In recent years, the popularity succulents has exploded. These small but absolutely gorgeous little places grow with ease, minimal water, and in all types of climates. But if you don’t get things right when growing your succulents, they are not so hardy that they won’t shrivel up and die.
Whether you are looking to grow them indoors or outdoors, succulents are more than capable of adding a dash of colour and that something special to your home or garden. They are a much talked about plant, and they make a fantastic, personal gift, as more plants can quite easily be propagated from a single succulent.
One of the greatest benefits of growing succulents is that they store water in their leaves. Some can go two weeks without needing watering, which means if you should forget to water them, or if you are away from your plants for a week or two, they don’t die. For this reason, succulents are the ideal plants for first time gardeners and anyone who would like to create a minimalist garden that they don’t have to invest hours in cultivating.
Growing Succulents in a Pot
Succulents thrive in containers. That said, if you want to make sure that your succulent grows successfully, you will want to start by making sure that you have selected the right container. These are a few of the factors you should consider why buying a container.
Material
The material with which the container is made will play an important role in the growth of your plant. The best pots for succulents are made from concrete or ceramics. These materials will allow the plant and the soil to breathe and these materials are also going to allow for easy drainage and the circulation of air.
If you have a larger succulent, or if you intend to have many succulents in one pot, your best pot will be a plastic or resin pot.
Size
The next consideration is the size of the planter. Your container shouldn’t be too small but at the same time, you don’t want your succulent to drown in the extra space. The best size pot for a succulent is the one that is 5 to 10% bigger than your plant.
The roots of a succulent plant are rather fragile and can spread very fast. Naturally, if your plant doesn’t have enough space, it will outgrow its container and you will have to replant it, possibly sooner than you would like to.
Design
The design of your pot doesn’t actually have any effect on how the plant will grow, but it is still important if you are taking the décor or style into consideration. You will want to choose a pot that fits in with your décor or which will at the very least look neat.
Drainage
One of the most important considerations you’ll need to make, if you want your plants to flourish, is drainage. While succulents are hardy plants and will store water rather easily, it is very possible to overwater the plants and waterlog the soil. If you are new to having a succulent, overwatering is quite common, as you slowly get used to the needs of your plants, so you’ll want to make sure that the excess water drains out easily.
Succulent Care
Once you have the pot, and you’ve planted your succulent (the process is no different than planting any other plant), you need to know how to take care of it. Indoors or outdoors, a succulent can flourish with the right care.
Give it light
It might grow well indoors, but like every other plant, it is going to need the right amount of light. Succulents can do well with at least 6 hours of sunlight a day, but you should also keep in mind that it is easy to damage certain succulents, especially those just getting their start. If you are worried about this, you can give them a little shade by placing them in front of a sheer curtain.
Move your succulents
It is too easy to leave your succulents in one spot, and in doing so, only giving one side of the succulent all the light. If you do this, the succulent will end up growing in one direction, which will cause it to lean. You can prevent this by turning the plant every few days.
Don’t be too generous with water
Overwatering succulents is one of the biggest mistakes you could make. In spring and summer, you can give them water once a week, but during autumn and winter, you can make it every other week. Let the soil dry out between watering, this will ensure that you don’t over water the plant.
And when you do water the plant, water the soil around it, until water runs out of the drainage. You should also avoid misting the plants leaves with a spray bottle as this can weaken the plant.
Give the plants a dusting
Indoors or outdoors, the plants leaves are going to get dusty. This can slow the growth of the plant, so take a damp cloth and wipe the leaves whenever they get dust covered.
Don’t forget the potting soil
While succulents are not overly fussy when it comes to the soil they are planted in, if you want to make sure that the succulent flourishes, you can give the plant a boost with the right soil. Succulents mostly enjoy dry soils which can recreate that almost desert like environment that they are commonly found in. So low nutrient soil which is well drained can be greatly beneficial.
Once your succulent is growing well and gets to a decent size, you can consider propagating it. This is one of the wonders of the succulent, they multiply so easily. Carefully break off a leaf or two, from close to the stem, and place it on top of the soil next to the succulent, making sure it is watered when you water the succulent. Within a few weeks, the leaf will sprout a few roots and when planted, will become a whole new plant.
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