How to Maintain a Terrarium or Ecosystem – The Complete Guide to Carefree Greenery in Glass

A terrarium or closed ecosystem is not only a beautiful decorative piece but also one of the easiest ways to bring greenery into your home. However, every terrarium—whether open, closed, or semi-open—requires its own specific maintenance requirements. The good news: with a few simple guidelines, your terrarium will remain usable, beautiful, and healthy.

First, explain what a terrarium is. It's pretty simple: a terrarium is glass with plants inside. It can be open, closed, or you just need to open it occasionally.
A closed terrarium is also called an ecosystem. It's sealed and self-contained with nutrients and water. You don't need to open it.
An open terrarium is a terrarium that can accommodate any plant. You do need to provide it with water and care.
A semi-terrarium is a terrarium that needs to be opened and watered occasionally, though much less frequently than an open terrarium. A semi-terrarium can be used as either an open or closed terrarium. Whether you want it to be open or closed depends on the plants in the semi-terrarium.

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What is an ecosystem? (closed terrarium)

A closed terrarium ecosystem functions like a miniature ecosystem. Just like in the real world: warm air rises, and in the terrarium, the moisture evaporates. When warm air rises, you get clouds here on Earth. In the ecosystem, you get water on the glass, which is called condensation. Clouds with water form rain. In the ecosystem, it drips back into the soil. This has advantages, but there can also be disadvantages. In most cases, it's just like on Earth: a miniature world, a self-sufficient plant terrarium.

Ecosystem advantage:no watering, it grows naturally.

 
Disadvantage of the ecosystem:you never know what nature is up to. In small cases, plants can die. You can solve this by adding a new plant to the terrarium. When a plant dies, we call it compost. This strengthens the other plants with nutrients. You could see it as a disadvantage, but we see it as strengthening the other plants. Just as nature intended.

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What should you pay attention to when caring for a plant ecosystem?

Light
Place the terrarium in a bright spot, but out of direct sunlight. Too much sun will cause overheating and burn plants.

Water
A healthy ecosystem has sufficient moisture in the soil.
Do you see a little condensation? Then it's perfectly balanced.

• Too much condensation? Open the terrarium for a few hours.

• No condensation and dry soil? Then a little water is needed.

Pruning plants in your ecosystem
Is a plant growing against the glass or a bit too enthusiastically? Then you can prune it back carefully. Don't do this too often; once every six months is more than enough.

Algae from fungus in your ecosystem
Sometimes a white film of mold appears on the substrate. This is normal and harmless. Carefully remove the mold with tweezers and even air out the terrarium.

Flies in your ecosystem
Flies are often hidden in the soil or in natural materials. When it gets warmer, the eggs hatch, and you'll see tiny flies around the terrarium. Fortunately, this is easy to solve.
Leave the glass open for a few hours to allow the top layer to dry. Then sprinkle a thin layer of sand over the soil; this will prevent flies from laying new eggs. You can also use a small adhesive strip for terrariums.
After a short time the flies disappear by themselves, especially when the sand seals the top layer and the terrarium can even be ventilated.

Why an ecosystem?
When you choose an ecosystem, you're choosing nature and design. A true mini-jungle in your home. You see how the natural world works in your home or office.

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What is an open terrarium?

An open terrarium offers a wide variety of plants in glass. It's amazing how beautiful and versatile an open terrarium is. You can transform an orchid terrarium into a cactus terrarium. The versatility of real plants in glass does require some care: some water and love. Yet, maintenance remains simple.

Advantage of an open terrarium:the versatility of the plant choice
Disadvantage of an open terrarium:it requires some maintenance.

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What should you pay attention to when caring for your open terrarium?

Watering

• Plants such as ferns and moss like slightly moist soil.

• Cacti and succulents need just a little water.

Always check the soil before watering. Do this by poking your fingers into the soil. If you're a bit more experienced, you can tell by the color of the soil:

• Gray-brown = no water

• Brown = slightly moist

• Dark brown = water

• Very dark brown = too much water

Light open terrarium
Provide sufficient daylight, but avoid direct sunlight – especially with glass balls and vases, which can be powerful magnifying glasses.

Pruning open terrarium
Plants can grow freely, but cut away long or spreading branches to maintain a beautifully designed terrarium.

Algae or mold in your open terrarium
Sometimes a white film of mold appears on the substrate. This is normal and harmless. Carefully remove the mold with tweezers and even air out the terrarium.

Flies open terrarium
Same as above: leave the glass open, sprinkle a thin layer of subsoil sand, which will create a sticky strip, and the flies will disappear by themselves.

Why an open terrarium?
Are you looking for the versatility of an open terrarium? You can enjoy your open terrarium for a long time. With a little care, you can enjoy its beautiful design in a functional way. Whether you choose an orchid—which will finish blooming, but then you can enjoy the green plants around it—or a cactus, which will stop growing if it can't grow any further. This way, you can get sexual pleasure from your open terrarium.

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What is a semi-terrarium?

A semi-terrarium can be left open and closed. A closed terrarium must be kept closed; a semi-terrarium can be kept closed for a long time, but requires some care. After a few months, you'll need to water it sparingly, which isn't necessary with a closed terrarium. An open terrarium needs watering once every two to three weeks. With a semi-terrarium, this is usually only once every three or four weeks, or even longer. These are the different plants inside.

Maintenance tips

• Condensation? (water on the glass) Even open the terrarium.
• Plants too wet? Opening the window for a day will help.
• For “dry” plants such as succulents: open more often.
• For green houseplants: ventilate less often and keep it slightly humid. If you do keep it open often, see open terrarium.

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General tips for every terrarium

• Touch the glass inside as little as possible – fingerprints remain visible for a long time.
• Use rainwater or slightly boiled water to prevent limescale stains.
• Do not place the terrarium near a heater – this will dry it out faster.

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Maintaining a terrarium? It's child's play.

Whether you have an open terrarium or a self-sufficient ecosystem, caring for it is surprisingly simple. A little light, occasional ventilation, a splash of water, and above all… let it go.
With minimal attention, you can independently enjoy a living work of art in glass.

View Collection:

Open Terrarium

Closed Terrarium