So gorgeous!
So you love succulents, but growing them can be a challenge if you are missing some key tips. Here are my rules of thumb (aka green thumb) when it comes to indoor succulents.
1. I buy all my succulents from a store. You can try to buy cuttings online, but my green thumb is limited, and I don’t like testing my odds! So I’ve found that here in Phoenix, Safeway has gorgeous medium sized succulents for $5.99! You can’t beat a good bargain, and while mastering your skills saving is always good. When you bring this gem home don’t immeadiately repot! This is a huge mistake! Give it about a week to adjust then put it in its pot. If the plant is dry, water it when you get home and let it get plenty of indirect light near a window.
2. How much do you water it? Well you want to soak the plant really well, and then wait until it’s bone dry again to water. A big mistake is to water it little by little. I use a small water canister that sprinkles the water over the plant. Don’t dump a huge glass of water over your plant. This causes a huge well in the soil. I’d say my canister holds about a liter of water and I water two plants with that amount.
3. So now your plant has been home a few days. You picked out a nice pot for it! I love to get mine at TJmaxx, or Marshall’s. Ensure it has holes at the bottom with a plate!! If it doesn’t, the soil will stay to wet and the plant won’t flourish. You need the soil to be halfway wet before repotting. Pick a pot big enough for 6 months of growth. Repotting a plant really disturbs its environment so don’t do it too often.
4. Next is choosing the right mix for your soil. You need 1/3 organic dirt, 1/3 sand, and 1/3 small clay pebbles. This mixture provides the right environment for a succulent to thrive!!! The sand and clay pebbles give it breathing room in case of over watering. Once you have the mixture all set up sprinkle water over it. Mix up the dirt, and leave the dirt is moist but not soaking wet.
5. Fill your pot halfway with this mixture. Then tip your new plant over to nudge it out of its old pot. Once its set in the new pot, fill the edges with rest of your dirt mixture, and lightly water the plant.
6. Put the plant near a window away from an AC vent, and watch it flourish. Don’t water it again till it’s dry! Set a timer on your phone calendar weekly to remember to check your plant watering. I water my succulents about every 1.5 weeks.
7. Finally, when the sun is setting, I set my plant outdoors for about an hour to soak up the sunlight without any filter. I do this a few times a week but be warned! I’ve noticed putting them outside too early in the day can literally fry them. But that extra sun really helps them grow beautifully.
Blog by Marigold
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