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Succulent glass terrarium: why the lid must stay open

Updated: 21 October 2026

The listing in front of you says succulent, cactus, fern and moss in one sentence, and the photograph shows a shut glass house. A succulent glass terrarium only works if that glass stays open. A shut lid holds the humidity that rots succulents and cacti. This page follows lid position, water and compost on a UK windowsill. Prices and the full grid are on the [glass terrarium comparison](/hub/houseplants/glass-terrarium). Peter F. used the Royal Horticultural Society and Kew for the plant rules, and amazon.co.uk reviews from the 19 October 2026 capture for how these lids behave. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

The listing in front of you says succulent, cactus, fern and moss in one sentence, and the photograph shows a shut glass house. A succulent glass terrarium only works if that glass stays open.

Our top picks

ZOOBAYA ZOOBAYA greenhouse

Best overall

ZOOBAYA ZOOBAYA greenhouse
7.4/10about £32.93
View offer
Homtone Homtone house (23 cm)

Rank 2

Homtone Homtone house (23 cm)
8.1/10about £29.95
View offer
LIMOR LIMOR small house

Alternative

LIMOR LIMOR small house
6.1/10about £29.80
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Why the title lists succulents and ferns
  2. 2.Leave the lid open
  3. 3.Water, grit and the winter rest
  4. 4.Which glass in this set can stay open

Why the title lists succulents and ferns

Titles in this set print succulents onto lidded houses. Homtone names fern, moss, succulents and cacti. That is keyword cover, not a community. Kew puts a tight lid on moss and tropical plants, and cacti and succulents in the open, with echeveria as an example. The Art of Succulents, a UK seller, warns that succulents and cacti rot quickly in closed humidity. A mixed jar fails quietly: the fern looks fine while the succulent softens. Ferns and the condensation rule stay on closed or open terrarium. For succulents, leave every lid in this set open.

Leave the lid open

Prop the roof, or take the cork out and leave it out. Homtone’s swing lid has a support in UK reviews, so the flap can stay open, but the opening is only 12 × 9 cm, so bare-root the plant. The ZOOBAYA greenhouse has a roof stay, and one UK review kept succulents by leaving it open. LIMOR can be propped, but at 10.9 × 10.9 × 12.4 cm the roof is too low for a taller cactus. Kew warns against direct sun on closed glass. The RHS wants a sunny windowsill for the succulents themselves. Do not put a shut succulent house on a south window to give it light.
ZOOBAYA ZOOBAYA greenhouse

Testsieger

ZOOBAYA ZOOBAYA greenhouse
7.4/10about £32.93
View offer

Water, grit and the winter rest

Use a free-draining, peat-free, gritty compost. The RHS line is that mix, a bright sill, and water only when the surface is dry in spring and summer. From November to early March, water very little. Gardeners’ World’s dessertspoon-a-week line from March to October is a rule of thumb. When it conflicts with the RHS, follow the compost surface, not the calendar. Homtone is not claimed watertight, and UK reviews mention a slight leak. LIMOR’s drain hole and both ZOOBAYA houses leak if you add too much. Use a small pour, a tray, and stop when the surface is moist.

Which glass in this set can stay open

The Homtone at about £29.95 matches this job: a 12 × 9 cm flap, a support in reviews, and room for a few small succulents if you bare-root them. The ZOOBAYA greenhouse at about £32.93 has a roof stay one UK buyer left open for succulents. Skip it if you need undisputed glass, because reviews disagree. LIMOR at about £29.80 is for a very short cluster, not a columnar cactus. The PYEF kit’s compost is not automatically the gritty mix. You can use that jar open if you swap the compost. Do not seal it and drop a cactus in.

Common questions

How do I water them without flooding a house that leaks?
Wait until the compost surface is dry, then add a little water at the soil, not a reservoir. Put a tray under any soldered house. Homtone, LIMOR and both ZOOBAYA pieces are described in UK reviews as leaking when watering is generous. Stop when the surface is moist. If water appears on the shelf, that was too much for the frame, even if the plant would have liked a little more in a proper pot with a saucer.
What compost should I use?
A peat-free, gritty, free-draining mix, which is the RHS line for cacti and succulents indoors. A general houseplant compost that stays wet will rot them inside glass even with the lid off. The PYEF kit’s included soil is for a bottle garden, not automatically this gritty mix. Rainwater is kinder than hard tap water, which leaves a chalk film on the leaves. Water in spring and summer when the surface is dry, and barely at all from November to early March.
Will a cactus in an 11 cm house have room?
Only a very short one. LIMOR is 10.9 × 10.9 × 12.4 cm, and a UK review says the roof is too low for a taller cactus. Homtone is 23 × 14 × 18.5 cm with a 12 × 9 cm door, so a small rosette can go in bare-root and a nursery pot cannot. The taller ZOOBAYA, about 26 cm high, fits a short row of small plants, not a large specimen. Measure the plant against the centimetres before you order the glass.
Is a fern-and-succulent mix a good idea?
No. Ferns want the humidity a lid can hold. Succulents want that humidity gone. Listings that name both are collecting search terms. Pick one group. If the fern matters more, use a jar you can close and follow the condensation check. If the succulents matter more, leave the lid open and use gritty compost. A Venus flytrap named in the same bullet does not join either group automatically.
Do I need a drainage hole?
These listings do not give you a nursery-pot hole you can trust. LIMOR’s special-features line says drain hole, and UK reviews describe water leaving the container onto a tray, which is a leak, not a designed drain. The other houses are soldered frames with no watertight claim. Use a thin gravel layer if you have the height, water sparingly, and keep a tray under the glass. Do not drill the panel. Cracked glass is a return, not better drainage.

Related pages

Glass terrarium buying guide

Best glass terrarium

Glass terrarium

Closed or open terrarium: which lid should you use

How to set up a glass terrarium: layers, then water

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these eight listings were read for this comparison. Page updated 21 October 2026.

  1. RHS, Terrariums and bottle gardens (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  2. BBC Gardeners’ World, terrarium care (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  3. Kew, Make your own terrarium (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  4. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 13 (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  6. Business Companion, Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  7. GOV.UK, reporting product safety issues (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  8. Wildlife Trusts, sphagnum (retrieved 21.10.2026)