Care & Info

Water

One of the best things about mossariums and terrariums is that they are low maintenance. If the plants are in a a container with a lid, they only need an occasional misting or a few squirts of water when condensation no longer appears on the glass or in the drainage layer. Depending on how tight the lid is, this could be every few weeks or every few months. Closed-lid containers are ideal for mosses and certain humidity-loving plants. Since mosses have no roots, they take in water that collects on the surface of their leaves, including from condensation. Open containers are better for air plants and succulents. Air plants will need to be misted several times a week, while succulents will need the occasional watering every week or two. Purified water is recommended especially for misting because tap water will leave mineral deposits on the container's glass surface. You don't want that, and air plants often don't like those minerals either.

Nutrients & Air

Plants need more than sunlight and water, they also need a source of essential elements like nitrogen and phosphorus. Most plants get this from the soil through their roots. But mosses don't have roots, so they mostly absorb what they need through their leaves. Same with air plants. This can be provided occasionally by misting with fertilizers sold for that purpose. The soil in Mossaria terrariums has a bit of fertilizer for the rooted plants, although terrarium plants don't need as much as they would in a regular pot with ample drainage. A spray-on fertilizer will eventually make its way down into the soil too, so there is no need for additional fertilizer for plants. As carbon-based life forms, plants also need a source of carbon, which they get from the carbon dioxide in the air during photosynthesis. At night though, they reverse this process and release carbon dioxide. But it's still good to open a closed terrarium from time to time to let in fresh air, which also prevents fungal growth.