Secret Garden Bioactive Terrarium Maintenance

🌿 Wildwood Terrarium Care Guide

Our Wildwood Terrariums feature a glass vessel with a wooden base and a wooden ball top.
Because this vessel isn’t completely sealed, it requires a little more care than fully enclosed styles. Like most small ecosystems, it contains plants, microfauna, and beneficial microorganisms that work together to mimic natural processes in the wild — creating a mostly self-sustaining environment.

If your terrarium is enclosed with a ball lid, you’ll need to water it a little more often, as the top isn’t 100% sealed, allowing moisture to slowly evaporate.

To help your Wildwood Terrarium thrive, here are a few key things to keep an eye on 👇

💧 Watering Your Terrarium

An established bioactive terrarium should only need watering every 2–3 months.

Maintaining proper moisture and humidity levels is essential for the health of your terrarium’s inhabitants.

• If you notice condensation forming at least once a day, your moisture levels are perfect.
• If no condensation appears, add a small amount of water and monitor over the next few days, repeating as needed until the condensation cycle returns.

🚫 Avoid overwatering.
If condensation remains all day, it’s a sign of excess moisture. Leave the terrarium open for a few days to let it dry out. You can place a piece of mesh or cling wrap with small holes on top to prevent your isopods and springtails from escaping.
Use a paper towel to gently wipe away excess condensation from the glass if needed.

🌱 Plant Growth

Keep your plants happy.

You can prune your plants so they don’t outgrow the terrarium. While an overgrown look can be beautiful, too much growth will eventually lead to plants dying from lack of light.

Remove any dead plant matter your cleanup crew hasn’t decomposed. Too much decaying material can overwhelm the system, causing mould and imbalance — and may eventually lead to your terrarium failing.

✨ Clean Glass

Keep your terrarium crystal clear.

Wipe down the glass, inside and out, using only water and a paper towel. This helps your plants receive enough sunlight to thrive and keeps your Wildwood Terrarium looking its best.

🪱 Feeding Your Cleanup Crew

Don’t add too much food too often.

You generally don’t need to feed your isopods and springtails, but an occasional tiny treat can be beneficial.
Add only a small amount at a time so it’s eaten before it goes mouldy. This also helps keep your cleanup crew content and less likely to nibble on your plants.

☀️ Sunlight for Your Terrarium

Do not place your terrarium in direct sunlight.

Position your Wildwood Terrarium where it can receive 4–6 hours of bright, indirect light each day, or use a grow light instead.
Avoid placing it near windows or outdoors — too much sun will cause heat to build up inside, which can cook your plants.