You may have heard that succulents shouldn’t be used in a closed terrarium, and this is largely true. You see, succulents need a dry and airy environment, and many closed terrariums create a moist and humid greenhouse effect. A succulent that’s exposed to too much moisture will likely become diseased and die, which is not what we want for our precious plant babies!

Luckily, we have some clever workarounds that will allow you to enjoy your favorite lush and funky succulents, PLUS the stylish look of a closed terrarium. Keep reading for our best tips and tricks.

Go Faux

With succulents trending in everything from weddings to home décor, a demand for faux succulents that look real arose. And boy are there some fantastic options available! If you head to your local craft or hobby store and browse the florals, you’ll undoubtedly see dozens of faux succulent varieties that look just like the real deal.

Grab a variety of these faux succulents and start creating your closed terrarium. If you use our DIY Terrarium Kit, you can “plant” the faux succulents in real soil for a look that’s so authentic no one will ever know your secret. Another option is to grab our Footed Terrarium with Lid or Cylinder Terrarium with Lid and arrange your succulents in a bed of white sand or elegant polished stones.

Then, simply pop on the lid, place in your desired location, and never worry about this no-maintenance, closed terrarium.

Keep it Airy

If you can’t bear the thought of going faux (Trust us, we understand!), you can still arrange live succulents in a closed terrarium keeping some important pointers in mind.

Airflow is your best friend when it comes to arranging real succulents in a closed terrarium. Our Glass Cloche actually features air holes in the dome that will prevent your closed terrarium from getting too steamy. And in the event your closed terrarium does get a bit humid, you can simply take the lid off for a couple days and let things air out before popping it back on.

Here are a couple other tips to help keep your closed terrarium airy:

• Use drainage stones at the bottom of your terrarium to help keep the soil dry.
• Keep it away from direct sunlight, which can burn the leaves of your succulents. Instead, opt for a bright spot with filtered sunlight.
• Light, weekly watering will keep your succulents hydrated, but not soggy.

Succulent Arranging 101

Whether you go faux or use the real deal, there are some design basics to keep in mind when arranging your succulents in a closed terrarium.

Succulents come in a wide variety of heights, textures and colors, so take advantage of the diversity and get a good mix for visual appeal. For example, you could plant a tall and spikey hawthoria in the center of your closed terrarium. Then add some shorter desert rose, hens and chicks, green prince, or paddle plants. Lastly fill in with some low-lying filler, like string of pearls.

Get started creating your own succulent arrangement by checking out our closed terrarium selection.