frequently asked questions…

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" my moss is turning brown"

Moss comes in many shades of green, some are on the browner or yellower side than others. Moss also has brown colouring in the undergrowth area.  If your once lush and green terrarium is turning brown there are two considerations.  Is it out of direct sunlight?  Is it moist enough?  Check the layer system has enough moisture so you can see moisture beads.

"I can see lots of condensation on the glass"

Condensation is a good sign.  If your terrarium is dripping with big drops of water, then take the lid off for a night or two and then replace.  We don't wan't it to be too wet as this can introduce rot.  Slight condensation is what we are looking for.

"my terraium has some white fluff"

White fluff is the first signs of mold.  This is caused by a number of factors, one being a combination of too much warmth and moisture.  We keep our Little Lands under close scrutiny before sale to ensure we are offering a great item to terrarium lovers. Once terrariums leave our hands to their new environment - it is beyond our control.  We can however give you a couple of remedies to get it back in shape.  

Using a clean butter knife or chopstick - very gently disrupt the area where the fluff is.  If you can scoop any out, do that, then clean your instrument before touching the terrarium again.  You can repeat this process over a few days, and leave the lid off for a few days and move to a brighter position.  Replace the lid and keep watching.  If the fluff takes off again, repeat the process.

"bugs - there are flies in my terrarium - eeek!"

Welcome to the world of a living Little Land.  At the time of potting all moss is curated and treated with insecticide.  Potting materials however contain micro-organisms that are near invisible - months down the track you may find a little friend or two flying in your terrarium.  All you need to do is give your terrarium a shot of fly-spray on a piece of paper towel, pop it inside the terrarium and replace the lid.  Remove the paper-towel the following day.  Repeat this process again in five days time.

"the leaves are turning brown"

All plants lose leaves and grow new ones.  This is going to be the same in your terrarium.  You can do two things, one leave it there to compost and regenerate the soil, or cut it off and discard.  A couple of leaves turning brown means they are going through their normal plant life cycle; new leaves will continue to grow.  When plants in a terrarium lose leaves - your terrarium is not dying - it is merely a normal part of plant growth which occurs similarly in terrariums.

"how do I clean the inside of my terrarium"

Just get a dry clean lint free cloth and gently wipe.  Do not use any chemical glass cleaner sprays.

"help - my terrarium is overgrown"

Get out your scissors and snip away any leaves or growth you don't want and discard it.  Easy!

"I have these white and brown dot things growing, and there's a real toadstool"

At Little Lands, we used foraged forest moss, you can't get more real than that.  We curate our moss at the studio to ensure it is pest free, however fungi spores are naked to the eye at the time of potting.  Fungi will also only seasonally occur in your terrarium and is part of the wonders of a terrarium.  Sometimes it appears in the soil layer, other times on the surface.  If you don't like your new addition on the top layer, just pull it out.  Don' forget to wash your hands when finished.

"I think my terrarium is dying"

Have a read through all of the above.  Have you changed the position of your terrarium is in your home or office?  Make sure it is positioned in a bright space without direct sunlight - a change of scene is often good with changing light throughout the year.  We house up to 500 terrariums in our facilities at any one time, our key is to neglect them - only attending to our terrariums should there be a leaf turning.  We also keep our eye on the moisture levels in the soil layer - and give our terrariums a little drink about every 3-6 months (depending on size) if they are not air-tight depending on the size of the terrarium.  If you have newly purchased your terrarium from us, it will not need watering for many months.  If you are still concerned - get in touch!