This is one of the most common questions that we get asked! How often do I water my terrarium?
I'm sorry to break it to you, but there is no simple answer to this. EVERY terrarium has different watering needs. It depends on a number of different factors. By explaining each one, this should help you to learn all about watering your terrarium.
It's all about creating the right balance in your terrarium so that everything grows in harmony. Sounds lovely, doesn't it? What a dream!
If you underwater, the plants will dry up and die off. If you overwater, your terrarium will turn into a big, mushy mess. So how to we find the right balance?
Different Factors that Can Affect When A Terrarium Gets Watered
- Plant Varieties. Faster growing plants are going to use up more of the available water to grow so watering will be a little more frequent compared to an identical terrarium with slower growing plants.
- Type of Lid. If your terrarium had an acrylic lid, this means that it is not fully airtight, so water vapour will slowly escape, meaning it will need to be watered more frequently than a terrarium lid that creates an airtight seal. Cork lids will also let water vapour escape slowly and will need to be watered a little more frequently. A rough estimation is 2-3 months for acrylic and corks tops and anywhere up to a year and over for airtight sealed tops. But again, every terrarium is different!
- Temperature. If the terrarium is in a hot room, the humidity will be higher because hot air can hold more humidity. This means that there is more chances of water vapour escaping and evaporating from terrariums with acrylic and cork lids that are not completely airtight.
Common Signs That A Terrarium Needs To Be Watered
When you first create your terrarium, the plug plants will be nice and soaked and also the terrarium will be misted and the lid popped on. Then it's time to start monitoring it over the next month as it's going to take time for the plants to settle into their new little ecosystem. It's a big change from where they were previously growing, with most plants coming from large nurseries where they're grown in large greenhouse with plenty of airflow.
Terrariums aren't really watered on a schedule. There are lots of telltale signs that your terrarium is dry.
No condensation on the glass
There should be condensation on your terrarium glass at warmer times during the day. This show that there is moisture in there and the water cycle will continue. If you notice that there is no condensation at all, then it's time to pop the lid off and give it a misting to get the humidity levels up.
There will usually be a little bit of condensation around the soil layer, but if there is none anywhere then this means that water is needed so that the terrarium water cycle can continue.
Terrarium Water Cycle
Crispy Leaves Or Wilting Plants
If you notice yellowing leaves or droopy plants, it's time to water straight away! This means that the plants are starting to become really dry and are slowly dying. Get in there and give it a really good misting.
Some plants like Fittonias will completely wilt but they usually bounce back if watered soon after if happens. They're a little fussy but are beautiful in terrariums!
Dry Soil
We mix our own terrarium soil. It holds moisture but has good drainage which is very important for most terrarium plants.
There will normally will be a layer on condensation around the terrarium soil - this shows that there is moisture in there. If it is lighter in colour than usual, this means that there isn't as much moisture in the soil, so you can give it a spray to hydrate it.
The best thing to do is check on your terrarium every 2-3 weeks and see how it is doing. Check for no condensation, dry soil, wilting foliage and yellowing leaves. Taking photos is very helpful, so that you can reference them in the future.
How To Fix An Overwatered Terrarium
It is very important to try and fix it as soon as you notice the issue.
If you open up your terrariums and there's a very bad smell, mushie plants or brown moss, then it might already be too late and the terrarium won't survive at this stage. It's too far gone.
Start by wiping all of the condensation of the inside of the glass. Then leave the terrarium open for a few hours to let some moisture evaporate. Pop the lid back on and check again in 12 hours.
If the terrarium still looks oversaturated (lots of condensation on the glass), then open lid again and put in some some kitchen paper to try and wick up as much moisture as possible. Wipe the condensation off the inside of the glass and leave the lid off again for a few hours. Monitor and repeat until the soil looks damp and there's no excess condensation on the glass.
Types Of Water To Use In A Terrarium
Finally, we'll finish off with the different types of water that are best used in a terrarium.
AVOID using tap water if possible. It has chlorine in it, which isn't good for plants. It is fine to use the odd time if you're in a pinch, but long term use might cause a damage to plants and upset the ecosystem. It can also create stubborn hard water stains on the terrarium glass.
The best types of water to use are:
- Dechlorinated water. If you can, pour the tap water into an open container for a few days so that the chlorine evaporates.
- Demineralised Water.
- Bottled Water.
- Rain Water.
- Distilled Water.
- Filtered Tap Water.
These are all great options for terrariums and will keep the plants happy.
Hopefully this has answered a lot of your terrarium watering questions! If not, please let me know in the comments below.