosystem.

All Fusion Terrariums are handmade from natural materials, including:

• Recycled glass
• Natural terrarium soil
• Activated carbon
• Vulcaponic or hydro-granules
• Natural moss
• Tropical plants such as Fittonia, Syngonium, and Pilea

Because each terrarium is assembled by hand, every piece is unique.

Why isn't there a cork on my terrarium yet?

This is probably the question we get most often.

During production, we give the terrarium exactly the right amount of water. This water then needs to evaporate slowly before the ecosystem is fully balanced.

That's why we deliver the Fusion Terrarium without a cork. On the green tag, you'll find an indicated date. Only on this indicated date should the cork be placed on the terrarium.

By leaving the terrarium open for the initial period, excess moisture can escape. Once the specified date is reached, the ecosystem is ready to be fully closed.

Do not add extra water during this period. There is enough moisture in the terrarium to kickstart the ecosystem effectively.

Does my Fusion Terrarium need water after that?

In most cases, the answer is: no.

Once the cork is placed on the indicated date, a closed water cycle is established. The present water continuously circulates:

• Plants absorb water.
• The water evaporates.
• Condensation forms against the glass.
• The water drips back down to the soil.

Therefore, the terrarium normally no longer needs water.

Only when the terrarium remains completely dry for a long time, no longer forms condensation, and the plants start to droop, a small amount of water might be needed. In practice, this rarely happens.

Condensation on the glass

Condensation is actually a sign that the ecosystem is working.

A little condensation

Do you see light condensation in the morning that disappears later in the day? Then the terrarium is perfectly balanced.

Lots of condensation

Is the glass completely fogged up all day?

Then remove the cork from the terrarium for about one day so that excess moisture can escape. Then place the cork back on.

If a lot of condensation remains, repeat this process if necessary.

Where to place a Fusion Terrarium?

Place the terrarium in a bright spot with plenty of daylight.

Avoid direct sunlight.

When a terrarium is in full sun, the glass acts like a small greenhouse. This can cause the temperature to rise quickly, leading to plants burning or drying out.

A spot with plenty of indirect daylight is ideal.

Problems in a Fusion Terrarium

A Fusion Terrarium is a living ecosystem. Because we work exclusively with natural materials, small changes can sometimes occur. This is part of nature. Fortunately, most problems are easy to solve without disturbing the ecosystem.

Mold in the terrarium

Mold in a Fusion Terrarium can sometimes occur and is a normal part of a living ecosystem. Because we work exclusively with natural materials, such as terrarium soil, moss, wood, and living plants, microscopic mold spores can naturally be present. In a warm and humid environment, these can temporarily become visible.

In many cases, a small amount of mold disappears on its own once the ecosystem is fully balanced. Sometimes, however, the mold persists or spreads. This is not always predictable, as each terrarium is a unique piece of nature.

Do you have mold in your terrarium? You can do the following:

• Remove the cork from the terrarium for about one day so that excess moisture can escape.
• Carefully remove moldy or rotting leaves from the terrarium.
• Carefully remove visible mold with a piece of kitchen paper or tweezers.
• Optionally, sprinkle a little activated carbon or cinnamon on the moldy spot. Both have a natural anti-fungal effect.
• It is better not to use chemical cleaning agents or fungicides. These can disrupt the natural ecosystem.

Small flies in the terrarium

Sometimes small fungus gnats or other mini-insects can appear in the terrarium. These have often already been present as eggs in the natural terrarium soil or among the plants before the terrarium was assembled. Unfortunately, this cannot always be completely prevented as we use only natural materials.

A few flies are usually not harmful to the ecosystem and often disappear on their own once the terrarium is fully closed.

Do the flies keep coming back? Then you can try the following:

• Remove the cork from the terrarium for a few hours or one day so that adult flies can escape.
• Sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon over the top layer of soil.
• Optionally, place a saucer with water and a drop of organic dish soap outside the terrarium to catch adult flies.
• If the flies keep coming back, keep the terrarium closed and clean the inside of the glass once every three weeks. This can be done with tweezers and a piece of kitchen paper. Tweezers are available at garden centers.

My plants are wilting or dying

Although a Fusion Terrarium is a self-sufficient ecosystem, it can happen that a plant does not grow as well or eventually dies.

The most common causes are:

• Too much moisture.
• Too little light.
• Too much direct sunlight.
• A plant that was already weaker during cultivation.
• Plants overgrowing each other.

Therefore, always check the location of the terrarium first.

A Fusion Terrarium prefers a bright spot with plenty of indirect daylight. Avoid bright afternoon sun.

If a plant has completely died, you can remove it or let it serve as compost in the ecosystem. This can actually help the other plants to grow better.

If plants are growing very rapidly, gently prune them back a little to keep the ecosystem beautifully balanced.

Mushrooms in the terrarium

Do you suddenly see a small mushroom appear?

Don't worry.

Mushrooms are a sign that the potting soil is healthy and rich in organic matter. They are part of a natural ecosystem.

You can choose to simply leave the mushroom. It often disappears on its own.

If you don't find it appealing, you can easily remove it.

Keep in mind that another mushroom may appear later. That's part of a living ecosystem.

Why do we use natural materials?

At Fusion Terraria, we consciously choose natural materials.

This keeps the ecosystem healthy and allows plants to grow for years without artificial additives.

Our terrariums contain no plastic decoration or artificial plants. Everything you see is part of a truly living ecosystem.

My cork is missing

Is the cork missing?

This can have several causes.

Sometimes a cork comes loose or gets lost during transport. It also happens that a cork goes missing in the supermarket because a package is opened.

We understand that this is annoying.

Because the shipping costs for a separate cork are relatively high compared to the product itself, it is unfortunately not always possible to send a new cork free of charge.

In that case, please feel free to contact us. We are happy to think along with you and find a suitable solution together.

A terrarium that lasts for years

A Fusion Terrarium is designed to last for years. Thanks to the closed water cycle, natural materials, and carefully selected plants, the terrarium requires hardly any maintenance.

If you place the terrarium in a bright spot, adhere to the date on the green tag before placing the cork, occasionally check the ecosystem for condensation, and lightly prune the plants once every six months, you can enjoy a beautiful piece of nature in your home for years.

This makes a Fusion Terrarium not only a unique home decoration but also a sustainable and original gift that you will enjoy for a long time.