How To Care For Succulents

SUCCULENTS. THE PLANT NO ONE TALKS ABOUT, BUT SHOULD!

You’ve heard about succulents, but how much do you actually know about them? Not only is succulent care incredibly easy, but they have some unusual qualities that you wouldn’t quite expect.

Four Fun Facts To Illustrate How Truly Remarkable These Plants Are:

1. Succulents can change colour! It all depends on the amount of sunlight, temperature, or water they receive. Some popular succulent colours are red, green, light purple, maroon, pink, and blue.

2. They are natural pest-resistant plants. It’s true! A lot of creepy crawlies are not a fan of succulents. This makes them the perfect addition to your outdoor and indoor garden.

3. You can wear succulents! They are, in fact, capable of growing on jewellery. Yes, you read that right! Because they are diverse in size and hardiness, you can grow them on jewellery. You could wear your succulent bracelet for a week and then plant it in a pot. How many plants can you name that have that ability?

4. Contributors to scientific breakthroughs. Scientists are studying how some plants can survive in different weather conditions. Since succulents can tolerate drought-like conditions, they are the perfect specimen for finding ways we could potentially farm in deserts and other various extreme climates.

With all that said, these little guys are a popular pick to add a splash of green to any space, and they can be easy to care for if you follow these tips.

Light Conditions: 

Succulents need a minimum of five to six hours of sunlight every day in order to thrive. Place them close to a bright, sunny window, but not so close that they will feel the cold temperatures in the winter.

Potting & Drainage: 

Succulents will not survive without proper drainage. Either keep them in their original plastic grower’s pot or a clay pot with a proper drainage hole.

The best potting mix is a sandy soil mix, not regular potting soil. Tropical soil mix recipes often keep moisture in your plants, but good succulent soil will be about 30%-40% sand to allow water to run through.

If you are planting your succulents in a terrarium or a pot without a hole, you will need to layer lots of stones in the bottom for proper drainage.

Watering:

Succulents prefer to get a good soak and then dry out completely between waterings.

Watering frequency depends on the size of your succulent pot – the smaller the container, the more frequent the watering.

Small 2-3” pots will need to be watered every seven to ten days, and 4-6” pots will need watering every couple of weeks. If you find your succulents are drying out quicker due to the climate in your home, you may have to water them more often.

Water from the base of the plant, not the top. If you choose to water from the top of the plant and get the ‘petals’ of the succulent wet, they will likely rot.

If you are going to water from the bottom, fill your sink or a bowl with an inch of room temperature water, ensuring the water is not higher than the edge of the pot. Gently place your succulent pots with drainage holes in the water. 

To avoid them floating or falling over, you should hold the plants down for a few seconds until the water soaks into the base.

Let your plants sit in the water for a couple of minutes. When you can feel a difference in the weight of the pot, that is when you will know they are done. Always let the excess water drain before placing the drainage pot inside a decorative one. This prevents water from sitting at the base of the plant.

Growing:

It’s normal for succulents to slow their growth during the darker and colder winter months as they go dormant. Don’t be discouraged if your succulent isn’t shooting new leaves or growing as quickly as you would like. It will most likely make up for that in the sunny summer months!

Check out our stunning selection of succulents on our online shop, and don’t miss your chance to sign up for our upcoming workshops!