Demijohns terrariums require high amounts of light, so keep them in a bright spot but out of direct sunlight as this could cause the contents to overheat. Similarly, keep your terrarium away from radiators or other heat sources that could cause overheating.
Demijohns
Lighting
Watering
Demijohns or other sealed terrariums requires almost no additional water during the course of their lifetime once the initial balance of moisture has been properly established. A balanced demijohn will have some moisture on the glass (typically in the morning or when it gets cold), but this should disappear over a 24 hour period. If this is the case, your demijohn requires no additional water whatsoever……enjoy!
If your terrarium has large droplets of condensation on the glass, remove the lid and make sure that it receives adequate light and airflow across the opening to aid drying. This process can take days, weeks or longer depending on the initial moisture levels in the demijohn. Once the large condensation has disappeared from the glass, you can replace the cork if you’d prefer (this is not necessary as they can be left open for years). It is normal for droplets to appear on the glass again once the demijohn has been resealed, but keep an eye on it as it should dry out within a week or so. If the condensation persists, remove the cork again and repeat the entire process as outlined above.
Maintenance
Demijohns are difficult to maintain as you require specific tools to get into them. We recommend you purchase some aquascaping tweezers and scissors designed for the aquarium, industry as these work perfectly for terrariums as well.
If you see any dead or dry leaves, remove them immediately from the terrarium to avoid the unwanted spread of mould or fungus. Leaves that are pushed up against the glass of the terrarium have a tendency to get too damp and rot, so remove if possible. Plants that have overgrown the terrarium can either be pruned back or replaced. Note that plants prefer to be pruned during spring and summer months, so we don’t recommend any pruning to be carried out over winter.
What we do
We check moisture levels in our demijohns every few weeks initially, and remove the corks if there is excess moisture. We sometimes relocate them if we think this condensation is caused by too much/little direct sunlight or them being too warm or cold. Once a demijohn is well established it requires no additional water for the first few years of its lifetime. If you think your demijohn needs a water, feel free to contact us directly to double check!