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FAQ

Terrariums

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WHAT ARE TERRARIUMS?

Terrariums are nothing less than a miniature ecosystem of plants placed in a sealable container and are perfect for indoor spaces. They’re commonly used as a decoration or substitute garden in areas with little or limited space like an office or a bedroom. They’re self-sustaining which means they required little maintenance if sealed.

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HOW DO THEY WORK?

Besides plants, terrariums contain their own soil, air, food, and water, everything they need to thrive. The sealed container creates a unique environment for plant growth where a small scale water cycle takes place thanks to the light and heat entering the terrarium through the transparent walls. Moisture from the soil is taken into the plant through the root system, passes through the leaves by transpiration, evaporates into the air, then condenses on the container’s walls due to the limited atmosphere and finally trickles down to the soil and plants to be used again. The photosynthesis process also takes place thanks to the light entering through the glass container.

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HOW LONG CAN THEY LAST?

We can’t forecast a terrarium’s life span since it’s as unpredictable as life itself. If they’re cared for properly, though, they can last a couple of years. Some models of sealed terrariums have lasted for more than two decades. Follow your tailored CARE TIPS guide to keep them healthy.

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WHAT DO THEY NEED TO LAST LONG?

  • Light - Terrariums require bright but indirect light. Do not put them in direct sunlight or outside for a long time.

  • Water - Sealed terrariums require little water, usually once a month. Depending on the container size and the terrarium model we provide a little guide with tips on frequency to water them properly.

  • Pruning - A little trimming often promotes side shoots that fill out plants. You might need to trim tips if they start to touch the container’s walls.

  • Cleaning - You might need to remove dead leaves periodically and scrub the sides of the container to prevent them from becoming moldy or remove any build-ups. (Go to CARE TIPS tab for further information on terrarium maintenance)

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IS IT DIFFICULT TO TAKE CARE OF THEM?

Given their self-nourishing nature, closed terrariums need minimal care, that’s why they’re the perfect choice for people with a busy schedule. We do recommend, at least once a month, taking off the container lid for about 10-20 minutes to let it air out and remove the excess of moisture. Follow the tips described on our CARE TIPS section to make them stay healthy and vibrant.

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WHAT IF IT STARTED TO GET MOLDY?

Mold is usually a dead giveaway that the terrarium has an excess of moisture. If you experience white mold in your terrarium, chances are the water inside it might be too abundant. The first thing you need to do is removing the lid off for a few days to promote air circulation and reduce humidity, following you can use a cotton swab dipped in water to remove any mold covering the plants, rocks, and decorations. Don’t use the same cotton swap twice so you won’t spread the mold around. If you find it difficult to remove mold from some plants, you might want to just trim or remove the plants from the terrarium.

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DON’T THEY NEED AIR?

Yes, they do. When terrariums are closed, the air is trapped. Plants in closed terrariums recycle this air, which means they use carbon dioxide and light during the day, sunlight promotes the production of oxygen and food (sugars) through photosynthesis. Then at night they use oxygen and produce carbon dioxide.

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I ACCIDENTALLY OVERWATERED MY TERRARIUM, WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW?

Overwatering is the most common problem with terrariums and it generally leads to mold and bugs. Closed terrariums don't need water very often (Usually once a month). As a rule of thumb, when you see condensation in your closed terrarium, there is no need to add more water. Do not allow water to sit at the bottom of the terrarium for extended periods of time as this may cause plant roots to rot. You can use a paper towel to soak up excess water. Also, remove the lid and place it in a brighter area for a few hours (but never in direct sunlight). Regular filtered tap water, distilled water, or carbonated water can be used to water terrariums.

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DO I NEED TO USE FERTILIZER ON MY TERRARIUMS?

No. Since slow plant growth is desired in the container, the limited amount of nutrients present in the soil layer is sufficient.

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HOW ARE SEASONS GOING TO AFFECT MY TERRARIUM?

These miniature ecosystems can easily adjust to temperature changes, but you might need to provide the perfect environment for them to thrive and stay healthy. Avoiding direct sunlight and heat exposure during hot summer days is recommended, as well as ensuring they’re not exposed to freezing temperatures and snow during winter. Since most of our terrariums are little rainforest recreations, we recommend keeping them in environments with temperatures between 40/85 °F – 5/30 °C, being 65/75 °F – 18/24 °C a perfect range.

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CAN I PLACE THE TERRARIUM ANYWHERE?

Terrariums can be placed anywhere as a décor element, substituting garden in areas with little space, as long as you avoid direct sunlight and excessive heat conditions. Consider a bright and cool room or office as the best scenario, you can always move it around but we do not recommend to do this often since plants will adapt to the environment and sudden changes may cause plants to die suddenly. Avoid dark spaces too. Fluorescent light is also fine with the terrariums.

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THERE ARE BUGS IN MY TERRARIUM. HOW DO I GET RID OF THEM?

If you ever spot any insects in a terrarium, they’re usually harmless and it’ll be your ultimate decision keeping it or removing it. Common bugs include caterpillar, beetles, spiders, which don’t affect the terrarium’s environment whatsoever. If you decide to leave them alone, they’ll eventually die on their own and then they can be removed with a cotton swab, twizzles or a long stick. We do not recommend using insecticides or other chemicals to get rid of bugs, there is a chance of harming or even killing the terrarium.

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THE CONTAINER IS FOGGY. SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT IT?

Given the temperature difference between the terrarium and the room where it’s placed, you’ll notice some fog appearing on the walls of the container due to condensation. This is completely normal, and it is part of the small scale water cycle taking place inside the miniature ecosystems. If instead, you see water drops running down the walls of the container, chances are there’s too much moisture inside. Proceed to take off the lid for a couple of hours to let some of the moisture to evaporate and put it back on.

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WHY DOES MY TERRARIUM LOOK DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE SHOWED ONLINE?

There’s no two alike. Every piece that we make is unique since it’s all based on ideas that pop up when we start making them. Plant position, plant selection, stone colors, scenery and landscape recreation may vary. However, we will stick to the pattern of the chosen model so you won’t get something completely different to what you saw on our portfolio or social media.

Delivery

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HOW DO YOU DELIVER YOUR TERRARIUMS?

All of our terrariums are hand-delivered by our team members to ensure they arrive safely and securely. We don’t use carriers or third-party services to transport our products given its fragility and condition.

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WHERE DO YOU DELIVER?

We’re currently hand-delivering to NYC 5 boroughs only: Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, The Bronx, and Manhattan. Please be advised: WE DO NOT deliver outside New York City. If you have a special request for an event or a large order in a different city, feel free to contact us and your case will be assessed.

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WHEN CAN I EXPECT MY ORDER TO ARRIVE?

We offer hand delivery services from Monday through Friday. Orders received after 11 am will be processed the next business day. We do not deliver during the weekends. Delivery restrictions may apply during holidays. Allow 4 business days after your order is confirmed to receive your order. We will contact the recipient prior to delivery to ensure someone is home or at the office to collect them.

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SAME DAY DELIVERY?

At this time, we are not offering same-day delivery for online orders. If you’re in a rush, feel free contact us.

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WHAT TYPE OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?

We accept all forms of major credit and debit cards including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. We also accept payments made through PayPal and Venmo.

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DO YOU HAVE A PHYSICAL STORE?

At the moment, we don’t have a physical store. We will be announced on this website and all our social media when we’re listed on a fair, pop-up or special event in the city so you can go and see our terrariums in person.

Orders

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CHANGE/CANCEL ORDER

Changes and Cancellations are allowed no less than 24 hours before your scheduled delivery date. Please contact us at sales@terria.com as soon as possible if you would like to change or cancel your order. We'll do our best to process your request.

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CHANGE DELIVERY ADDRESS

Since we schedule our deliveries by zone, we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible if you want to change your delivery address, so we can offer you an alternative date of delivery.

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ORDER STATUS

You will receive email confirmations as we get your order ready for delivery. No tracking number will be provided since our products are safely and securely delivered by us. You can always contact us by email or give us a call to ask about your order and we will gladly give you a heads up.

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LARGE ORDERS/SPECIAL ORDERS

Feel free to contact us if you have a large or special order, we’ll be happy to help.

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MULTIPLE ORDERS (DIFFERENT ADDRESSES)

You can make separate orders, if there are multiple addresses. We will process each order individually and schedule a different delivery time and date, depending on the zone.

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